The Spiritually Dead

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Robert Pate

Well-known member
Banned
The spiritually dead don't know that they are spiritually dead, because they have replaced the Spirit with religion. They see things that are of religion as things of the Spirit. The things that are of the Spirit are the things that are of Christ and his Gospel, which they have rejected. Paul said, "But the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" 1 Corinthians 2:14.

The spiritually dead don't know what the Gospel is, nor do they want to know what the Gospel is. Paul wrote, "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them that do not believe, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them" 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4.

The Gospel is the entrance into heaven and eternal life, it is no wonder that Satan wants to hide the Gospel. Only those that have faith in Christ and his Gospel will be saved. This is why we should be busy preaching the Gospel to the blinded people that are religious. There is always the hope that the "Glorious Gospel" of Christ will shine unto them and they will be saved.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

The Gospel is the work that Jesus did in our name and on our behalf, that justifies the ungodly (us) Romans 4:5 and reconciles us and the world unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. God requires two things for the salvation of fallen man. 1. A life of perfect obedience according to God's holy law. 2. A perfect atonement for man's sins and the sins of the whole world. Jesus in our name and on our behalf, has victoriously met both of these requirements. This is why Paul said, "And you are complete in him" Colossians 2:10. Jesus has done it all and he did it perfectly. All that believe this Gospel now stand before God as perfect and complete "In Christ".
 
Bradley D

Bradley D

Well-known member
The word religion is used for the belief in and worship for many different beliefs. Including Christianity.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).
 
R

Robert Pate

Well-known member
Banned
Bradley D said:
The word religion is used for the belief in and worship for many different beliefs. Including Christianity.

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world" (James 1:27).
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Hello Brad, The Greek word for religion means to bind. Paul said that his life as a Pharisee was a life of religion, Acts 26:5. He was bound by the law. The words "Law" and "Religion" basically mean the same thing. When we are doing our religion we are doing the law. Any religious thing that we do is a work of the law. This is why Paul said, "Therefore by the deeds of the law (what we do) there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin" Romans 3:20. I think that Paul was trying to tell us not to trust in our works or our religion.

Christians are called to do good works. This is what James is saying in James 1:27. However, I don't think that they should be called "works of religion". We are not bound by laws, rules or religion like the Pharisees were, we are led by the Holy Spirit. If the Holy Spirit leads us to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction and to keep ourselves unspotted from the world then we will know that it is of God. If we are doing it to gain favor from God then we are being religious.
 
M

marke

Well-known member
Robert Pate said:
The spiritually dead don't know that they are spiritually dead, because they have replaced the Spirit with religion. They see things that are of religion as things of the Spirit. The things that are of the Spirit are the things that are of Christ and his Gospel, which they have rejected. Paul said, "But the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" 1 Corinthians 2:14.

The spiritually dead don't know what the Gospel is, nor do they want to know what the Gospel is. Paul wrote, "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them that do not believe, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them" 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4.

The Gospel is the entrance into heaven and eternal life, it is no wonder that Satan wants to hide the Gospel. Only those that have faith in Christ and his Gospel will be saved. This is why we should be busy preaching the Gospel to the blinded people that are religious. There is always the hope that the "Glorious Gospel" of Christ will shine unto them and they will be saved.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

The Gospel is the work that Jesus did in our name and on our behalf, that justifies the ungodly (us) Romans 4:5 and reconciles us and the world unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. God requires two things for the salvation of fallen man. 1. A life of perfect obedience according to God's holy law. 2. A perfect atonement for man's sins and the sins of the whole world. Jesus in our name and on our behalf, has victoriously met both of these requirements. This is why Paul said, "And you are complete in him" Colossians 2:10. Jesus has done it all and he did it perfectly. All that believe this Gospel now stand before God as perfect and complete "In Christ".
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Those who reject the light are condemned to death, according to John 3:19.

John 3:19
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

However, that does not mean the unsaved cannot see the light but that they reject the light they clearly see and understand.

Romans 1

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
 
R

Robert Pate

Well-known member
Banned
marke said:
Those who reject the light are condemned to death, according to John 3:19.

John 3:19
And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

However, that does not mean the unsaved cannot see the light but that they reject the light they clearly see and understand.

Romans 1

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;

19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them.

20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.
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They are without an excuse. Anyone that rejects the saving work of Christ is without an excuse and has nothing to look forward to but judgment and condemnation.
 
Bradley D

Bradley D

Well-known member
Robert Pate said:
The Greek word for religion means to bind.
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To me religion means what does someone believe in/worship. I may ask someone what is your religion? Christian, Denomination, Jewish, etc.


Strong's Concordance
thréskeia: religion
Original Word: θρησκεία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: thréskeia
Phonetic Spelling: (thrace-ki'-ah)
Definition: religion
Usage: (underlying sense: reverence or worship of the gods), worship as expressed in ritual acts, religion.
 
R

Robert Pate

Well-known member
Banned
Bradley D said:
To me religion means what does someone believe in/worship. I may ask someone what is your religion? Christian, Denomination, Jewish, etc.


Strong's Concordance
thréskeia: religion
Original Word: θρησκεία, ας, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: thréskeia
Phonetic Spelling: (thrace-ki'-ah)
Definition: religion
Usage: (underlying sense: reverence or worship of the gods), worship as expressed in ritual acts, religion.
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The word "Religion" only appears in the Bible 5 times. The word "Faith" appears in the Bible 253 times.

I think that this is why Paul said, "The just shall live by faith" Romans 1:17.

All religions are not of God. Some religions are anti-Christ. I don't see Christianity as a religion. Christianity is about faith, not works, rituals or traditions. The book of James was not directed to Christians, it was directed to religious law keeping Jews James 1:1.
 
Derf

Derf

Well-known member
Robert Pate said:
The spiritually dead don't know that they are spiritually dead, because they have replaced the Spirit with religion. They see things that are of religion as things of the Spirit. The things that are of the Spirit are the things that are of Christ and his Gospel, which they have rejected. Paul said, "But the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned" 1 Corinthians 2:14.

The spiritually dead don't know what the Gospel is, nor do they want to know what the Gospel is. Paul wrote, "But if our Gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost, in whom the God of this world has blinded the minds of them that do not believe, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them" 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4.

The Gospel is the entrance into heaven and eternal life, it is no wonder that Satan wants to hide the Gospel. Only those that have faith in Christ and his Gospel will be saved. This is why we should be busy preaching the Gospel to the blinded people that are religious. There is always the hope that the "Glorious Gospel" of Christ will shine unto them and they will be saved.

WHAT IS THE GOSPEL?

The Gospel is the work that Jesus did in our name and on our behalf, that justifies the ungodly (us) Romans 4:5 and reconciles us and the world unto God, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19. God requires two things for the salvation of fallen man. 1. A life of perfect obedience according to God's holy law. 2. A perfect atonement for man's sins and the sins of the whole world. Jesus in our name and on our behalf, has victoriously met both of these requirements. This is why Paul said, "And you are complete in him" Colossians 2:10. Jesus has done it all and he did it perfectly. All that believe this Gospel now stand before God as perfect and complete "In Christ".
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“Spiritually dead” is one of those phrases that aren’t in the Bible. So it’s a concept that might or might not be in the Bible. I would suggest that it is not, but was invented to make sense of the result of Adam’s sin, when he didn’t die immediately.

There are better ways to make sense of that passage.
 
Bradley D

Bradley D

Well-known member
Derf said:
“Spiritually dead”
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Amplified Bible
"But He said to him, “Allow the [spiritually] dead to bury their own dead; but as for you, go and spread the news about the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:60).

dead
νεκροὺς (nekrous)
Adjective - Accusative Masculine Plural
Strong's 3498: (a) adj: dead, lifeless, subject to death, mortal, (b) noun: a dead body, a corpse. From an apparently primary nekus; dead.
 
Derf

Derf

Well-known member
Bradley D said:
Yes! But I believe the description of the live person as "dead" also describes him as being spiritually dead.
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That’s the predominant thought, at least in the evangelical world today. But I’m offering a different option.

Much of the things Paul talked about with regard to our salvation were hopes of something happening in the future. We can be assured, for instance, that we will be resurrected and enjoy eternal life with Christ, even though we will first (most of us) experience death. Thus we have passed from death into life—even though we haven’t actually died or been resurrected, we have a hope, based on God’s promises and Jesus’ death and resurrection, of future life after death.

We indeed were all dead before Christ came, even though some of us didn’t exist yet, because our life was assured to end in death. Now our deaths are assured to end in life.
 
R

Robert Pate

Well-known member
Banned
Derf said:
“Spiritually dead” is one of those phrases that aren’t in the Bible. So it’s a concept that might or might not be in the Bible. I would suggest that it is not, but was invented to make sense of the result of Adam’s sin, when he didn’t die immediately.

There are better ways to make sense of that passage.
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When Adam sinned against God, he died spiritually. God withdrew his Spirit from Adam and Eve. Whether Adam repented and was born again by the word of God, 1 Peter 1:23, we don't know. Jesus said, "Let the dead bury their dead" Matthew 8:22. Implying that some are spiritually dead.
 
Derf

Derf

Well-known member
Derf

Derf

Well-known member
Robert Pate said:
Yes, even in the Old Testament era they were called to live by faith.
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Faith in what? It wasn’t faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, but in a future, somewhat muddy, belief in their own resurrection by God’s promise way back in Gen 3:15 and the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and through the symbols in Moses’ writings.
 
R

Robert Pate

Well-known member
Banned
Derf said:
Faith in what? It wasn’t faith in the death and resurrection of Jesus, but in a future, somewhat muddy, belief in their own resurrection by God’s promise way back in Gen 3:15 and the promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and through the symbols in Moses’ writings.
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They had faith in God's promise of a savior and were justified by faith, Romans 4:3.
 
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