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Christ Jesus Christ Jesus is The/Our: (It should be noted that the word “Christ” is English for the Greek word “Christos,” which means “Anointed One,” i.e., the “Messiah.” It was/is an epithet (descriptive term) of Jesus, a designation of His position or office and not actually part of His name. And it should go without saying that Christianity is all about Him.) The Life (John 14:6; cf. John 1:4; 4:14; 5:26; 6:35, 40, 48, 58; 8:12; 11:25; Colossians 3:4; 1 John 1:1, 2; 5:11) Of all the elements germane to mankind the most fundamental, the most basic, the most important is life; for without life, there can be nothing else. This may be something that one would determine needs no mention; yet, when considering the relationship of God with His Creation, its relevance is overwhelming. The word “life” refers to that distinctive quality, force or principle that animates God and all air-breathing creatures of God (Genesis 1:20, 21, 24, 26, 27; 2:7). With the exception of Himself, all life could/can only emanate from God, “the Living [the Self-existing One (Exodus 3:14; John 8:58)] God” (Joshua 3:10; 1 Samuel 17:26; Jeremiah 10:10; Hosea 1:10; Matthew 16:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), a fact in contrast to all other imagined deities, which are indeed “dead” (Isaiah 44:9-20; Jeremiah 10:8-10, 14), as are all those who depend on them for life (Psalms 115:4-8; 135:15-18). It should be emphasized that the only Life that has had no beginning, and will never end, is that of “the Living God.” To put it another way, God alone is “life” and “life” cannot exist apart from Him. All human and animal life was/is wholly dependent upon God for its creation (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 33:6; 102:25; 146:6; Jeremiah 10:12; 51:15; John 1:1-3; Acts 14:15; 17:24; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:10; 11:3; Revelation 4:11; 10:6); and all life that has evolved from the “creative act” as seen in Genesis chapters one and two is wholly dependent upon God for its origination, existence, and preservation (Isaiah 44:24; Job 12:10; Acts 17:25; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3). God’s creation of life, as seen in the beginning chapters of Genesis, was a manifold event. He initiated life in two distinctive creative beings. He first infused life into non-human beings, which were not created in His image (Genesis 1:21-25); and then “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 being” (Genesis 2:7). The difference between human and non-human beings is substantial. Humans are tripartite beings, composed of a spirit, a soul, and a body (1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12), created to mirror the tripartite image (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) of God; whereas non-human beings are bipartite creatures consisting of a soul and a body. There is little difficulty in understanding the “body” of God’s creatures. These corporal vessels in which we all live require little faith. They are physically apparent to all. But in the final analysis, the body is simply a container composed of flesh and blood, which, by itself, is not the person — only the package in which the soul and spirit resides and by which one experiences physical appetites. On the other hand, the soul is the identity of the person, the one who resides in the package, i.e., the body. It is the life-giving principle, which actually resides in the blood (Leviticus 17:11; cf. Genesis 9:4). The soul comprises the intellectual and emotional assets of one’s identity, without which, the body cannot properly function. It is the body’s engine, and, its identity. In brief, a person cannot meaningfully exist without the union of body and soul; nor, for that matter, can any non-human (e.g., animal) so exist without the same. Christ pointed out the difference between these two distinct elements when He said in Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Having offered this explanation, it must be stated that this account may be somewhat lacking as to the complexity and totality of not only the differences between body and soul, but also as to their connectivity. As one views the various passages of Scripture that apply to these two components of God’s air-breathing creatures, one can only be certain that they do exist, have their separate function, and transition separately at death, which will be seen in the death of Christ on the cross of Calvary, listed below. But first, there is a third component within every human being, which is the “spirit.” For lack of a more detailed and complex description of this component of man, let it be said that this is that part of man that links him directly with God. When death came to Adam and Eve in the Garden as a result of their eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in defiance to God’s instruction (Genesis 2:16, 17), death apparently affected the three components of man differently. Whereas death became a progressive trend affecting the body and soul, it was an action of finality as to the spirit of man. As to other aspects of God’s creation at the time of the transgression by Adam and Eve, all became corrupted and no longer were a blessing, but rather, a curse (Genesis 3:14, 17, 18), which will only end at the “revealing of the sons of God” (Romans 8:19-22). “God is spirit,” and man’s worship of God must be “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). In the Garden, the death of Adam’s spirit separated him from God. This death (this separation [progressive as to body and soul but absolute as to spirit] from God) “spread to all men” (Romans 5:12). Scripture speaks of an unsaved person as being “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). With an unredeemed, inanimate (spiritually dead) spirit, he is alienated [separated] from God (Ephesians 2:12).
Upon death, the components of man transition separately. This may be seen in the death of Christ. At this time Jesus yielded up His spirit, which went back into the presence of His Father in heaven (Luke 23:46; cf. Ecclesiastes 12:7; Acts 7:59); His soul went into Hades, the place of the dead, housed inside the earth at that time (Acts 2:27); and His body was removed from the cross and placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea (Matthew 27:57-61). This threefold separation persisted until the soul and spirit re-entered the body at the time Christ was raised from the dead.
For a person to achieve life, particularly “eternal life” (a life linked to God, which will never end), i.e., the salvation of the spirit (spirit-salvation), he or she must come by faith alone to Christ alone. This is to say that one must by faith-based decision accept the payment for one’s sin, which Christ alone paid on the cross of Calvary. And when this decision (based solely on and by faith) is made, the person is eternally linked to Jesus Christ, who then becomes his Eternal Life — a Life that can never be dissolved, abandoned, or withdrawn by man or God.
But this aspect of the gospel (good news) is only the beginning. Although it is the most important facet of God’s comprehensive plan of salvation for man, since without it nothing else may follow, Scripture actually addresses more fully the salvation of the soul (soul-salvation). Unfortunately, this is a subject that is either misunderstood or purposely avoided by a vast portion of Christianity. This possibly could be because many may believe that soul-salvation somehow contradicts or nullifies spirit-salvation, which it most certainly does not. Our Life (Colossians 3:4) Bread of Life (John 6:35) Word of Life (1 John 1:1) The Way (John 14:6) The Truth (John 14:6) The Resurrection (John 11:25) Word of God (John 1:1, 14; 1 John 5:7; Colossians 2:3, 9; Revelation 19:12, 13) True God (1 John 5:20; Isaiah 9:6; John 20:28; Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:8) Son of God (Matthew 14:33; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 1:34, 49; 20:31; 11:27; Acts 8:37; 9:20; Romans 1:4; 1 John 4:15; 5:5) Son of the Living God (Matthew 16:16; John 6:69) Son of Man (Matthew 16:27; 24:30; 25:31; 26:64; Luke 21:27; John 1:51; John 5:27; Daniel 7:13) Second Man (1 Corinthians 15:47) Heavenly Man (1 Corinthians 15:48) Son of David (Matthew 22:42) Christ of God (Luke 9:20) Christ the Lord (Luke 2:11; Acts 2:36; 10:36; Philippians 2:11) Our Peace (Ephesians 2:14) Teacher (Matthew 23:8, 10; John 3:2) Temple (John 2:19, 21) Savior (Luke 2:11; John 4:42) Lord (Romans 1:3) Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16) Lord of all (Acts 10:36; Ephesians 1:22) Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7) Light (John 8:12) Creator (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2) Sustainer (Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3) Bright and Morning Star (Revelation 22:1) Anchor (Hebrews 6:19) Foundation (1 Corinthians 3:11) Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 16:16, 18; 21:42) Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15) I AM (John 8:58) King of kings (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 19:16) Chief Cornerstone (Ephesians 2:20) Good Shepherd (John 10:11) Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5) Living Water (John 4:10) Door (John 10:9) High Priest (Hebrews 6:20) Rock (1 Corinthians 10:4) Faithful and True Witness (Revelation 3:14) Master (Matthew 8:19) Lord of lords (1 Timothy 6:15) Judge (Acts 10:42) Advocate (1 John 2:1) Our Blessed Hope (Titus 2:13, 14; 1 Timothy 1:1) Image of the Invisible God (Colossians 1:15; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Hebrews 1:3) Firstborn over all creation (Colossians 1:15) Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25; see “Life” above) Holy One (Acts 2:27; 3:14; Psalm 16:10; Mark 1:24) Just One (Acts 3:14; 7:52; 22:14) Deliverer (Romans 11:26) Lamb of God (John 1:29, 36; 1 Peter 1:19; Revelation 5:6; 19:7) Prince of Life and Savior (Acts 3:15; 5:31; 13:23) Captain of Salvation (Hebrews 2:10) Author of Eternal Salvation (Hebrews 5:9) Author and Finisher of our Faith (Hebrews 12:2) True Vine (John 15:1, 5) Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22; 4:16; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 11:3) Emmanuel (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14) Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6) Bridegroom (Matthew 9:15; 25:1; John 3:29) Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45) The End of the Law for Righteousness (Romans 10:4) |