Spiritual Death

By: Alfredo M. Inso Jr.

Introduction

A person who is spiritually dead, he is also spiritually blind, deaf, dull. He/she cannot able to see, to hear nor understand concerning spiritual things. Furthermore because he is dead he cannot also know or feel hunger and thirst and neither able to respond or have interest to any spiritual things of God.

A spiritually dead person is actually the same as a dead person physically. He is lifeless and senseless.

Today we will talk about death spiritually. What is it and what the Bible says about that. Now we may ask why did it happen, where and when?

The Beginning of this delimma.

Now we may ask why did it happen, where and when?

Way back to the book of Genesis where Adam and Eve commanded by God not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil located in the middle of the garden for the day that they will eat of it they will surely die.

Gen. 2:16,17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

But nevertheless the first man disobeyed the commandment of God. When God gave His command to Adam not to eat the forbidden fruit He told it together with the consequence, what will be actually going to happen if ever they will eat the fruit that God told them not to. And so after they (Adam and Eve) ate the fruit they saw themselves that they were naked. And when they heard the voice of God walking in the garden in the cool of the day they run not to God but they ran away from God and so hide themselves in the bushes.

(Gen. 3:6-8)

Although Adam and Eve didn’t die physically that very moment, but spiritually they do died. There was a profound changes occurred. There is now a separation of man from God because of sin, and whatever man is trying to do even to the to the best of his ability it will always fallen short of God’s glory. The righteousness of man is nothing but just a filthy rags before a holy God, simply because he is spiritually dead & there is nothing good in a lifeless sinful creature.

The Bible clearly tells us that we in our sinful nature, in our fallen condition, are dead because of sin and (Eph. 2:1; Col.2:13) because we are dead we are also blind. Let us look these passages of Scriptures concerning spiritual blindedness.

1. Spiritual Blindedness

Scriptures:

Isa 59:10 We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no

eyes: we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

Mt 6:23 But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

Mt 15:14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.

2Co 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away in Christ.

2Co 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

Eph 4:18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart:

2Pe 1:9 But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.

1Jo 2:11 But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.

Although man can see in his own physical eyes but because he is spiritually dead his spiritual eyes was also affected and thereby he cannot see as if he is a blind physically.

Therefore a spiritual blind person is not able to see the spiritual things of God nor able to see the glory of the gospel of Christ. He is also unable to see the truth for he was covered with great darkness and therefore he did not know what he is doing and where he is going. That is the very purpose of God’s word the Bible to tell us what is the truth because His words are true.

But the god of this world blinded the eyes of the unbelievers so that they cannot see nor believe the truth that the Bible is proclaiming unless they are given sight to see how true and how beautiful the Word of God is.

2. Spiritual Deafness

Not only a spiritual dead person is blind, but he is also a deaf. He is not only unable to see the truth concerning God and His word but also a deaf as the Bible says, “Hearing they cannot hear.”

Scriptures:

Isa 6:10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.

Jer 6:10 To whom shall I speak, and give warning, that they may hear? behold, their ear is uncircumcised, and they cannot hearken: behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

Eze 12:2 Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

Zec 7:11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

Mt 13:15 For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Ac 28:26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

2Ti 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

The Apostle Paul is right when he told Timothy that time will come when people will no longer take heed to sound doctrine because the word of God for them is an offensive, a reproach, a disgusting because they will be convicted of their evil deeds, but instead of being delighted of God’s holy word that speaks of the truth they will hate it, they have no delight in it. They heard always the word of God proclaimed by the preachers and pastors but still they don’t understand.

Therefore they will turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned to worthless, nonsense stories of fables and fantasies and jokes that would tickle their ears.

This is the reason why we should preach the word of truth no matter what happen even if it will cause or make strife and divisions and conflicts to hearers we really don’t care, “we speak because we believe thus says the Lord.”

3. Spiritual Dullness

People are not only blind and deaf but also dull. This means they cannot able to understand what they heard. They listen but never understand. Always learning but never learned. They never respond nor have interest what they heard.

Scriptures:

Isa 44:19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?

Ps 82:5 They know not, neither will they understand; they walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

Mic 4:12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor.

Mt 13:13 Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.

Ac 28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Ro 1:31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

2Ti 3:7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Jer 4:22 For my people is foolish, they have not known me; they are sottish children, and they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge.

We know people who are very wise in Scriptures and even almost memorize the whole Scripture, but still no understanding about the truth and their lives are not transformed. Look at the people who worshiped idols do they come to understanding what they are doing? Would they able to know and say, “Ah, this is foolish why should I bow down my self to this rock or wood. Are they able to save me from the wrath of God?”

Are they able to see the truth about God? That God is the Creator of heaven and earth. That God is Spirit and those who worship Him must worship Him in Spirit and in truth? Are they able to believe that Jesus Christ is God and Savior of sinners? Are they able to come to Him in faith to repent and be saved through Christ alone? Are they able to know and believe that it is only the blood of Christ sinners are washed and have complete forgiveness of their sins? And there much, much spiritual things of God I am not able to say, are they able to know and believe all of those? No! they cannot because they are dead, they are blind, they are deaf, they are dull. They are not able to know God as He is nor have faith in Him. They are not able to believe His word that speaks of Himself as Creator, King, Judge, Holy, Savior and truth and all of those attributes. Nor able to understand that Jesus Christ is the only way,truth and life and Savior and the only sacrifice for the atonement of sins forever. Are they able to believe this?

No! they cannot unless they are born again!

Not unless God will regenerate them and give them a new life, a new heart and a new spirit, a new self who is alive and not dead serving God. Unless God will raised them up they will never ever able to do know this!

Christ the Life

Num. 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.

Just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness and those people who were bitten by the serpents looked unto it and were saved and so the Son of God Jesus Christ whoever believes in Him shall not perish but will have the everlasting life.

Joh 1:4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

Joh 5:26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;

Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Joh 20:31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

Ro 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus said, “I am light of the world. He who follows me shall not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” Joh 8:12

Closing Remarks

It is inconcievable for people who tried everything (entertainment, marketing and carnal and unbiblical programs and missions) just to draw people to Christ.

Jesus said, “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent Me draws him” Joh 6:44. They are more sensitive to peoples carnal needs and not looking to their perishing souls who are in need of resurrection and faith to Christ.

Therefore in witnessing people to Christ let us not use our corrupted and unbiblical ideas, bu t rather use God ordained strategy, “Preach the Word.” Unless it is preach sinners could not able to respond because they are dead and only the Words of God can give them life and thereby come to Christ in faith, who is the only Savior of sinners. God bless to all!