May 1, 2018 Tuesday

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

Life is gift coming directly from God.

“the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.” (Genesis 2:7 NIV)

“25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."” (John 11:25-27 NIV)                                                                                                                                              

When I was a boy I was told scientists had created life.  But really the scientists created a mere building block of life (an amino acid) and that was achieved through major design and information as well as what turned out to be unrealistic conditions. 

Life is an incredible mystery.  I have sat and watched life slip from so many people.  There is an instantaneous change and while I cannot explain it I can tell when it is gone.

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 form 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.  Within us are the fingerprints of God’s touch and each breath is a reminder of the intimacy of God’s love.

           

            The same word for breath is also the root word for the Holy Spirit which because of the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus was able to come into our lives and be present with us.  Jesus taught the disciples that it was better for Him to leave so the Holy Spirit could come!

Jesus declares He is not only the Resurrection, but 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 own breath into us and from that we were kindled to be, to know and to grow.  There is a 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 wanted our own way and that always leads to death.  Death is not just the absence of life.  I have seen that also in my ministry. 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 life found in the God who made us. 

To reject God is to reject life. Look at societies who rejected God.  They always choose death.  Whether building a better human being or a better world through abortion and sterilization (Eugenics), by killing those considered less than (Nazism), building a better society by killing those who dissent (Communism), or controlling population through abortion (China) they all leave God behind and thus choose death over life.  It is that desire to “do it our way” which 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 keeps death away but allows life to flow through us!  More than mere existence, but the essence of God flowing in and through us!

            After the visit with Dr Thomas I am exhausted.  Anytime I go out I have to pay for it for a couple of day.  Monday is usually not one of my better days and getting to Dr Thomas’ office at Fort Sanders is a choice of which bad road you will take.  Dr Thomas will be going part-time soon and I will see Dr Torres.  But as Dr Thomas and I agreed I am currently in a maintenance mode anyway.