We are in the middle of exploring what God meant in the Garden of Eden, when He told the man that he would die in the day he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
This is more than an important development in the Story. Adam and Eve’s death is the pivotal point upon which the rest of the Story will turn. It is the Bad News which gives meaning to the Good News. If we are to make sense of the rest of the Story, we must grasp all that is involved in death.
For example, in John 10:10, Jesus offers life, which implies that His hearers need it—that they are dead. What does He mean? What is included?
To appreciate that we are going to need to know all that was lost when we died.
Because this is such a pivotal point in the Story, I need more time to give it the treatment it deserves. In the meantime, you might find it profitable to consider how our understanding of death impacts some of the later developments in the Story.
Consider the following:
Deuteronomy 30:15 “See, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and adversity;
What is the life and death God speaks of in this passage? If death is simply physical, what implications would that have for our interpretation of life? If more is involved, what?
Several passages are addressed to believers—people who have placed their faith in Jesus as the Christ. What issues does that raise as you read each of the following passages? Is the death spoken of in these verses a threat to these believers? Why or why not? How should we understand death in each?
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
1John 3:14 We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death.
©Copyright Garth Oliver