What Life Really Is

What Life Really Is (Part 1)

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Introduction

Life is a precious gift. It is a gift through creation, redemption, and recreation, and the Author is God himself. How much is such a gift? How important and valuable is it for you? What have you been doing in order to maintain, sustain, and to make it precious for you and others? People have different attitudes towards this precious gift. Attitude is a kind of drive which influences an individual in valuing and in acting (behavior). It determines individual’s choice to think, to perceive, and to act.

How to live your life is influenced by your attitude towards life itself.  Albert Einstein shared his idea, "There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle." Do you see life as the former or the later one? The way you perceive it will drive you to live it that way. Mother Teresa's attitude toward this life makes her life really different and impacts those people surroundings. She experienced life as follows:

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

     Life is beauty, admire it.

          Life is a dream, realize it.

               Life is a challenge, meet it.

                    Life is a duty, complete it.

                          Life is a game, play it.

                                Life is a promise, fulfill it.

                                      Life is sorrow, overcome it.

                                 Life is a song, sing it.

                            Life is a struggle, accept it.

                       Life is a tragedy, confront it.

                  Life is an adventure, dare it.

            Life is luck, make it.

      Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is life, fight it.

Life is Gifted

It was God who took the clay and formed a man in His own image. He “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being” (Gen 2:7 NIV).The Hebrew word,וַיִּפַּ֥ח – napah breathed or blew “the breath (wind, spirit) of life” נְשָׁמָה – nəšâmâh gives emphasis that He gave a living principle (Cook, 1981), and imparted “breath” equivalent to his own life (Nichol et al., 1978). The meaning above is supported by the New Testament account. The Greek word πνεύμα – pneuma (spirit or wind) adds more significance to its meaning. God who breathes the “spirit” (life) is the bearer of life (Brown, 1971, p.689). So this principle--God gives life (Spirit) and man becomes a living being who bears the spiritual life.

Paul presents three characteristics of the spiritual man or woman: (1) He or she lives life as a living sacrifice and is not self-centered. (2) He or she lives a holy life; and (3) he or she strives to live in a way that is pleasing to God (Rom 12:1-2).  The other two characteristics: a spiritual man is marked by his love and concern for others (Galatians 6:1), and by stability and maturity in living by the Spirit of God (Bromiley, 1998).

Life is Robbed

The spiritual gift—LIFE—is corrupted when the first spiritual being— Eve—decided to trust in Lucifer’s deceitful words instead of trusting in God; and when Adam decided to stand on his wife’s side because of love, the lives of the spiritual beings were robbed and became sinful beings (sinners). Man and woman were taken into captive and put in the bondage of sin. Genesis Chapter 3 shows at least 5 STEPS how this spiritual life is robbed: (1) “trespassing the proper property”—enter forbidden area, (2) getting involved into a friendly conversation with deceiver, (3) being curious beyond the boundaries, (4) doubting the love of God, and (5) wanting to be like Creator. Other supportive factors: all the senses are focused in deadly conversation, and staying too long in forbidden ground. Consequently, eternal life was robbed; man and woman lost the image of their Maker (White, 1952). The worst of the consequence to humankind is death penalty. “For the wages of sin is death…” – Rom 3:23a. Every human being born on earth is subject to death, eternal death.

Life is Restored

The robbed spiritual life—the lost image of God in man and woman—due to their unfaithfulness to their God caused him to involve himself directly into this transaction as He did in creation. This is another consequence of sin. He decided to give solution to humankind right away. He stood between the sinners—Adam and Eve—and Lucifer proclaiming to the universe a beginning of “universal war”, the Great Controversy. "And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike her heel" – Genesis 3:15.

The fulfillment of God’s promise came into reality of the life of the Son of God, Jesus Christ. He left all the glorious life and throne for the sake of human beings. “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider the equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness, and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death.” – Philippians 2:6-8.

He came to the very bottom to reach the lost sinners. He entered into the market of bondage of sin in which was ruled by the prince of darkness. He paid with His own life, the blood of the Lamb of God shed on the rugged cross; but “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” – Rom 3:23b. Every human being born on earth is titled to sharing the eternal life.

Seven (7) Principles of What Life Really is

              Principle #1 – Life is a spiritual gift.

              Principle #2 – Human as spiritual being bears the likeness of the Creator. 

              Principle #3 – Human being is given responsibility to manage the precious life. 

              Principle #4 – Man's unfaithfulness distorts the precious life.

              Principle #5 – God the Initiator of life restoration through Jesus.

              Principle #6 – Human lives to live others

              Principle #7 – Every human being is accountable to the Owner and Giver of life.

Personal Meditation

Life is a reality. It is a precious gift. It is robbed due to human’s unfaithfulness, disobedience, and doubtfulness to God’s love. It is restored by the Creator Himself, the Redeemer and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is re-gifted into the hands of each individual who does not deserve. It is absolutely the work of God. How do you perceive this precious Gift--LIFE? How do you respond to this GIFT? What have you been doing as your appreciation and gratefulness to this GIFT of LIFE? You are given responsibility to manage it, and yet you are also ACCOUNTABLE to God as the Giver (Matthew 12:36).


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REFERENCES 

Bromiley, G. W. (Ed). (1979). International standard Bible encyclopedia. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

Brown, C. (Ed). (1971). The new international dictionary of New Testament theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Regency Reference Library.

Cook, F. J. (Ed). (1981). The Bible commentary: Genesis to Deuteronomy. Vol.1. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Nichol, F. D., Cottrell, R. F., Neufeld, D. F., & Neuffer, J. (Eds.). (1978). The Seventh-day Adventist Bible commentary. Vol. 7. Washington, DC: Review and Herald Publishing Association

White, E. G. (1952). Education. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press.

Recommended Books to Read
Blamires, H. (1963). The Christian mind. London: SPCK. 
Brown, N. (2005). (Ed.). Ordinary people extraordinary God: Real life stories of faith and commitment. Warburton, Victoria, Australia: Signs Publishing.

 Duquoc, C. (Ed). (1971). The concrete Christian life. New York, NY: Herder and Herder.

White, E. G. (1952). Education. Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press.