Life

by Mark M. Chatfield
via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 22 No. 1, March 1996

Ken Ledbetter wrote an excellent article titled "The Emotional Issue of the Origin of Life" for the December 1995 issue of Sentry Magazine. It was thought-provoking and showed the author’s characteristic truth-seeking. It took me a couple of days considering the subject to realize there is another perspective to be explored. I wrote my ideas down and then discussed the subject with Ken. We discovered that some of my opinions were based on a misunderstanding of the scope of his original article. His article dealt with living things, and I was thinking about it from the point of view of life in its broadest definition. That broad definition is the basis of this article.

The Importance of Knowing About Life

It is hard to overemphasize the importance of understanding life. The Bible is centered on the subject. God’s word is about Jesus Christ, and He said, "I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:25). The word of God defines life from two primary points in time; one being before Christ and one after He came to Earth.

Before Christ Came

Before Christ came and gave new meaning to the term, life meant activity. It is that which moves. Genesis 26 tells of running water being "living." Life is also associated with light, gladness, fullness, order, and active being. It is contrasted with darkness, sorrow, emptiness, chaos, and silence. Life for man is linked to the soul, the living soul. The spirit distinguishes the living from the dead. From the Old Testament perspective, life can be summed up as an animated body: "What man can live and never see death?" (Psalms 89:48).

But then along came John the Baptist crying, "Repent!"

A New Perspective

Christ added an eternal perspective and direction to life. The life of mankind is under imminent judgment, and now a decision is demanded for all who would continue living. No repentance, no life (Luke 13:3). Christ is eternal life, and we, through grace and love, can be one with Christ (I John 5:20; John 1:4; 14:6). He became a life-giving Spirit (I Corinthians 15:45). Christ conquered death through His resurrection. In God's mind all live (Luke 20:38), and He can bring the dead to life and can call to Himself the things that do not exist as though they did (Romans 4:17).

God's Definition

God’s definition may not be succinct, but it has several factors which should be the basis for any rational model of the "origin’ of life.

• Life is eternal (Matthew 25:46)
• Life pre-existed creation (John 1:1-5).
• Life is to be spiritually minded (Romans 8:6).
• Life is the spirit because of righteousness (Romans 8:10)
• Life is not bound to earth (Acts 8:33)
• Life is with Christ (Colossians 3:3.4)
• Life is given to Christians only in Christ (I John 5:11-13)
• Life is in God’s commands (John 12:50)
• Life is in the knowledge of God and Christ (John 17:3).

The Tree of Life

Going back to Ken’s article, I’m not sure how a logic tree works, but somehow the eternal life that encompasses all living things should be represented. Maybe the logic tree needs another branch. It seems correct that "Life exists" is the starting point or trunk of the tree, but somehow the diagram should show how eternal life fits in. There must be a way to indicate that God created all living things, breathed life into man, and ultimately, through Christ, made eternal life available to all mankind.

Conclusion

Where did life come from? He didn’t "come from" anywhere - He always is.

"Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:25-26).

"I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (Matthew 22:32).

"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" (Revelation 1:8).

"And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely” (Revelation 21:6).

“I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city" (Revelation 22:13-14).