Between Breath and Spirit, man often wants to make a distinction, but does God?
What would the "breath" of God be? God is, I believe, we would agree, a Spirit, that is an entity without physical substance as we of the flesh know it. We breathe "air", but what would God breathe?
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Gen 2:7
Did not God breathe into man Life, or the basis of Life? It was not "air", but wasn't it His Spirit, the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit? Without God would it not be a dead spirit and certainly not Holy?
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." II Cor 3:6
So then man died...
When did man die?
"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." Gen 2:17
They did eat of that tree and they died although they continued to walk around and talk and even attempt to cover their naked "dead" bodies...
Remember what Jesus said?
"And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead." Matt 8:21-22
He was speaking to a disciple as if the disciple were alive, because the disciple was able to "hear" Him. Not everyone could hear Him, because they were too content with living in death. Those who believed in Jesus were ones who were alive! Lots of 'dead men walking'!
"And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." John 5:38-40 Was Jesus talking to dead men?
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." John 6:47
So then believing in Jesus is Life itself, not life, which every man sees and understands, but Life as God sees it and understands it.
Adam and Eve were dead as soon as they had disobeyed and eaten from the wrong tree. Their natural children were all dead as well until they came to Jesus... Without the Spirit of God men have a dead spirit... but they often speak of themselves as being alive.
So did not even Abel who was murdered by Cain come to Jesus? Did he not come to Life?
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Heb 11:4
Men died and remained spiritually dead because while they retained a spirit in them it was no longer a Holy Spirit. It had been fouled by men. In God's eyes, it was dead.
Abel, of course, wasn't the only one in the OT who was became righteous in the eyes of God.
What Jesus promised us was power so that each of us could do what Abel did, and, of course, much more than Abel did.
God was going to breathe on men again.. yes, a second time! Something perhaps like being born again?
This is what Jesus promised and it is what began on that day of Pentecost described here:
"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:" Acts 2:16-17
Again as that prophet wrote it:
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." Joel 2:28-29
What would the "breath" of God be? God is, I believe, we would agree, a Spirit, that is an entity without physical substance as we of the flesh know it. We breathe "air", but what would God breathe?
"And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." Gen 2:7
Did not God breathe into man Life, or the basis of Life? It was not "air", but wasn't it His Spirit, the Spirit of God or the Holy Spirit? Without God would it not be a dead spirit and certainly not Holy?
"Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life." II Cor 3:6
So then man died...
When did man die?
"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." Gen 2:17
They did eat of that tree and they died although they continued to walk around and talk and even attempt to cover their naked "dead" bodies...
Remember what Jesus said?
"And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.
But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead." Matt 8:21-22
He was speaking to a disciple as if the disciple were alive, because the disciple was able to "hear" Him. Not everyone could hear Him, because they were too content with living in death. Those who believed in Jesus were ones who were alive! Lots of 'dead men walking'!
"And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life." John 5:38-40 Was Jesus talking to dead men?
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life." John 6:47
So then believing in Jesus is Life itself, not life, which every man sees and understands, but Life as God sees it and understands it.
Adam and Eve were dead as soon as they had disobeyed and eaten from the wrong tree. Their natural children were all dead as well until they came to Jesus... Without the Spirit of God men have a dead spirit... but they often speak of themselves as being alive.
So did not even Abel who was murdered by Cain come to Jesus? Did he not come to Life?
"By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh." Heb 11:4
Men died and remained spiritually dead because while they retained a spirit in them it was no longer a Holy Spirit. It had been fouled by men. In God's eyes, it was dead.
Abel, of course, wasn't the only one in the OT who was became righteous in the eyes of God.
What Jesus promised us was power so that each of us could do what Abel did, and, of course, much more than Abel did.
God was going to breathe on men again.. yes, a second time! Something perhaps like being born again?
This is what Jesus promised and it is what began on that day of Pentecost described here:
"But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:" Acts 2:16-17
Again as that prophet wrote it:
"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:
And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit." Joel 2:28-29