I'd really like a good explanation for this, please?

Question

Why is it that when you talk about death and disease being a result of sin entering the world, the death you are referring to is physical death (that is, our bodies dying), but when you say Jesus atoned for sin and saved us from death, you suddenly don't mean physical death anymore, but only "spiritual" death?

Answer 1

When I speak of death and disease being a result of sin I am speaking of both physical and spiritual death. (Spiritual death leads to physical death see Psalm 104:29) Jesus atoned for sin to save us from both spiritual and physical death. By means of him we can have everlasting life. (John 3:16)

Answer 2

What a provocative question!

It started with the supposition that Adam & Eve would never have died had they not sinned and then lost access to the tree of life. Jesus supposedly atoned for the sin, but people still die. The explanation could be that the tree of life is no longer available, but this sounds a bit petty. The truth is more along the lines that the concept of an afterlife was not well developed at the time Genesis was composed. Death for the ancients was just death. With the incorporation of Greek ideas about a spirit existing separately from the body, the idea of living without the physical restrictions of a body became attractive and a supernatural life began to be fleshed out. Even now there is some doctrinal confusion between the idea of "going to heaven" and there being a general bodily "resurrection" of humanity at the end of time.

At best, one might say that physical death is only a temporary condition and that people just need to be patient. No one said theology wasn't messy.

Answer 3

That IS an interesting question!

Personally, I grew up being taught that death and suffering entered the world through the original sin of Adam and Eve, and that was why Jesus had to die to atone for sin and free us from death. I was never able to reconcile that view with a rational understanding of history and my own experience of a loving God. It just doesn't add up to me.

I rather view death as a necessary fact of life. It is written into the fabric of creation. It is not necessarily good or bad in itself, but has the capacity to be either. There is perhaps no greater sin than to take the life of another human being without cause or provocation. Yet "there is no greater love than that a man would lay down his life for his friends." Death can be transformed into murder or into sacrifice - into the expression of the worst evil or the highest good.

Then, the question is what was the point of Jesus' death? It isn't about paying a penalty or any such notion to me. But rather, since the Divine became human and lived and died as a human, everything that is human can now be made Divine. The "proof" of this is given in the idea of the resurrection - that even death itself does not have the final word; Love has the final word.

Peace to you, and thanks for a great question!

Answer 4

Because we are body and soul. God created a perfect world. There was no death (physical or spiritual). Man screwed it all up. Our human life span went from eternity to today's norm of about 80 years resulting in an eventual physical death. At the same time we were separated from God by our sin nature resulting in a spiritual death.

Jesus' resurrection defeated physical death. Trust in Jesus will restore our spiritual relationship with God, but we'll have to wait until heaven to receive new bodies that will never physically die.

Does that make more sense?

Answer 5

"The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23. This is talking about the second death from which there will be no resurrection.

But all, good or bad, will be raised, the good at the second coming of Christ and the bad after the 1,000 years. When Jesus returns, those who believed in Him and are judged worthy to be with Him for ever will be raised at His return and they will ascend to Heaven. For a thousand years, the books will be opened for the investigative judgement of the unsaved. Those who did not take part in the first resurrection will remain unconscious in their graves. During that time Satan and his angels are still on the earth but with no one to tempt. Just think how boring it will be for them. It will be hell for them, literally. And the redeemed will be in Heaven judging the unsaved and the fallen angels. After the thousand years, the New Jerusalem will come down and the unsaved will be brought back to life to face the executive judgement. It is at that time that they will turn against Satan and his angels to bring them down into the Pit! See Ezekiel 28:1-19.

Satan and his angels will be destroyed including all the unsaved. They will turn on each other. "Evil shall slay the wicked." Psalm 34:11. Then God will re-create the earth and the New Jerusalem will be the capital city of the new earth where God's throne will be and God will be with the redeemed for ever and ever and the redeemed will walk among the angels and they will be able to visit all the unfallen worlds. Heaven will be cheap enough! Praise God!

Answer 6

When the body dies as you stated that is physicial death. When Jesus atoned for our sins by dying on the Cross, that means he saved the souls of those who believe in Him and are saved from going to Hell. There really is no spiritual death.

Answer 7

There are 2 deaths.
Death in this life because we inherited Original Sin (physical death) and death again after the return of Christ to judge the world.
The first is obligatory for ALL humans (even Jesus died) but the second depends on how we have lead our lives, what's truely in our hearts and God's ultimate judgement based on that.

Answer 8

Gen 2:17 but of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil you may not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, dying you shall die.

Did Adam and Eve physically die when the ate of the fruit? No. It was spiritual death they died that day. Sin also brings physical death, which, obviously happened as well. Spiritual death is separation from God, which happened, and is still true for all people unless they be reconciled to God through the death and resurrection of Christ.

Answer 9

Jesus talked about two types of death, one is the physical death of the human body due to the result of the fall, the other concerned the death of the soul and by this He meant being eternally seperated from God in Hell.
Another element rarely mentioned is that at the end of time when all will be judged every human being will be re-united with their bodies and those deserving of Hell will find themselves there in body and soul.

Answer 10

because the people explaining it are not that smart. death and disease is a result of our fallen state. not our sinful state. they are two different things. Christ atoned for the sins of the world when He bled form every pore in the garden of Gethsemane. their He paid the price. He died and was raised three days later so that we also could overcome death. and be raised as He was. that is His free gift to us. so physical death and spiritual death can be overcome. it's just that a lot of Christians don't understand that much about the atonement or why there needed to be one in the first place. sin is our choice. we are not born that way. we all start out innocent. if you want more detail email me.