The nature of our life
And THE LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Genesis 2:7
The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life. If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me, stand up. Behold, I am according to thy wish in God’ stead: I also am formed out of the clay. Job 33:4-6
Thou (God) hidest thy face, they (the beasts) are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth. Psalm 104:29-30
Man is a creature formed from the dust and he lives by the energy that God has breathed into him. This is something man shares with all living things that God has created.
Does this sound like a bit of a fairy tail to you? It’s a scientific fact that the human body is made up of materials and minerals found, not on the core of the earth but on it’s crust, the surface of the earth. For example Oxygen, Carbon and Hydrogen, all elements found on the surface of the earth make up over 90% of the human Body, in accordance with the Biblical account.
When the power of God is removed from man, like beasts, man returns to the dust which he was created from. The following verses prove this:
All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust. Job 34:15
I said in mine heart concerning the estate of the sons of men, that God might manifest them, and that they might see that they themselves are beasts. For that which befalleth the sons of men befalleth beasts; even one thing befalleth them: as the one dieth, so dieth the other; yea, they have all one breath; so that a man hath no preeminence above a beast: for all is vanity. All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again. Ecclesiastes 3:19-21
Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Ecclesiastes 12:7
Life is a vapour that vanishes away
The sad truth is then that our life is a temporary thing. We are here today but gone tomorrow. The scriptures actualy describes life in these poetical ways:
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. James 4:14
Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away. Psalm 144:4
What exactly is death & what happens when we die?
For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun. Ecclesiastes 9:5-6
Return, O LORD, deliver my soul: oh save me for thy mercies’sake. For in death there is no remembrance of thee: in the grave who shall give thee thanks? Psalm 6:5
Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish. Psalm 146:3-4
For the grave cannot praise thee, death can not celebrate thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise thee, as I do this day: the father to the children shall make known thy truth. Isaiah 38:18-19
As the above verses demonstrate, the Bible clearly teaches that death, in itself is a punishment. When a man dies, we are told, that he is unconscious, knowing , where nothing. Dead in every sense of the word. This idea of man having an afterlife is not a Biblical teaching. One who claims to believe in man having an immortal soul might want to think about the following contradictions which arise from such a belief:
- Men would not perish like beasts if they had an immortal soul:
Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them; and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. Psalm 49:14-20
- Immortality would not only be for the righteous if men had it already:
Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath Romans 2:6-8 - Immortality would not be a gift if we had it already:
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
- Immortality would not now be hidden if it is something which happens all the time -
For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. Colossians 3:3
- Immortality could not have been brought to light by Jesus if it was around before him in every man who had lived:
But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel: 2 Timothy 1:10
- Immortality would not be dependent upon a belief of Jesus and the gospel:
And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day. John 6:40
- There would be no need of a resurrection:
For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. 1 Corinthians 15:16-20
Why do we die?
The Bible teaches that all of mankind dies because they have inherited Adams nature and because of this we all sin.
And unto Adam he (God) said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art , and unto dust shalt thou return. Genesis 3:17-19
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. Romans 5:12
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Romans 6:23
For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22
Is death the end?
As you might have seen above, there is a way to escape the punishment of death that we all deserve for our disobedience. This way is not an easy one. It requires a belief in the Gospel and the Lord Jesus Christ, followed by baptism and the leading of a life in accordance with Gods commands. Read more about these topics in other areas of this website…
Author: M. Davies, Nottingham, Feb 2009
Other articles that may interest you:
The Resurrection
The Bible teaches that human nature is mortal
