Remember, what I will write will be what I believe is the correct interpretation regarding symbolism we can find used through out the Bible. I will start with this concept:
Gen. 2 The LORD formed man a body out of the ground [the elements from which the world was made]. Yet, before he started forming that body he added a mist of water [a small measure of spiritual life].
In Genesis three we are told that the blood of Abel called out to the LORD after he was killed.
Later in the NT,we are told LIFE is in the blood, and it is obvious blood is in our physical body.
Now, these two concepts lead me to understand that as the body shuts down the life in the blood is not replenished and this is death. Mankind was only given a mere measure of life in our blood to sustain us physically. The life in the blood wains as the spirit leaves it. What is left is dust. A body of elements without life from God.
Due to the curse upon the ground the potential of death entered our bodies making them mortal; so, this mere measure of spiritual life from God in our bodies must be continually replenished or physical death comes. I drew this concept from the story of 'the Woman at the well.' Jesus said she had earthy water [only a mist of life in her body] which must be replenished, but he had an additional measure of water [Spiritual life from God] to give her eternal life so that she would never thirst again.
I think this is what happens to man's mortal body when it dies. The life in the blood is gone and the remains return to the ground from which is came, but by then it will be like dust - elements having no life from God in it.
So what happens to the small bit of life which was measured out to man's body? Well, it goes back to the Given. Nothing of God is ever lost. Not even measures of life which he shared with creatures. God is eternal.
So what happens to the measure of life given to the unique personality of the individual human spirit? Ans. It is given a body already prepared without hands awaiting it in heaven. We do not shed this mortal body only to be left unclothed [unseen, invisible] but rather to be seen. I think this heavenly body is the robe of white given to the saints while they wait on their glorification according to the works which they did while in their mortal bodies.
Well, this is how I see physical death and what happens to us as individuals after physical death.
Boy do you have a bent toward over complicating things. Wow!
Much of what you say here may well be true but its way too far into the weeds. Let me just tell you what my answer to my own question would be and we can go from there.
What is death and what does it mean to die, both physically and spiritually?
Death is a spiritual separation.
Physical death happens when your spirit is separated from your physical body.
Spiritual death happens when you spirit is separated from God.
I hope your answers match mine. That would be great.
I can't say that it matches. Life is not any "part of God" nor is it anything that can "return to God" as though it were some sort of a substance. Life is a condition, not an ingredient and I'm very certain that you read too much into the phrase "life is in the blood", which is figurative/symbolic and points to Christ's shed blood (i.e. Christ's death). If it were more than that then you'd have weird things happening when people donate blood, never mind get blood transfusions. Blood cells, the red ones anyway, don't even have a nucleus or DNA.
People can be spiritual dead while they live, walk, and talk on earth.
Quote so! It is their relationship with God that is broken and their connection with Him that has been severed. If this condition of spiritual death is not rectified prior to their physical death, then both will be made permanent and they will be thrown into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death and a never ending separation from both God and any sort of physical body.
Here is my paraphrase of what you shared along with my explanations inside [,...].
I was alive once [on earth] but I did not know the Law [the truth of God's plans for mankind]. But, once the command came [to me from God of what he had established from the beginning] sin became alive in me [I grasped that I was living in a state of sin] and I died [I was humbled to know I was a dead soul in need of a Savior].
I don't want to get sidetracked and so I'm not going to respond to this in detail.
Suffice it to say....
NO! It wasn't the commandment that killed Paul it was his disobedience that killed him. It didn't have anything to do with him realizing anything other than right from wrong and him choosing to do wrongly.
Maybe leave the bible alone and just let it say what it actually says.
The death of his spiritual life came when he understood he was already a dead soul headed for hell and the Lake of Fire. He knew he was a rejected soul! Dead already.
Huh?
This is the opposite of what it says! It doesn't say that he (Paul) realized he was already dead! It says that he was ALIVE and then he died.
But believers all know that dead souls can be rescued by our Savior through his mercy and our repentance. Amen.
Now, we're back on track!
I look forward to what you have to say about how God became a man. I do think he did so for this reason: He came to heal to heal the cursed elements of the mortal body and overcome the infirmities. He came to make way for it to be reunited with man's saved unique spiritual essence and be glorified some day according to the works done in that body to glorify the Christ.
Man's unique spiritual essence does not die at physical death. It is held waiting either in a place of peace with our Lord or within a place of torment awaiting final judgment. Waiting there for the end of all things when death and hell will be no more.
God became a man to save mankind and the resurrection of the lifeless body is just one aspect of our salvation.
Let me ask you another question. This one might seem like it should be too obvious to even ask the question but you'd be astounded at the number of people who call themselves "Christian" who get the answer to this question wrong...
Did Jesus die?
Explain your answer.
