Introduction
What is death? According to Dictionary.com, death is:
1. the act of dying;
2. the end of life;
3. the total and permanent cessation of all the vital functions of an organism.
From the above definitions, we can easily conclude that these definitions only apply to physical death that is the end of life within the human body when applied to people. A thorough study of the Bible shows that there are actually three kinds of death. Yes, you read that correctly; three kinds of death. Let us look at each one of them in detail.
Spiritual Death
Genesis 2:15-17 MEV
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and to keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
According to the above verse, Adam should have died when he ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know that Adam did not physically die. So, what kind of death is God talking about. Have a look at what Jesus says in John 4:24:
“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.”
According to the above verse, God is a spirit being.
Then what kind of being is a human being. The verse below clarifies that:
1 Thessalonians 5: 23 May the very God of peace sanctify you completely. And I pray to God that your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
So human being is also a spirit being just like God. When Adam sinned, he died spiritually. The fellowship and communion between God and Adam which happened because of their spiritual nature ceased. There was now a great chasm between God and men.
Jesus actually manifested in the flesh to fix this problem. Here’s a conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus who is a teacher of the law:
John 3: 3 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 He came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher who has come from God. For no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”
3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a man is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless a man is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So, it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
Okay, let’s breakdown the above verses. Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night and Jesus tells him that a person must be born of water and spirit to enter the kingdom of God. There is a lot of confusion and argument over this in some churches. I don’t know why. Jesus explains it pretty well. He told Nicodemus that being born of the water deals with physical (flesh) birth and being born of the spirit is spiritual birth. Let’s tackle the question of what is physical birth first? Physical birth is being born of water. The unborn baby is surrounded by amniotic fluid which is a water bag. When the water bag bursts, the baby is born of water. Please don’t become too technical and scientific with this information. Is it as simple as I just explained it?
Okay, let’s tackle the second question of what is spiritual birth? Spiritual birth is the rebirth of your spirit that is the real person on the inside, the inner person, the hidden person of the heart. I like how Paul explains the spiritual birth. Have a look at the verse below:
2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things have passed away. Look, all things have become new.
What does it mean to be in Christ? To be in Christ, you need to repent of your sins and accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. You receive Jesus as your master and make a decision in your full conscience to love Him and live according to his guidelines in the Holy Bible. When you do that, your spirit is reborn. Your spirit is the new creature not your physical body. The body remains the same. It is your spirit that is born again.
Let’s go back to square one. Spiritual Death came when Adam sinned. As a result, it spread to the entire human race. When you receive Jesus Christ into your heart, your spirit is born again which restores your fellowship and communion with God. You once we’re an alien but through the acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus, you are now a child of the living God.
Physical Death
Not much explanation is needed here. Have a look at the verse below:
Hebrews 9:27 As it is appointed for men to die once, but after this comes the judgment…
Human beings face physical death only once and then they wait for God’s righteous judgement. The Dictionary meaning fits perfectly here and I do not really see any need for further explanation. Simply put physical death is the death of the human body where all signs of life ceases to exist (no heartbeat, no pulse, no breathing, all organs are shut down etc.).
The Second Death
This is the one that scares me the most and it should scare you too especially if you have not received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Have a look at the verses below:
Revelation 2: 11 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.
Revelation 20: 6 Blessed and holy is he who takes part in the first resurrection. Over these the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
Revelation 20: 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Revelation 21: 8 But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the sexually immoral, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars shall have their portion in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone. This is the second death.”
According to the above verses the second death takes place in the lake of fire. It takes place after the physical death. It is for those who deny Jesus Christ. The second death is for all eternity. There is no timeline and there is no end. Since the spiritual realm is timeless, the second death just keeps on happening without any deadline. It would be wise to avoid this place called the lake of fire at any cost. But wait; believing in Jesus does not cost you a penny. External life is a free gift based on a single condition of an individual receiving Jesus into their heart (spirit) and making Him the Lord and Savior of their lives.
Conclusion
Death that is Physical Death is not a problem for the believer because they already known where they are going. It is actually a very big problem for the non-believer because they do not have the slightest idea where they are going. If you have not made Jesus the Lord of your life yet, you still have time. Go on your knees, repent of your sins and ask Jesus to come into your heart and make you the person he wants you to be. Read your Bible and follow His commandments. God's love is far greater than the problem of death. Remember He is making mansions for the faithful believers. I will leave you with these words, “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might”.