Eternal Life and Death
Eternal life. It is a term denoting participation in the eternal divine being; endless existence, life as endless duration; Concept that expresses religion. and religious and philosophical ideas about the highest objective of the human being, about his final paths, about the posthumous existence. In Christianity, ... there is life in the kingdom of heaven, the spiritual and bodily participation of the human person in the divine being.
The concept of death first appeared in paradise from the mouth of God Himself, who said to our first parents, "You will die if you prove it" (Genesis 2:17).
The soul of God is assigned to go through three states that make up its eternal life: in the womb, on earth and beyond the grave. We do not prepare for our first birth on earth and do not remember anything about our first condition; Let us prepare now for the second birth, in the future and eternal life. So mysteriously and incomprehensibly for the mind, the union of the soul with the body takes place in the womb, just as mysteriously the separation of the soul from the body occurs again.
God commands you to be prepared for the death of each person for every hour. As humanity's common destiny, as punishment for sins, as punishment, and therefore, death is terrible for both the just and the sinner.
The Lord speaks of the moment of separation of the soul from the body as "the taste of death" (Matthew 16.28; Mc.9, 1; Lk. 9,27), indicating by these particular experiences and unknown to us at this time. Therefore, death is a great and terrible mystery.
Death is inevitable for everyone. "Men must die someday" (Heb. 9:27).
Death comes to a person when he has reached the limit of life, which is predetermined for him by the just judgment of God for the fulfillment of the work destined for him; the limit at which everything useful for a person is provided; therefore, death is good for man.
The Word of God testifies that the God of death did not create, but created man for incorruptibility, but "death came into the world with the envy of the devil" and, therefore, sin.
Blissful eternal life is the purpose of man, and sin is an unnatural phenomenon; death is a consequence of sin and is not natural to human nature; Man is created by the immortal body and soul.
If Eve had not entered into an alliance with the devil, had not been seduced by his seduction, had not withdrawn from communion with God, then there would have been no sin. Self-will, disobedience was the cause of death of the soul. The interrupted communion of the soul with God is equivalent to death for her.
In eternal life, man unites himself with God, acquires the fullness of the knowledge of God and the communion attainable for him. Eternal life is a type of created eternity in which a person joins divine eternity.
In eternal life, God shares his uncreated perfections, gives man participation in his being. Eternal life is the greatest good for man. The purpose of the coming into the world of the Son of God, as well as the entire economy of our salvation, was that "all who believe in Him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:15).
The gift of eternal life is perceived by the man who is already here on earth, through active faith in the Son of God and the ordinances of the Church, by keeping the commandments of the Gospel and selflessly following Christ.
The full communion of eternal life will be possible after the resurrection of the bodies, when God will renew all creation, will make it incorrupt and eternal (Rev. 21: 5).