7 Deadly questions Study. Question 2

Question 2 Genesis 2:7, John 11:25-27 Just what is life?

Life is a gift coming directly from God.

“Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and the man became a living person.” (Genesis 2:7 NLT)

“25 Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26 Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” 27 “Yes, Lord,” she told him. “I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God.”” (John 11:25-27 NLT)

When I was a boy I was taught scientists had created life, but really the scientists created a mere building block of life (an amino acid) this was achieved using knowledge of design and using what turned out to be unrealistic conditions.

Life is an incredible mystery.  I have seen life slip from so many people.  There is an instantaneous change that makes it so obvious life is gone, but I can’t explain to you how I know.

God formed us from the dust of the earth like a potter forming a vessel.  The intimacy of touch as the hands of the Potter formed us is also seen in God’s declaration that He formed and made us in the womb.  But even that is not life.  For we are told that God did the first CPR and breathed His very life into us!  Again look at the intimacy involved.

Jesus declares He is the resurrection and also life itself!  And we can see why.  As God, Jesus continues the life breathed into us by God.  So what is life?  It is the breath of God!  The very life of God breathed into us.  Breathe is a primitive root meaning to puff, to inflate, to kindle and to expire.  Breath is wind, divine inspiration, intellect, soul or spirit.

Part of what we call life is our intellect and mind, which are a gift of God.  God actively breathed His breath into us and from that we are kindled to be, to know and to grow!  From this we get our hunger for knowing, discovering and growing.

This life was meant to be eternal.  We were meant to live forever growing, learning and experiencing.  But we chose our own way and that always leads to death.  Death is not just the absence of life.  I have seen that also over the years.  Just as sin is a rejection of God so death is a rejection of life.  We do not die because we did something wrong, we die because we rejected the life found in the God who made us.

To reject God is to reject life!  Look at the societies that reject God.  They always choose death.  Whether building a better human or a better world through abortion and sterilization (Eugenics), by killing those considered than (Nazism), building a better society by killing those who dissent (Communism), or controlling population through abortion (China) when they leave God behind they always choose death over life!  It is that desire to “do it our way” that leaves behind broken lives, dreams, families and societies.

Life is not just the continuing of breath but the continuation of God within us.  That is why Jesus could say “I am the resurrection and the life.”  For it is Jesus within us that not only keep death away but allows life to flow through us!  More than mere existence, the life of God flowing in and through us to share His life with others!