DEATH
Having turned 60 years old last October. I couldn't help but notice my circle of friends is diminishing due to physical death. While just the other day the fame rock icon David Bowie died. Some people close to me express of sense of lost to a person we knew only superficially. The carnal mind only thinks of death as being only physical. But not so with GOD. Matthew 9:24 He said unto them, give place: for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn. Here Jesus called death sleeping. Most people can quote: Matthew 8:22But Jesus said unto him, and let the dead bury their dead. This verse shows those that can discern Spiritual things that Spiritually we are already dead. Let us reinforce the above scripture with more scripture concerning our dead carnal mind. Luke 24:5 And it call to pass, as they perplexed thereabout [we should all be perplexed when we go to the Bible in our own wisdom] behold, two men stood by them in shining garment: 5 And as they were afraid [ we should all be afraid to make the Bible our own wisdom, but we are not!} and bowed down their faces to the earth, [ they knew they were just dust] they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead. We were all born spiritually dead until God's reveals word start to form a Spiritual creature in us. Once again because the only kind of death the carnal mind can think of is physical. Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins. And what is sin? Proverbs 24:9The thought of foolishness is sin. Our thoughts put on God's word is sin and when we do that, we have made His word exceeding sinful. Romans 7:13Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. What does God say life is? Romans 8:6 But to be spiritually minded is life and peace.God's quicken word revealed can bring life to our mortal body, because His words are immortal and Spirit. John 6:63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. When we hear God's words in our own wisdom we fail to hear His spirit and hear spiritual death. When we have heard or eat spiritually the scriptures ours own way and quote them back to God it's a dead offering. Psalm 106: They joined themselves also onto Baalpeor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead. Baal was paid to curse Israel which symbolize God's words; we hire ourselves and receive wags also. Romans 6:23For the wages is death. God allowed Job physical body to be struck by disease to show him that there was something spiritually wrong with his thinking. Job 30:18 By the great force of my disease is my garment changed: it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.Job had on filthy garments, he was wearing his own self righteousness. Zechariah 3:4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the fifthy garments from him. And unto him he said, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment. Psalm 103:3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thydiseases.Let us get rid of the iniquities then God will work on the diseases garments. What is iniquity? [ See our article '' MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN JOB''] To the carnal mind sleeping inMatthew 9:24 is something physical, but to God its something completely different. 1 Corinthians 15:34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame. Carnal man will never obtain the spiritually knowledge because he thinks his knowledge is superior. When we awake from spiritually sleep we are no longer spiritually dead. Ephesians 5:14Where he saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.You are now in the light no longer in darkness of your own thinking. Ephesians 5:14 Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light. 2 Samuel 22:29 For thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.But we may ask what about the person who never even picked up a Bible are they excluded? No! Ecclesiastes 12:7Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it. Psalms 104:29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust.Abraham realize that he was nothing but dust: Genesis 18:27And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I haven upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes. Job 34:15 All flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto the dust.And what about flesh? 1 Corinthians 15:50 Now this I say, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of GOD.Man refuses God's word even if he never reads it or not. Secretly in his heart, he despised God and does not even know it. Isaiah 47:10 thou hast trusted in thy wickedness:thou hast said, None seeth me. Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee;and thou hast said in thine heart,I am, and none else beside me. Because in his carnal mind he think he is god.PSALM 82:6 I have said, Ye are god; and all of you are children of the most High. 7: But ye shall die like men. Michael Rudolph Hodges 2/1/2016/ amended 4/5/2021/amended 7/17/2022
Matthew 8:22But Jesus said unto him, and let the dead bury their dead.