WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO DEATH? (Romans 5:12-14)

Hmmm this is another wonderful question,is there really a solution to death? Have ask my self same question but gat no answer,let's take a look at this;
WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO DEATH? (Romans 5:12-14).   Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned.
Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

There is no question that one of the greatest trials that we will face in our lifetime is the loss of a loved one.  As we face that event we often begin to ask God questions like, why did my parent, or spouse, or child have to die?  Even more difficult is the day the doctor tells you that you are going to die.  When faced with the death of a loved one, or even our own death, we ask God, Why must everyone die?  

Why do innocent babies die?  Why do good people die?  Why is it that bad people are not the only ones that die?  According to the way that man thinks, if it was a just world, good people would live forever, and bad people would die at a young age, in a horrible way.  But that is not the way it works in our world, everyone dies.  Little children die, moral people die, and even religious people die right along with the bad people.  Death is universal.  The question is why, and is there a solution to the problem of death?

For a universal effect there must be a universal cause.  That cause is a state of universal sin, but what was the cause of this universal state of sin?  The direct answer is that we all die because the first man, Adam, rebelled against God by violating God’s direct commandment.  

The consequence of Adam’s sin was that a universal state of sin was given to all of Adam’s descendants.  As the descendants of Adam all men must now die, even innocent children.  There is the saying that only two things are certain in this life, death and taxes.  Until the day Jesus comes, each of us will certainly face death because of sin.  

Well you say, Keith that is not fair.  Why must I die because of something Adam did?  Actually, not only is it fair, but it is to our advantage to have sin enter the world through the acts of one man.  

Listen to this podcast to learn that the wonderful thing about God’s love for man is that it is because sin and death entered as a result of one man’s sin, that the solution is provided by the death of one Man as well.  Jesus Christ is the world’s solution to eternal death.  

The death, burial, and resurrection, of Jesus Christ means that everyone who has ever lived can have eternal life if they have, or will, believe in Christ’s completed work of salvation.  We can have eternal life with Jesus in heaven because He was divinely capable of being the One man who could pay the universal penalty of our sin, and Jesus volunteered to do this for you and for me.  

GOD’S GIFT AND GOD’S GRACE (Romans 5:16-21)

Each day that I live I am grateful for the gift of God and the grace of God.  It is by the gift of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, that I can have eternal life in Heaven, and it is the grace of God that makes it all possible.

Nothing can stand in the way of God’s grace.  It is absolutely sovereign.  Eternal life through Jesus Christ is assured.  God’s abundant grace will reign through the righteousness of Jesus Christ, for all who believe on Him, unto everlasting life.  That is our security as a believer.  It was God’s gift and God’s grace that allowed us to have salvation, and nothing can stand in the way of God’s grace.  Absolutely nothing.  We are secure in God’s grace.  

This whole concept of sin and death, and of God’s gift and grace, is so amazing that it is hard to believe.  Yet, it is also so simple and direct that it truly brings out the divine nature of God, His omniscience and omnipotence, and most of all His love for each of us.  His desire that none should perish but that all should have everlasting life is one of the great promises of the Bible.  I know that God loves me because the Bible has told me so.

On this week of thanksgiving, I praise God that:

John 3:16-18

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

LIFE

Many of us ask this question all the time,what is life and what is the purpose of life yet we haven't gotten the answer.Why are we here? Do we serve a greater purpose beyond the pleasure or satisfaction we get from our daily activities – however mundane or heroic they may be? Is the meaning of life internal to life, to be found inherently in life’s many activities, or is it external, to be found in a realm somehow outside of life, but to which life leads? In the internal view it’s the satisfaction and happiness we gain from our actions that justify life. This does not necessarily imply a selfish code of conduct. The external interpretation commonly makes the claim that there is a realm to which life leads after death. Our life on earth is evaluated by a supernatural being some call God, who will assign to us some reward or punishment after death. The meaning of our life, its purpose and justification, is to fulfill the expectations of God, and then to receive our final reward.

LOVE

When ever we ask, “What is love?” it’s usually because (a) we’re unsure if a certain special someone really loves us, or (b because a certain special someone just accused us of not really loving them. 

Love is a variety of different feelings, states,and attitudes that ranges from interpersonal affection to pleasure. It can refer to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment.    When we are truly engaged in giving and receiving love, we don’t ponder such philosophical questions. It’s only when something is lacking that we begin to analyse and contemplate what that thing actually is. For example, nobody sits down to a full meal and asks, “What is a sandwich?”

It’s only when something is lacking that we begin to analyse and contemplate what that thing actually is So,if we’re even asking the question, “What is love?” it probably means that we don’t feel completely loved,or that someone doesn’t feel completely loved by us.

But since we’re asking, let’s try to answer the question.

“Am I Loved?” Vs. “Do I Love?”

The two scenarios that usually cause us to contemplate “What is love?” give meaning to the question. Either we wonder, “Am I loved?” or we ask, “Do I love?”

It is easier to first address the “What is love?” question in terms of the love we feel coming toward us. If we understand how to recognise when we are being loved, we can also learn to recognise our love for another.

When we are loved,we tend to feel it intuitively in our guts. But how does it work? Is there an extra sensory perception in the heart that is able to read the feelings in another person’s heart?

In fact,it’s really not that ethereal or supernatural. On the contrary,it’s pretty practical and down-to-earth. Our hearts take cues from our senses. Everything we see,hear,taste,touch or smell teaches us about our universe. We don’t need to contemplate or ask questions. Our sensory organs report to our brains,and our brains interpret the data and send the report to our hearts. So,if we see a loving smile,hear loving words,or feel a loving touch,the brain processes this information and concludes, “Hey,we are being loved right now!”

In short,when we are loved,there is tangible proof. It’s not an abstract thought or feeling,it’s concrete and evidenced. As King Solomon wrote in his book of Proverbs (27:19), “As water reflects a man’s face back to him,so is the heart of one man to another.” This means,when you are treated with love, your heart feels that love.

Love is an Action

Now we can address the second part of the “What is love” quandary—how to know if we love someone else?

The answer is straightforward. When we behave lovingly towards someone, it means we love that person.

When we ask a question like “What is love?” we assume that we’re trying to define an abstract concept similar to “What is freedom?” or “What is good fortune?” But truthfully,love is not a concept. It’s an action.

To ask, “What is love?” is like asking, “What is running?” or “What is swimming?” If you’ve ever seen someone run or swim,you know exactly what running and swimming entail.

In order for love to be real love,it has to be expressed as an action The Hebrew word for love, ahavah, reveals this true definition of love,for the word ahavah is built upon the root consonants h‑v, which means “to give.” In order for love to be real love,it has to be expressed as an action. If you love your beloved, then you must show it. By the same token,if you are loved,that will show, too. You will recognise it by the way you are treated.

God Teaches Us How to Love

God commands us (Deut. 6:5), “And you shall love the Lord your God.” This precept leads us to voice the age-old question, “How can we be commanded to feel a feeling?” Either you feel it or you don’t, right?

An answer offered by our tradition explains that we are not being ordered to feel a feeling in the abstract sense. Rather,the command is for us to behave lovingly. In this light, “And you shall love,” actually means, “You shall perform acts of love.”

This is the true test: action,deeds, performance.

Feelings can be deceptive. Sometimes, what we perceive as love may in fact be another emotion. But actions cannot be mistaken. So, rather than ask, “What is love?” we must ask, “Do I perform acts of love for my beloved?” and “Does my beloved perform acts of love for me?”

HOW TO LIVE A GOOD LIFE

What is good life? What is happiness? What is success? What is pleasure? How should I treat other people? How should I cope with unfortunate events? How can I get rid off unnecessary worry? How should I handle liberty? All these are the questions I keep asking my self then discovered 7 powerful ways that can help live a good life,
1. Examine life, engage life with vengeance; always search for new pleasures and new destinies to reach with your mind. 
2. Worry only about the things that are in your control, the things that can be influenced and changed by your actions, not about the things that are beyond your capacity to direct or alter. 
3. Treasure Friendship, the reciprocal attachment that fills the need for affiliation. Friendship cannot be acquired in the market place, but must be nurtured and treasured in relations imbued with trust and amity. 
4. Experience True Pleasure. Avoid shallow and transient pleasures. Keep your life simple. Seek calming pleasures that contribute to peace of mind. True pleasure is disciplined and restrained.
5. Master Yourself. Resist any external force that might delimit thought and action; stop deceiving yourself, believing only what is personally useful and convenient; complete liberty necessitates a struggle within, a battle to subdue negative psychological and spiritual forces that preclude a healthy existence; self mastery requires ruthless cador.
6. Avoid Excess. Live life in harmony and balance. Avoid excesses. Even good things, pursued or attained without moderation, can become a source of misery and suffering.
7. Be a Responsible Human Being. Approach yourself with honesty and thoroughness; maintain a kind of spiritual hygiene; stop the blame-shifting for your errors and shortcomings.
"Love everything and everyone in your life and neighborhood. Don’t listen to the negative comments others make. Help the most needed in your community because it will bring happiness to your soul; and your soul would be a good soul because you are applying your good virtues. Like Socrates’ philosophy said about good life “If you apply you good moral your soul good live a good life”. There are different ways to apply your virtues of love in your community. For instance keeping your community clean and encouraging others to do it; or bringing harmony in families or neighborhoods by gathering people to celebrate certain occasions together. Likewise Marcus Aurelius said on his philosophy about reflection “Be always doing something serviceable to mankind and let this generosity be your pleasure, no forgetting a due regard to God”. By helping an ailing person in your neighborhood you are not only applying your good virtues but you also enjoying the pleasure of doing it; and acknowledging our God for the gift of life."

WISDOM

Acting with Wisdom brings us in harmony with ourselves, giving us a sense of self-worth and inner peace. This inner peace is achieved because we are acting in accordance with our consciences and avoiding the shame and guilt of following our baser instincts.
How blessed is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gains understanding. For its profit is better than the profit of silver, and its gain than fine gold. She is more precious than jewels; and nothing you desire compares with her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace. She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and happy are all who hold her fast. (Proverbs 3:13-18)
We often fail in our daily struggle to act with wisdom -- it does not come easily or naturally. Although it is easier to follow our less-than-wise impulses, the reward for acting with wisdom is great. When we give it our best effort, the payoff in self-esteem and inner peace will compensate us many times over.

THE MEANING OF LIFE IS NOT MATERIALISM

Many lives are expended almost entirely devoted to the pursuit of increasing material wealth, or the pursuit of enjoying as many material experiences as possible, either simply because the individual has no greater life purpose, or because it is hoped that through these temporary means he may attain lasting contentment, freedom from difficulty, and ultimately – happiness. But however much man may strive to attain peace of heart and happiness through the accumulation of material possessions, or material experiences, he will find that this lasting contentment he seeks will continually elude him, and that at best, even with extraordinary wealth and material opportunity he will not be able to attain the ease and peace of mind of a house cat, or a cow that grazes on the hillside, carefree, and contented.

In the words of Abdu’l-Baha:

"Were ease and pleasure and freedom from hardships to be considered the highest result of human life, no man could equal in this the cattle. For even when a man becomes the master of great wealth and attains the loftiest honor in the world, a mere cow grazing on the hill-side will by far surpass him in ease and contentment.”

Yet this is what many of us set for ourselves as the ultimate goal of our existence, expending our precious hours and moments as “seekers after this life”, when all the while we are getting closer to leaving this life.

In the words of Baha’u’llah – Prophet Founder of the Baha'i Faith

"Say: If ye be seekers after this life and the vanities thereof, ye should have sought them while ye were still enclosed in your mothers’ wombs, for at that time ye were continually approaching them, could ye but perceive it. Ye have, on the other hand, ever since ye were born and attained maturity, been all the while receding from the world and drawing closer to dust. Why, then, exhibit such greed in amassing the treasures of the earth, when your days are numbered and your chance is well-nigh lost?”

Although material progress is an aspect of human life, it is not the purpose of human existence, and alone has never satisfied the human spirit, “…whose mysterious nature inclines it towards transcendence, a reaching towards an invisible realm, towards the ultimate reality, that unknowable essence of essences called God.” *