“In the day you eat of it you shall surely die”
Is not our premise but God’s declaration. There is no place of going around this. And also that any once in, or of Adam, are all to which this likewise pertains. And as death was made true estate there, no less, only those who once dead, are made eligible for the life of salvation. One cannot anymore know they are among the saved than they cannot know they were the once counted among the dead. And though it is without contradiction that God raises whom He wills as Christ gives life to whom He wills; only the one made alive is made to know things the dead either do not yet, nor never will, know. And Christ knows what death is:
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
And were we to say “If all truly died…” we would be showing ourselves false to the faith, that we can presume there was an “if” to be placed that could nullify God’s “surely”. But we may, if able, see that if that “if” is used to the better end of “since”, we might discuss what is of significance, or what is of meaning of that, but truly, only if we are now among the alive. We are allowed the grace to consider God’s words and doings for significance and meaning according to the light we have that He alone gives. And such light “in spirit” must, and is, (pre)destined to penetrate our mind. For we are told we shall….know. Even before we know.
Yet though our knowings and understandings may vary according to God’s gift or revelation through Christ, we dare not let go of that understanding…we are the called, to know. Has it yet been made true to you that “the dead know nothing”? And, moreover, that those who have come out from there are called to know much…even of that Lord who has raised them? We are all in learning. Disciples being discipled [sic]. Where, or how we appear to one another along this seeming continuum is of no consequence for any comparisons, for our looking into the wonder(s) of God is set to us into all eternity in His infinitude.
And I am quite convinced that even in Paul’s declaration that he will know even as he is known, is not a quenching of that wonder by then knowing all and everything with nothing and no one “left” to consider nor relate to, or in; but that all and any seeming irksomeness that so often accompanies testimony of lack of knowing in “need to know” is quenched.
But this is obviously my understanding. For to me, Heaven (such as it is, to me) is populated with those who are knowing God, (who is the all and that all to be known)…yet it is not there full of all “know it alls“. And so also, even now, is to be so among our fellowship in light.
I do not know whether our being of the created (creatures) will ever cease from us, but I am heartily convinced any and all seeming creaturely [sic] irksomeness that may attend that (and so easily taken advantage of to that very irksomeness by an adversary) is ceased through Christ. And has even begun already, in us. Jesus the Christ is not, was not ashamed to appear as a made one, a man. “Born of a woman, born under the law…”. And yet we no less know the Christ is from everlasting to everlasting in God. Yes, there is much we are given to consider. Wonderfully.
And as to this death pronounced as coming in the day of eating, there is no less, much to be considered. For how one speaks (even as God speaks) or better, how such is heard by those of differing estates, is vast. And all of what we might call dead understanding(s) are to go in renewal of mind. For what a dead man interprets is not, nor cannot be at all, what a live man sees. How even, a live man is.
In truth it is easily said that only the live man can know both death and life to any recognition. For the dead do not, nor cannot even know they are so…much less have any apprehension of what life is. And so even in that estate were they to “hear” the voice of God and there assume/presume to themselves they must be the alive…well…the scriptures are rife with examples otherwise, and surely not excluding the Lord’s own words and the apostle’s revelations.
Yes, God spoke to Cain before his murderous escapade into further darkness, and yes Cain spoke to God after, and with God even, yet speaking to Cain. As He no less did with Adam…after his eating. Therefore any notion that that death precludes God from communicating with man and vice versa (as I have often heard attributed as that for meaning of “death”) is not true.
If only (I speak as a man) such men could have understood at all the significance, the meaning, the import, the great wonder of all wonders beyond their capacity to contain…that God was speaking to them! Even in any acknowledgement that this was so, that they had heard from God…the veil remained…as only can be removed by Christ. The most sincere, the most seeming upright, the most holding greatest testimony…still captured in that death; pronounced over all till the deliverer come.
We can now understand this saying of Jesus the Christ…even in his testimony of John the Baptist.
For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.
Such a division! A vast gulf pronounced. And we must be careful in our hearing, and hear. No matter who may be summoned in memory or testimony as to their greatness (And Jesus here is not dishonoring John at all) from Moses, Abraham, Samuel, Elijah, et al…we know, at least, none is greater than John the Baptist. None had…till that very time, of women born ever been greater…at least as prophet. (Does God esteem His prophets?) But there was/is a man who, born of woman, was in the Kingdom of God. To that point we might even say “only” one man.
And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Whatever this death was or is to man as pronounced of God to him in the day of his eating (and if one can receive that this gulf is result and testimony of that) was of such magnitude in its profoundness that all and any comparison(s) between what is life and what is death…is insurmountable to man alone.
Even such that, further in the speaking of Jesus, and speaking of gulfs, when one pleaded for one to return from the dead to warn his brothers, Abraham understood (in what knowing was his) that if in their having Moses and the prophets they did not believe, neither would they believe should one return from the dead. It must sober all and any who may rest upon “if I only see a true miracle then I will believe”. But, it will not, despite my own insertion of “must”. Yet, it may sober a silly or novice believer as to his estate if there remain anything such of that thinking as “I need to see more miracles to believe better” That one may believe is already greatest testimony to the miraculous. For no man can move himself from unbelief to believing.
Or from death to life.
And a mind may be sobered…up.
But first it must receive as one alive from the dead how much latent hostility may remain to be rooted out, exposed, have light shining into all its dark places of that once enmity to the truth of God.
Oh, yes there is a fight. The only good one there is. The fight of faith to see redeemed that place of once all death where man was under all the influence of that death, even consigned him, and possessed only a mind hostile to God. The spirit of Christ, that life giving spirit, so far superior to Adam as living soul, must inform…and has license to deal with His house. Individually, and to all He builds corporately to His glory, the church.
It is both irrefutable and inescapable.
His having of a bride without spot or wrinkle or blemish.
God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.
In that name of inheritance is His inheritance. And one is either in or out. Yet dead or made alive.And since the dead are so easily deluded into believing themselves alive…who alone knows?
Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
We are in departure from the death in iniquity. And told to be so. We of all are to know what it is to depart from, but this can only come by revelation alone. No, we do not innately know…good from evil.
No light means…no light.
Or have you not yet apprehended the Devil considers himself…a nice guy? He has no light to even know himself as evil. No light means…no light…and there be left alone to only one’s surmising. And:
All of a man’s ways are right in his own eyes.
Rejoice then, even if you believe it is the Lord that calls you evil, and that you are made able to hear! For if the Lord is speaking to you, don’t let the wonder of it be lost upon you. Or its significance. Awaken!
Only the alive can receive rebuke. Are are even prepared for, and made able to bear it. Rejoice in hearing that voice which could never come to you of yourself! If He wound, and one is made able to receive His wounds as acceptable, He will also show Himself the great Healer.
Faithful are the wounds of a friend; but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.
Too much?
God knows.
As many as I love I rebuke and chasten…
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