Life

 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 8
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Life is that by which a created being enjoys the place in which the Creator has set it. God breathed into man’s nostrils “the breath of life; and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:77And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:7)). Sin having come in, this life is forfeited and God claims it, saying, “surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man’s brother will I require the life of man” (Gen. 9:55And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. (Genesis 9:5)). This instituted capital punishment for murder, which law has never been rescinded or altered.
Scripture recognizes a difference between “life” in a moral sense and “existence,” as seen in the passage, “What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?” (Psa. 34:1212What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? (Psalm 34:12)). Here is a man desiring life, desiring to enjoy life. This answers the objection of those who, wishing to deny eternal punishment, say that “living forever” is only spoken of the Christian, as in John 6:51, 5851I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. (John 6:51)
58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (John 6:58). True, but many other scriptures prove that the wicked will have an eternal existence.
Man, in his natural state, is regarded as morally dead in sins, and as needing to be quickened by the power of God; or as living in sins and needing to accept death in order to live in Christ, as in the Epistle to the Romans.