Towards the end of the twentieth century, the phrase “Get a Life” began to surface in everyday speech in North America. It is not totally clear where it originated, although it was popularized by the actor William Shatner in 1986. While it sometimes carries the meaning of “mind your own business,” it is generally used as a term of contempt toward those who seem to have a life without any goals, achievements or interests. It implies that the individual in question needs to do something to make his/her life more satisfying and enjoyable.
When the natural man takes up the subject of life, he is, of course, usually thinking only of life in this world and how to make that life the most satisfying he can for himself. God is often left out. Those of us who are believers in the Lord Jesus can be thankful for the grace that brought us to Him. But while our hopes are all centered in Him and on where we will go after we leave this world, yet God is very interested in our lives in this world. What we do with the time given to us in this world is not inconsequential. This is one question we would like to consider, but connected with our life in this world is also the question of moral death.
In previous issues of “The Christian,” we have taken up the subject “After Death” and also the subject of “Purpose and Direction for Life.” We have also had issues devoted to the subjects of “Eternal Life” and “Everyday Life.” All of these have some overlap with each other and with the subject at hand, but none of them really covers what is before us in this issue.
Moral Death
When we come to the question of death, we know that its normal meaning involves separation — the body separated from the soul and spirit. However, Scripture uses the term “death” in another way, to imply a state of moral death, even though the individual may be alive in this world. As an illustration of this, Paul could say to Timothy, “She that lives in habits of self-indulgence is dead while living” (1 Tim. 5:66But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. (1 Timothy 5:6) JND). In referring to life, our Lord Jesus Himself could say, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal” (John 12:2525He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. (John 12:25)). But concerning our life down here, our Lord also said, “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:1111These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:11)). At first glance these last two verses from our Lord’s lips might seem to be contradictory, but we will see how they can easily be explained. It all depends on the context and how we define the words “life” and “death” in the aspect of the subject being taken up.
When we consider moral death, we must remember that God created man in His image and likeness. Through his disobedience to the one command God gave him, man lost his likeness to God. However, he retains the image of God, in that he is still God’s representative on this earth. But man cannot live without his Creator, and in this sense all men who reject God’s claims are morally dead. The expression “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:11And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1)) gives something of the same thought. However, through continuous sin and estrangement from God, a man may constitute himself extremely dead in a moral sense, and we see an example of this in Nabal — see 1 Samuel 25. He was evidently never a man of God, but when he refused to listen to David’s request for help, it is recorded that “his heart died within him, and he became as a stone” (vs. 37). Ten days later physical death overtook him.
A true believer can suffer from moral death, as with Rebekah, who, when contemplating a possible mixed marriage by her son Jacob, could say, “If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth ... what good shall my life do me?” (Gen. 27:4646And Rebekah said to Isaac, I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth: if Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these which are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me? (Genesis 27:46)). We have already mentioned Paul’s comment on a widow who lives “in habits of self-indulgence,” as being “dead while she liveth.” In this case her life is of no value before God; she is morally dead. Although the term may not be used, we see the entity of moral death in Israelites in the Old Testament who turned away from worshiping the true God and embraced idolatry. In the New Testament we see another example in those that “will be rich” (1 Tim. 6:99But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. (1 Timothy 6:9)) and who fall into “many foolish and hurtful lusts.” Later, Paul had to say that “Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world” (2 Tim. 4:1010For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia. (2 Timothy 4:10)). This is another case of moral death in a believer, for Demas substituted present advantage for spiritual gain.
Life
On the other hand, if we consider the subject of life, we also find encouraging references in the Word of God. Even under the dispensation of law in the Old Testament, the Lord could say to Israel, “That your days may be multiplied ... as the days of the heavens which are above the earth” (Deut. 11:22And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm, (Deuteronomy 11:2)1 JnD). Israel was promised earthly blessings based on their obedience, but the Lord reminds them that their joy could transcend their material blessings, being connected with that which was above the earth.
In the New Testament, where God is fully revealed, eternal life is given to those who believe, and the Holy Spirit has come down to indwell believers. We find that our Lord could promise that fullness of joy: “These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full” (John 15:1111These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. (John 15:11)). An old brother, now with the Lord, used to remind us, “Not half full, brethren; full!”
Wealth and Life
When he speaks of the proper use of wealth (should a believer have it), Paul could tell those with riches “to do good, to be rich in good works, to be liberal in distributing ... laying by for themselves a good foundation for the future, that they may lay hold of what is really life” (1 Tim. 6:18-1918That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:18‑19) JND). True enjoyment in life is to display God’s heart, which is characterized by Acts 20:35: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.”
The expression in 1 Timothy 6:1919Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:19) — “Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come”—brings us to one final comment. As we have already remarked, the man of the world thinks only in terms of this life, but the believer is reminded that in his short time in this world, he is building for eternity. The Lord wants us to have a happy life down here in fellowship with Him, but it does not end there. In the larger sense, unbelievers who live in moral death will eventually experience the “second death” — being cast out of God’s presence forever. The believer who has lived for self and for this world will “suffer loss” at the judgment seat of Christ for believers (1 Cor. 3:1515If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (1 Corinthians 3:15)), while the believer who has suffered loss in this world in order to live for God’s glory will receive a reward (1 Cor. 3:1414If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. (1 Corinthians 3:14)). Some rewards will be temporary, for the duration of the millennial kingdom, while others will be eternal.
The Cost of Living for Eternity
However, there may be a temporal cost to the full experience of our Lord’s joy down here and our living for eternity. We must be prepared to “hate our life” in this world, in the natural sense, if we are to “keep it unto life eternal.” If we are willing to do this, our joy in the Lord will truly be full, but we may experience loss as far as the longings of our natural hearts. Since sin entered this world, those who wished to live for the Lord have suffered, for they find themselves going against the current of the world system that was set up by Cain and his family. Some may question whether it is worth it, but surely it is all worthwhile in the light of eternity. Satan may persuade man to live only in view of time; God lives and moves in eternity.
In summary, then, life and death in the moral sense are most important in God’s sight, and they ought to be important to us. Moral death in this world will have present consequences, although we may have “the pleasures of sin for a season.” However, we will also suffer loss for eternity, in one way or another. True life in this world is life lived in communion with the Lord and with a view to eternity. How we have lived in this world will have eternal consequences.
Oh love supreme and bright!
Good to the feeblest heart,
That gives us now, as heavenly light,
What soon shall be our part. Little Flock Hymnbook, #64
W. J. Prost