The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - DOES MAN HAVE AN IMMORTAL SOUL

Note, please, that after God started man breathing "the man came to be a living soul." Hence, the man was a soul, just as a man who becomes a doctor is a doctor. (1 Corinthians 15:45) Since a huma soul is man himself, then it cannot be some shadowy thing that merely inhabits the body or that can exist apart from the person. In harmony with this fact, the Bible makes plain that the human soul possesses human qualities. For example, the Bible speaks of the soul's desiring physical food, saying: "Your soul craves to eat meat." (Deuteronomy 12:20; Leviticus 17:12.) It says, too, that souls have blood traveling through their veins, for it speaks of "the blood of the souls of poor innocents." (Jeremiah 2:34, AV) Yes, your soul is really you, with all your physical and mental qualities. - PROVERBS 2:10. 

What, then, of the texts that use such expressions as "my soul," or those that speak of a person's soul as though it is within him? These texts of course, must harmonize with the Scriptures already considered, for there can be no contradiction in God's Word. It becomes evident, then, that the word "soul" may be used in different senses. At times it refers to one's own self as a soul. So just as one says "myself" he also says "my soul," meaning basically the same thing. Thus the psalmist wrote: "My soul has been sleepless from grief." - PSALM 119:28 [118:28 Dy]. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - DOES MAN HAVE AN IMMORTAL SOUL

But what about the soul? Is it not a part of man that separates from his body at death and goes on living? To answer this properly we need to determine what the soul is. You may be surprised to know that animals as well as men are called "souls' in the inspired Scriptures. For instance, Numbers 31:28 speaks of one soul. [Hebrew, neph'esh)] out of five hundred, of humankind and of the herd of the asses and of the flock." -See also Revelation 16:3, where the Greek word for "soul," psykhe' appears.

What, then, is the soul? Let us see what the Creator's own written Word says about it. At Genesis 2:7 we read: "And Jehovah God proceeded to form the man out of the dust from the ground and to blow into his nostrils the breath of life, and man came to be a living soul."

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - Where Are the Dead?

 The Bible clearly teaches that the dead are unconscious and lifeless in the grave. Note what Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10 (AV) says regarding the condition of the dead: "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not anything, neither have they have any more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, no knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." This means that the dead cannot do anything and cannot feel anything. Their thoughts have ceased, as the Bible states: "Put not your trusts in princes, nor in the son of earthling man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth: in that very day his thoughts do perish." -PSALM 146:3, 4, AV [145:2-4, Dy].

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life -Where Are the Dead?

 PERHAPS you have experienced the empty feeling that comes with a loved one in death. On such occasions most persons feel not only sad but also very helpless. It is only natural to wonder: What happens to a person when he dies? Is he still conscious somewhere? Is there real hope that the dead will live again? The Bible contains a comforting answer to these questions.  

Simply stated, death is the opposite of life. In sentencing the first man Adam for his willful disobedience, God said: "You [will] return to the ground, for out of it you were taken. For dust you are and to dust you will return." (Genesis 3:19) Consider now: Where was Adam before God formed him from the dust and gave him life? Why, he simply did not exist. At his death Adam returned to the same lifeless, unconscious state. He went neither to a fiery hell nor to heavenly bliss, but died-as God said he would. - GENESIS 2:17. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - EFFECT ON OFFSPRING -Conclusion

 However, it is one thing to make unintentional mistakes because of inherited sin, but entirely another matter deliberately to practice that one knows to be wrong. (1 John 5:16) If one is truly repent over mistakes, he can expect merciful forgiveness from God. (Proverbs 28:13) But he must be careful that, once he knows what is right, he does not deliberately choose to follow a course contrary to God's will. To do so would mean loss of God's favor and of life itself. - DEUTERONOMY 30:15-20; HEBREWS 10:26, 27.

Happily, Jehovah has made provision to save repentant ones from the bad effects of inherited sin and death. This grand relief will come through the ransom sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Concerning this provision the Bible says: God has sent forth is only -begotten Son into the world that we might gain life through him." (1 John4:9) So, in God's due time, under the Kingdom rule of his Son, inherited human perfection will gradually be taken away, and mankind will no longer feel the effects of Adam's sin. Why even the death we inherited from Adam will no longer have power over us! (Revelation21:3, 4) You can be the one to enjoy such blessings. How? By taking advantage of the provisions that Jehovah has made and proving your love for him, sincere love for him, by keeping his commandments.  -ECCLESIASTES 12:133. 

NOTE:  Remember that Jehovah knows your heart, mind, soul and your very being. He sees everything. So, he will know if your heart is true and sincere towards him. Otherwise, you won't be blessed in that way. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - EFFECT UPON OFFSPRING

 But, since we today did not disobey that law in Eden, why is it that we also get sick and die? It is for this reason: All of Adam's offspring were born after this disobedience. This his offspring inherited sin and death from him. All men inherit imperfection, because all come from Adam and Eve. As the book of Job tells us: "Who can produce someone unclean? There is not one." (Job14:4) Also, at Romans 5:12 the Bible explains: "Through one man [Adam] sin entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men." Just a perfect piece of machinery cannot be produced from an imperfect mold, so Adam and his imperfection could produce perfect children, free from sin. -PSALM 51:5 [50:7, Dy]. 

The effect of Adam and Eve's sin upon their offspring can be compared with what happened when people who ignore God's law and live immorally bring forth children. Such people may get diseased in the sex organs that God gave them to bring forth their children. The children of such "unclean" parents may be born physically or mentally damaged because of the sin their parents, So, too, our first parents became "unclean," imperfect and subject to sickness, and finally death. They could pass on their to their offspring only what themselves had: imperfection, with a future of sickness and death. That is why we all grow old and die, and we so easily do what is wrong.

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - RESULTS OF DISOBEDIENCE - Conclusion

 By this lawless act they became guilty of sin, and so they brought up themselves the penalty of sin. (1 John 3:4) In considering the rightness of God's decision we should not make the mistake of judging the seriousness of what Adam and Eve did by the way many people view things in our time. Today disobedience to parents is common, often going unpunished. Stealing is also common, and many think that, if what is stolen is small, the theft does not matter much Rebellion and speaking against authority are likewise frequent today. But that does not make these things right! Much of the rotten fruitage we see today in the form of growing delinquency and crime is due to failure of parents and others in authority to correct matters at the start. - PROVERBS 13:24; ECCLESIASTES 8:11. 

God was not going to encourage wrongdoing by a failure to enforce his own law. By their disobedience Adam and Eve showed a great lack of love for the One who had provided so wonderfully for them. They were guilty of stealing, because they took what their Creator said was not theirs. Still worse, the joined with God's enemy and, by their actions called God a liar. Jehovah owed it to himself and all his universal family to uphold the law. This, he did. As a result of their deliberate sin the lawless couple were driven out of Eden to die. - GENESIS 3:22-24. 

The effect of sin upon them might be illustrated by happens to a piece of machinery what it used properly, according to the maker's instructions. The machine will develop weakness and, and in time, break down. Similarly, as result of ignoring the instructions of their Maker, Adam and Eve lost their perfection. Their minds and bodies began to break down, and finally ceased to function, in death. That is what disobedience and removal from God's favor meant for them.  (Genesis3:16-19) After Adam had used up the tremendous vitality of his once-perfect body, he dies at the age of 930 years. This was within the symbolic "day" of one thousand years that had God had set. - GENESIS 5:5; 2 PETER 3:8.

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - RESULTS OF DISOBEDIENCE - Continue

 Why was the tree called "the tree of the knowledge of good and bad"? Because, as a result of God's command, it's fruit symbolized God's right to decide for his creatures what is "good" and what is "bad" for them. So, for the human pair to take of this fruit would mean that they were turning their backs on their heavenly Father and rejecting his divine guidance and perfect will. While simple, the test involved much. It involved man's dependence on his Creator and man's recognition of divine authority. Remember, too, that Jesus Christ applied to imperfect humans the rule that "the person faithful in what is least is faithful also in much, and the person unrighteous in what is least in unrighteous also in much." (Luke 16:1) How much more did this apply to perfect creatures!

Why did Eve break God's law and eat of the fruit? The idea did not begin with her but was presented to her by a spirit creature using a lowly serpent through serpent through which to speak.  That spirit creature, identified in the Bible as Satan the Devil, is therefore called "the original serpent." (Revelation 12:9) The invisible creature speaking through the serpent openly denied the truth of God's command that Eve quoted. He represented the tree's fruit as being unable to cause her to be like God, deciding for herself was "good" and what was "bad." Eve then began to view the fruit as very desirable and she disobeyed God by eating of it. Adam her husband, did not oppose her course but joined her in it. - GENESIS 3:1-6; JAMES 1:14, 15; 1 CORINTHIANS 11:3. 

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - RESULTS OF DISOBEDIENCE

 When Jehovah created Adam and Eve, they became the earthly part of God's great family, which already included a great number of spirit creatures in the heavens, God was the Father of the human pair, since he had given them life. The gift of life, however, was conditional; that is, it would continue to be theirs only as long as they met the condition of loving obedience to their heavenly Father. Obedience to law is necessary to continue peace and good order, so they had to recognize God as their Supreme Ruler. Did they know this? Yes, because Jehovah placed upon thema test that emphasized the seriousness of obedience. He said to Adam: "From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree and life of knowledge of good and bad you must eat of it you will positively de." - GENESIS 2:16, 17.

The test of obedience was not a difficult one. They were not deprived of needed food, nor were they tested beyond their ability. However, their obedience would show that they appreciated that relationship with God. (1 John 5:3) Although some persons have the idea that the 'forbidden fruit' had to do with sex relations between man and woman, this was not the case. God himself had already told them to be "fruitful and become many and fill the earth." (Genesis 1:28) When God commanded them not eat the fruit pf a certain tree it merely meant that God singled out one of the many fruit trees of Eden and commanded the human pair not to eat of its fruit.

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The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life - Why We Grow Old and Die

 Every normal person desires life with good health. We see relief from pain and suffering that disease brings and we long for some way to escape from the weakening effect old age has on our bodies. It hurts us, too, when we see those afflicted by these things. Because of this, many persons ask, "Was this part of God's original purpose? When God created man, was it his purpose that man should grow old, and become deaf or blind? Did he mean for man's skin to wrinkle with age, his heart to become diseased and his other organs to break down? Really, did God make man to die?" 

No, Jehovah God did not create man for such a miserable future. The Bible tells us that Jehovah provided a lovely garden home for the first human pair. and he blessed them. Reviewing his creative work, God rightly declared it "very good." (Genesis 1:28, 31) This means that Adam and Eve were created perfect. without a defect in mind or body. (Deuteronomy 32:4; Proverbs 10:22) They had the prospect of living forever.

Interestingly, modern scientists know that the human body continually renews itself. And they say that under the right conditions, it is capable of living forever. A Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Linus Pauling, explained that man's body tissues replace themselves and theoretically, should continue to do so forever. Biochemist William Beck also observed: "I see no reason why death in the nature of things, need be inevitable." Yet, in spite of being so made, men continue to grow old and die. Why? God's Word the Bible gives us the satisfying answer. 

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