Physical and Spiritual Death
ICS Daily Devotions
Hebrews 9:27 (NKJV) And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.
There are two kinds of death: physical and spiritual death. Unless we are born again, we will face these two kinds of deaths. Those who do not have Christ in their lives will experience spiritual death because they will be eternally separated from God. However, once we are born again, our names will be recorded in the Book of Life, we will be sealed with the Holy Spirit, and spend eternity with God even after our physical death. Therefore, even though we have no control over when we will die physically, we can choose not to be separated from God spiritually by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour!
It is God who gives us life. God created man from the earth, and life didn’t come into the being until God breathed into it. God is Spirit, and we are also spirit beings. The body without the spirit is dead. The spirit being will depart from the body and live for eternity. Ironically, many people spend vast amounts of money on their physical bodies. Sadly, our bodies will return to dust one day, and interestingly, our spirit beings will have a perfect resemblance to our physical beings, regardless of the plastic surgery one has done. Similarly, many of us spend much time developing our intellect, which is in the realm of our souls, but have neglected the spirit man.
If we refer to Luke 16:19-31 regarding the rich ruler and Lazarus, we will realise that the senses of spirit beings last forever—they can see, and hear. The rich man remembered that he had brothers on earth, felt thirsty, and sensed the heat in Hades, even though his body had been buried. The fact that the spirit’s senses last beyond our death should aid us in our understanding of what it means to be led by the Spirit of God in our hearts.
Therefore, the best thing that you can do for our children is not to give them the best education, and the best way to honour our parents is not to give them the best gifts and holidays, because if they have not responded to the Gospel, they will enter a Christless eternity when they die, and be forever condemned! Jesus is the only way, the truth, and life. We certainly do not want them to perish and spend eternity without Christ, and we would want them to enjoy the abundant life on earth now.
There is an eternity. One can either spend it in the presence of God or be separated from Him forever. We must make the decision ourselves and make the good news known to our loved ones so that they can also make the right decision.
Sermon Series: God’s Compelling Love
