Our answer to this question will, to some extent, depend on what is on our mind when we are asked.
Life has physical, emotional, relational and spiritual aspects and each of these will have an influence on our answer. Think about it for a moment. What does it mean to you, right now, to be alive?
Is it enough to know that you are breathing, or must there be more, and if so, what more?
What do people mean when they say,
‘I’m not living, I’m just existing’.
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| Still-Life with a Skull, vanitas painting. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
At the moment of our death it will be to late to change anything. Than we will be to late to change direction or to take an other path. We shall be able to face death in peace when we do know we have lived according to the wishes of the Most High. Those who did not want to accept there is a God Creator of heaven and earth should in a way not be afraid either, but with many of them we notice they fear death. Why?
Those who believe in other things than described in the Bible may be taken by fear, because when they believe in false gods and in false beings like certain demons and devils and places of torture, the could have reason to be afraid.
Those who know the Bible do know that when we live it is important to treat all living organisms with respect, because they all are a creation of the Most High Elohim. And all creation of God, be it humans or animals shall come to the same end — humans die, animals die. also plants shall have there time of growing and flowering, but afterwards they will die and decay.
We all breathe the same air. So there’s really no advantage in being human. None. Everything’s smoke. We all end up in the same place — we all came from dust, we all end up as dust. We as the living should at least know something, even if it’s only that we’re going to die. But the dead know nothing and get nothing. They’re a minus that no one remembers.
“19 after all, the same things that happen to people happen to animals, the very same thing—just as the one dies, so does the other. yes, their breath is the same; so that humans are no better than animals; since nothing matters, anyway. 20 they all go to the same place; they all come from dust, and they all return to dust.” (Ecclesiastes 3:19-20 CJB)
“for the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing; there is no longer any reward for them, because all memory of them is lost.” (Ecclesiastes 9:5 CJB)When we live it is the time to make the right choices. In life it is the time given us by the Creator to make something if our 'being' 'our soul'. The 'soul' is not something extra special in our material form, it is our total being that can breath and as soon as we stop breathing we shall be considered to be part of the dead.
Therefore we better take life as it comes our way and whatever turns up, we better grab it and do it. And heartily! This is your last and only chance at it, For there’s neither work to do nor thoughts to think In the company of the dead, where you’re most certainly headed. When more people would read the Bible they would know that we are just mere humans who don’t have what it takes when they die, their projects die with them.
“whatever task comes your way to do, do it with all your strength; because in sh’ol, where you will go, there is neither working nor planning, neither knowledge nor wisdom.” (Ecclesiastes 9:10 CJB)
“when they breathe their last, they return to dust; on that very day all their plans are gone.” (Psalms 146:4 CJB)So, why are atheists afraid when they die or why should believers be afraid when they die? the non-believer knows when he dies it shall be finished 'and that is it'. why should he worry when he knows the outcome of death?
And why should a believer worry. When he dies and becomes dust like everybody, why should he worry? By death we have paid the penalty for our sins.
But those who believe in Christ Jesus, the son of God, who died (whilst God can not die) and was resurrected from death and taken out of the dead, they know they can find an example in what God did with Christ Jesus and can do with us. Believers in Christ also do know he was lower than angels, but was made higher by his Father, Who is, was, and shall always be the Most High. Believers trust that God took Jesus, the son of man, with Him in heaven, to sit at His right hand to become a mediator between man and God.
“he gave him no inheritance in it, not even space for one foot; yet he promised to give it to him as a possession and to his descendants after him, even though at the time he was childless.” (Acts 7:5 CJB)
“for god is one; and there is but one mediator between god and humanity, Yeshua the Messiah, himself human,” (1 Timothy 2:5 CJB)Yes, today we have a human preceding by God. He can talk for us and be our advocate, so that when Jesus shall return to the earth to judge the living and the dead, we would have a chance to become rightly judged and either to be placed by the living or by the dead, either to be allowed to enter the gate of the KiIngdom of God or to fall into the category for the Second death.
Than there shall come an end to death.
“he will swallow up death forever. ADONAI ELOHIM will wipe away the tears from every face, and he will remove from all the earth the disgrace his people suffer. for ADONAI has spoken.” (Isaiah 25:8 CJB)
“for what one earns from sin is death; but eternal life is what one receives as a free gift from god, in union with the Messiah Yeshua, our lord.” (Romans 6:23 CJB)
“21 for since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man. 22 for just as in connection with adam all die, so in connection with the Messiah all will be made alive. 23 but each in his own order: the Messiah is the firstfruits; then those who belong to the Messiah, at the time of his coming; 24 then the culmination, when he hands over the kingdom to god the father, after having put an end to every rulership, yes, to every authority and power. 25 for he has to rule until he puts all his enemies under his feet. 26 the last enemy to be done away with will be death,” (1 Corinthians 15:21-26 CJB)
“he will wipe away every tear from their eyes. there will no longer be any death; and there will no longer be any mourning, crying or pain; because the old order has passed away.” (Revelation 21:4 CJB)
So those who have faith in Christ do not have to worry when they die, as long as they made their best of their life.
What we become is the reality of what it means to us to be alive today. So, after all this, the question remains, what is life?
I like the answer I read recently which twists a well known saying.
‘Life is doing what comes supernaturally.’ Let’s live!
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| Cover of Yes |
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Please do read also:
- Cosmos creator and human destiny
- Choices
- Always a choice
- We have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace
- A person is limited only by the thoughts that he chooses
- Science, belief, denial and visibility 1
- Science, belief, denial and visibility 2
- Choose you this day whom ye will serve
- It is a free will choice
- For those who make other choices
- Dying or not
- What happens when we die?
- The Soul confronted with Death
- Dead and after
- Destination of righteous
- Destination of the earth
- Sheol or the grave
- Soul
- The Soul not a ghost
- Is there an Immortal soul
- Human Nature: What does the Bible teach?
- Immortality, eternality – onsterfelijkheid, eeuwigheid
- How are the dead?
- The soul has no rainbow if the eyes have no tears
- Let not sin reign in your mortal body
- We will all be changed
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Find also of interest:
Brothers
and Sisters who may be seeking employment and are willing to relocate
or who may be looking for a new avenue to serve in the 
The
WCF website has been upgraded to now feature video on demand. The
Foundation has produced a number of videosto serve as educational and
Last
year WCF provided a grant of over $35,000 to the COPT volunteer 
he
brothers and sisters of the 
Tabitha
(Tabby) Ryan is planning to return to Kamukuywa, 
Personally
I hope to gain a lot of experience and information about the conditions
in Kenya so that upon return to Australia I can advocate for the
brethren living here. After studying teaching for four years I am
excited to be able to put my qualifications and experience to work in a
Christadelphian school where I can not only teach my relevant subject
areas but also teach Bible studies and first principles. I hope to
return home motivated to encourage others to preach."
