In verse 24, our Lord clearly equates death with original sin. When God cast Adam and Eve out of the garden of Eden, they lost all direct fellowship with God. Since that day, all humans have been born with a deadness of spirit and soul; that is, no consciousness of God. No consciousness of God results in sins committed and spiritual death. Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:23. Spiritual death has nothing to do with physical death. Actually, physical death always results in a person's soul and spirit being returned to God for judgment. Psalm 115:16; Hebrews 9:27. Physical death actually only symbolizes God's ability to create and recreate.
In verse 24, Jesus taught that any person who is physically alive but spiritually dead can be made alive forever by putting their faith in Him. Jesus refers here to the "born again" experience of John 3:3-8. By His phrase "and believeth on Him who sent Me," Jesus meant that a person must put his faith in the Father and the Son in order to receive the "everlasting life" which results from God removing all sin from the believer's soul and spirit and recreating his soul and spirit to have direct fellowship with God. In a sense, all "born again" believers spiritually return to the garden of Eden. Jesus further taught that all "born again" believers never receive any "condemnation" whatsoever from God's judgment. In other words, God never separates them from His fellowship again. God may punish them to correct them, but He never again separates them from Himself. In verse 24, Jesus refers to all believers ever saved by the grace of God including Old Testament saints, Church Age saints, and Tribulation saints.
In verse 25, Jesus taught about both a future and a present event. Jesus meant that in a present event God can raise a believer from spiritual death to spiritual life. But Jesus also meant that in a future event, God will raise the dead from their graves to a recreated life on the new earth. Jesus refers to this future event further in verses 28 and 29. By His phrase, "all that are in the graves shall hear His voice," Jesus could only mean all humans who ever lived who were not saved by grace since all die and go to some form of a grave. Jesus further taught that all whom God raises in this event will be judged by God to receive a "resurrection of life" for good works and a "resurrection of damnation" for their evil works. This future resurrection has nothing to do with salvation by grace through faith since no good works are required to receive this spiritual salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9. In addition, all "born again" believers will be safe in heaven with God when this future resurrection occurs as Revelation 20:4-6 teaches.
No comments:
Post a Comment