Allow the Bible to train your mind.
We do not remain alive [zao] forever. We die because we do not possess everlasting life [zoe aionios] in ourselves - but when He created mankind, God never intended for human beings to die. It is sin that causes death, and "just as sin entered the world through one man - and death through sin - death spread to all people, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12).
Not only did all the offspring (all descendants) of the first humans sin IN Adam, but "all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).
Anyone who has ever had sinful thoughts and desires, told lies, or broken one of the other ten commandments, or committed any other sin, is a sinner: Jesus said, "For out of the heart come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander." (Matthew 15:19).
In other words, if we ever have things going on in our hearts and minds that are sin in God's sight, then even before we commit sin, we are sinners.
The Logos ("Word") of God, in whom is life [zoe] (John 1:4) - through whom all things were created (John 1:1-3) - came down from God into the world, took on a human body (John 1:14), and bore our sins - which cause death - in His own body, and died (His body died), and rose again from the dead. He possessed life in Himself (John 5:26), and death could not hold Him.
His name is Jesus. He rose again from the dead and is alive [zao] forevermore (immortal), possessing (everlasting) life [zoe] in Himself. Decades after ascending into heaven bodily He appeared to the apostle John, and said,
"Fear not; I am the first and the last:
I am he that is alive / that liveth [zao],
and was dead;
and, behold, I am alive [zao] to the ages of the ages, Amen;
and I have the keys of hades and of death."
(Revelation 1:17-18) .
The apostle Paul taught that the reason Christ died [apothnesko] and rose again from the dead [anistemi], and lived again | was alive again [anazao], was so that he may be the Lord of both the dead [nekros] and living [zao: those who are alive, not dead] (Romans 14:9).
Paul also taught that the souls of those who die will go to be with Christ until the resurrection of the dead in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:6-9; Romans 8:23-25).
Statements of faith that express words like "When those who believe in Jesus die, they go to heaven and will be with God in heaven forever" are based on handed-down ignorance of the gospel: God did not create human beings so that we could "die and then go to heaven we we die". God created all things in order that they might live [zao] and have their being. Death is the enemy of God (1 Corinthians 15:26; Ezekiel 18:32).
The quickening (making alive again) of the body and the resurrection of the dead body - through the quickening and resurrection of the dead body of Christ Jesus - are integral parts of the gospel, which is the gospel of redemption from sin AND death - by the blood, death, and resurrection of Christ Jesus.
Greek Septuagint translation of Genesis 2:7:
καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν.
The words in English:
"And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground,
* zaō means to live, breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead) (from Thayer's Greek Lexicon).
("In Him (God) we live | are alive [zao], and move, and have our being; For we are also his offspring." -- Acts 17:28).
THE BREATH OF LIFE [ZOE] FROM GOD IS WHAT CAUSES HUMAN BEINGS TO LIVE [ZAO] | TO BE ALIVE [ZAO] IN OUR HUMAN BODIES.
The Bible does not talk about the quickening (making alive again) of a "dead" human spirit: Unless it has the breath of everlasting life [zoe] - which is in Christ - given to it, nothing which has the breath of life [zoe] from God is alive [zao] forever (immortal), nor can it be unless it has the breath of everlasting life [zoe] - which is in Christ - given to it (Ecclesiastes 12:7; 1 John 5:11-12. See also: Genesis 2:7; Genesis 6:17; Genesis 7:15 & 22).
Israel's king Solomon wrote the following regarding what happens upon death:
The dust returns to the earth as it was, and the life's breath (Srong's Hebrew H7307: ruach; spirit of life from God) returns to God who gave it. -- Ecclesiastes 12:7, NETfree translation.
When Jesus raised a young girl from the dead, the gospel of Luke tells us that:
"her spirit came again, and she arose straightway: and he commanded to give her meat." (Luke 8:55).
Note that 1 John 5:11 does not say, "He whose own human spirit has been 'quickened from death'" (or "regenerated" or "resurrected from death") has eternal life", because the Son of God alone has life [zoe] in Himself - John 5:26. Our life and the eternal life [zoe aionios] given to us, is in Him, and "When Christ (who is our life) appears, then we who believe in Him will also be revealed in glory with him." (Colossians 3:4).
In the New Testament,
BEING BORN ANEW OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD
PLACES AN INDIVIDUAL IN CHRIST
ENSURING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL'S
DEAD | DYING BODY
WHICH WILL PRODUCE
THE RESURRECTION OF THE BODY FROM DEATH
WHEN HE RETURNS
(BECAUSE OF, AND THROUGH THE POWER OF CHRIST'S RESURRECTION)
AND THE REGENERATION OF ALL THINGS.
THIS IS THE NEW TESTAMENT'S TEACHING,
AND IT'S ALL THANKS TO CHRIST TAKING ON A HUMAN BODY,
AND TAKING OUR SIN UPON HIMSELF,
BEARING THE SIN IN HIS OWN BODY ON THE CROSS
AND DYING, AND RISING AGAIN FROM THE DEAD,
HIS DEAD BODY HAVING BEEN QUICKENED BY THE SPIRIT.
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