A Life of Living

What Is Life?

When we think about living life we think of it in terms of life being the opposite of death. “The body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:26). But we also know that the Bible teaches about life after death. All humans will continue to exist beyond physical death. In 2 Corinthians 5:10 the Holy Spirit stated that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.” Obviously we must think of life and death in different ways if we want to understand the Bible.

 

Once our spirits separate from our physical bodies, the question of life takes a new turn. Once we die we can no longer think in terms of life being the opposite of physical death. But if we cannot define life in comparison to physical death, how can we define “life”?

Existence Versus Extinction?

Some have chosen to define life in terms of length beyond the grave. These people suppose that after death people will either enter heaven or eventually simply cease to exist (or be caused to go out of existence by God’s wrath). Thus they define life as existing in eternity and define death as ceasing to exist.

That idea violates many passages in the Bible. Jesus Himself said that those who are “on the right hand” (i.e., in favor with God) would enter “eternal life” while those on His left hand would receive “everlasting punishment” (Matthew 25:46).  We cannot define life after death by thinking of it in terms of existence versus extinction. Even the evil people will continue on forever while being punished. That state of continual punishment is not called “life”. It is called death.

Revelation 20:14 calls the Lake of Fire the second death. Jesus said those people would receive “everlasting punishment”. They are not going to cease to exist. And they are going to die a second death. Obviously, we cannot think of life and death in terms of existing and extinction.

Quality and Source

 We must look at life (and death) in a way that involves the Source of life. Life resides within God’s nature. John wrote, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4). When we think of what life is after death we must think of it in terms of the nature of God. As such, life after death is a matter of quality.

As a way of illustration, consider Satan. The Bible teaches that Satan exists as a personality; however, the Bible never says that Satan is living. If that is difficult to accept as possible, please consider John 1:4-5. The life that resides in Jesus was a light to the world. If life is described as “light”, what would “darkness” be? Jesus came to a whole world of people who existed, but they did not have LIFE! That is why Jesus said He came that we might have life in John 10:10. But notice that life is only extended to those who are His sheep. That is, life is extended to Christians!

Jesus did not come so that Satan could have life. He did not come so that everyone on earth would automatically receive life. He came to offer anyone who would listen a chance to live! John said that as many as received Jesus, “to them He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). That life comes from the nature of God. It is found “in Him” (John 1:4).

Spiritual death is the absence of God. Satan is an entity that exists in the spiritual realm. He has personality. He has thoughts and intentions. He has many attributes that humans also have. But he is not living because spiritual life is a matter of quality, and that quality relates to the nature of God Himself.

When we understand this concept about life, it will help us understand the importance of 2 Peter 1:4-7. That list does not merely give good suggestions for having a better life. The attributes in that list relate to the very nature of God. Peter is telling us that we can be “partakers of the divine nature”. Being like God is not just a good idea. It is the essence of spiritual life! Without that divine nature, we are not living.