Thoughts on Life and Death

It's late at night. You are weary of driving, but you are almost home; so you continue on. As your eyes focus ahead in the beam your headlights create, you notice an animal playing off to the side of the road.

The distance between you and the animal is decreasing rapidly. You become aware that he is moving precariously close to the path that your vehicle must take. When it is too late to do anything, he suddenly darts in front of your car! You want to swerve, but there is another car approaching quickly in the opposite lane. In a split second you realize that you must choose between hitting the animal, or wrecking your vehicle and possibly injuring yourself.

The feel of the wheel in your hand as your car makes impact is sickening. You shudder. "I didn't want to do it," you convince yourself aloud. But it is too late.

You stop the car and go back. You must see how badly injured the animal is. As you approach, you move cautiously. Animals that are injured can be extremely dangerous you have been told.

That animal isn't moving. The realization hits you full force after a few moments, it isn't alive. You cringe. "Why did it jump in my path?"

After some time, you return to your car. What a contrast. One moment bouncing and full of life, and the next . . .

Think with me for a moment. That animal did not understand the concept of automobiles. But an automobile took its life. It could not grasp the abstraction we call life, yet it just had its own life snuffed out.

As you look at that animal, what just left? The body is still warm. The outward appearance is basically the same as it was ten minutes ago. What has changed? It is now lifeless. But what does lifeless mean?

If you consult Webster's you'll read about life being the ability to take in food, give off energy and reproduce. Give me a break! Is that all there is to life? Of course not, life is much more than biological functions. To further complicate matters, our lives are much different than the life of that animal, different than the life of any animal. That animal ceased to exist when it had its life snuffed out. We do not. One of the main things that separate us from the animal kingdom is our eternal existence.

In order to fully understand life, you must have at least a general understanding of death. Many (most) falsely believe that death is a ceasing to exist. It is not. Death is separation. When a human being dies, they do not cease to exist, they undergo a separation. The spirit separates from the body. James 2:26 gives a pretty clear statement of that, “. . . as the body without the spirit is dead . . .”

As humans we think we know pretty much what happens when the body dies. It is then that the eternal aspect of humanity comes into play, however. The individual will either be ushered into the presence of God, or into an eternity of damnation. Once again we have the aspect of separation. Eternal death is separation from God. Now, don't jump to conclusions. I am not denying a literal hell. I fully accept that very clear Biblical truth, but the torture of the flames (whether literal or figurative does not really matter for the sake of this post) will pale in comparison to the torment that arises from a person realizing that they are eternally separated from God. It is that point that makes hell more terrible than we could ever imagine. I am convinced that the separation factor is what is meant by the “second death.” The first one being when the body and spirit separates, the second when the spirit is eternally separated from the One their spirit longs to be with.

If death is the separation of the body and spirit, then what is life? Is it merely the presence of the spirit within the body? Yes . . . and no. There must be that aspect in order for it to be life. Man is made up of a material side and an immaterial side. Neither ceases to exist at the moment of death. They are separated in order to be reunited at a future date. But the idea of physical life partially being a union between spirit and body, illustrates a glorious truth about eternal life. Eternal life is among many other things, a uniting of our spirit with the presence of Jesus Christ!

Stop for a moment and contemplate that. You will be IN THE PRESENCE of Jesus Christ. We have studied it, talked about it, preached it, even desired it; but in one incredible moment, you will instantaneously be WITH HIM . . . FOREVER!

Do me a favor please. Don't run off half cocked telling everyone that Terry has redefined eternal life. I haven't. What I hope I have done is to give you a different perspective to what eternal life will mean. While it is true that eternal life implies the idea of no dying, I am convinced it does not end with that discussion.

BTW – I do not buy the idea (like many of my theological ilk) that since we will leave this earth, we do not have an obligation to be good stewards of this planet. I most certainly think we do. But, for a moment pause and reflect upon seeing the face of your redeemer. Jesus, the one who died and rose again, will one day greet you in your new home; and you will forever enjoy the blessed gift of “eternal life.”