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What is spiritual death?



    
    

Clarify Share Report Asked July 01 2013 Mini Anonymous (via GotQuestions)

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Shea S. Michael Houdmann Supporter Got Questions Ministries
Death is separation. A physical death is the separation of the soul from the body. Spiritual death, which is of greater significance, is the separation of the soul from God. In Genesis 2:17, God te...

July 01 2013 3 responses Vote Up Share Report


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Open uri20150324 19528 qn1nun Scarlett Holtz Supporter Missionary to the Philippines and wherever He sends me.
Death, according to dictionary means a cessation of vital functions or a lack of life. Spiritual death is our natural state prior to accepting Christ as our savior (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13).

It is a lack of spiritual life, an absence of proper spiritual functioning. God is the eternally existent One, the great "I AM" (Exodus 3:14); He is life. So, really, spiritual death is separation from God, who is life. 

Humans are raised from spiritual death by Jesus. Our Lord, being God incarnate, is life. Numerous times throughout the New Testament it is stated so. He is life and comes to give us life (John 1:4; 10:10; 11:25; 14:6; Acts 3:15). 

Paul says that, before we are saved, we are "dead" in our sins (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13). When we lack Jesus, we lack life. Therefore we are dead. 

Dead people cannot help themselves. Life does not come from non- life. This is why salvation is all of grace, we are saved by grace His unmerited favor through faith. We are incapable of doing anything to save ourselves; only Jesus, the Author of Life, can save us (Ephesians 2:8-10). Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Man is sinful—spiritually dead—but God gives life. 

Well, is an infant born spiritually dead? Spiritual death became a reality for humanity after the Fall of Adam and Eve. God instructed Adam to refrain from eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, warning that eating the fruit would result in death (Genesis 2:16-17). 

After Eve and Adam ate the fruit, however, they did not immediately experience physical death. Rather, their relationship with God was severed. What they experienced was actually spiritual death. A separation from God. Their once perfect relationship was now separated by their sin. They became aware of their nakedness, created clothes of leaves, and hid themselves from God in shame (Genesis 3:6-9). They were no longer functioning spiritually, now they were spiritually dead. 

Romans 5:12 explains, "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned." The sin of Adam and Eve tainted all of humanity. We all have a sinful nature now. We are born separated from God (see Psalm 51:5). 

Although born into a sinful nature does not require us to stay there. We have the choice of living our lives through the blood bought veil of Jesus and living a very fruitful spirit-filled life or we can choose death through living a life of sin and degradation it really is our choice. Scripture tells you I have given you the choice of life or death, blessings or cursing's so CHOOSE LIFE.

May 04 2017 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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My picture Jack Gutknecht Supporter ABC/DTS graduate, guitar music ministry Baptist church
These are some indicators of spiritual death:

A mind controlled by the sinful nature (Romans 8:5-8 5 "Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey God’s laws, and it never will. 8That’s why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God."); and as per Michael, Ephesians 4:18.

Unbelief (John 3:36), where Jesus says, "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." --I hope the latter is NOT YOU--if it is, trust Jesus ALONE for your salvation now!; and 1John 5:12.

And, living in sinful pleasures (Luke 15:13 --“A few days later this younger son packed all his belongings and moved to a distant land, and there he wasted all his money in wild living."); 1 Timothy 5:6, ESV: "but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives."

March 01 2020 0 responses Vote Up Share Report


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