How can there be life after death?
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Adventageous
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Taking a verse out of context is dangerous. Especially if one does not discern its meaning in that context. Jesus was referring to the death of the sinful heart, and living the resurrected life, or the life without sin, as Jesus did. Jesus was to take upon Himself the sins of the whole world, as the Passover Lamb, the lamb promised from the beginning (Gen. 3:15,21 KJB), so that people would be free, in that death & pardon, to live as He lived then, in a life without sin / sinning.
Notice the context:
Joh 12:1 Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
Joh 12:7 Then said Jesus, Let her alone: against the day of my burying hath she kept this.
Joh 12:9 Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there: and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead.
Joh 12:12 On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
Joh 12:16 These things understood not his disciples at the first: but when Jesus was glorified, then remembered they that these things were written of him, and that they had done these things unto him.
Joh 12:17 The people therefore that was with him when he called Lazarus out of his grave, and raised him from the dead, bare record.
Joh 12:18 For this cause the people also met him, for that they heard that he had done this miracle.
Jesus was to die, so that men, as Lazarus, and others, would live.
Many of the Jews had begun to believe on and follow Jesus in the way of life everlasting, a life without sin (since it is since that brings death; Rom. 6:23 KJB):
Joh 12:19 The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how ye prevail nothing? behold, the world is gone after him.
Even Gentiles started to believe (as promised by God), and repent unto God, and want to do the same:
Joh 12:20 And there were certain Greeks among them that came up to worship at the feast:
The context of Jhn. 12:25, is Jesus' own death, because of sins that He would take upon Himself, and be the propitiation for the sins of the whole world (1 Jhn. 2:2; as John the Baptist had pointed out, in connection to Gen. 3:15,21, in Jhn. 1:29,36; Rev. 13:8 KJB).
Joh 12:23 And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.
Joh 12:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.
Joh 12:25 He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.
Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.
Joh 12:27 Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
Joh 12:28 Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.
Joh 12:32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.
Jesus referred to his own shed blood and death, that people might live in the resurrection to come, and referred to a death to a sinful life now, that people might serve in an everlasting life without sin beginning in the here and now.
The wages of sin is the second (eternal) death, from which there is no longer life to be had. Jesus' died to save all who would accept the offering of the Father in the gift (Jhn. 3:16 KJB) of the Son, by the Holy Spirit, from such a death as that, that they might freely receive the pardon for their lives of sinful transgression (Exo. 20:1-17; Rom. 7:7,14; Jam. 2:8-13; 1 Jhn. 3:4 KJB), and live the life that Jesus lived/s now by the grace bestowed in Christ Jesus' sacrifice on their behalf.
Must a person die spiritually (mind / heart / thinking)? Yes, to their old man of sin (Rom. 6:6 KJB), their sinful ways, sinful lifestyles, sinful thinking, speaking, doing, and take up the same life that Jesus lived, by the Holy Ghost / Spirit, a life without sin, for Jesus has made the way to do so possible.
Must a person die physically? Not necessarily. Some will still be physically alive on the earth when Jesus' returns the second time:
1Th_4:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th_4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
Therefore, please beware of taking Bible verses from their context, and attempting to self-justify a knowingly wrong course of action (to make an even greater invalid point), for those who purposefully take a verse from such a context, and "wrest" (Psa. 56:5; 2 Pet. 3:16 KJB) the scriptures, do so unto their own destruction. If that is what they desire, then that is their own pitiable prerogative.
Eternal Entity
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