“The LORD God commanded the human, saying, From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die…” (Genesis 2:16-17)
Here is a quote from an article by a Christian bible teacher…"Sin brings spiritual death".
Do you see the problem? There is absolutely nothing in the Scripture about “spiritual" death. The bible says the consequences for Adam’s sin and every other sin ever committed is death, not "spiritual" death, and even a child knows what death is. When we die, we are dead, resting in peace, until miraculously resurrected!
"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground--because out of it were you taken. For dust you are, and to dust you shall return." (Genesis 3:19)
"All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again." (Ecclesiastes 3:20)
"...the dust returns to the ground from which it came, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." (Ecclesiastes 12:7)
When a person dies the “spirit” that powers the body returns to God. The Bible says a "living soul" is the result of God joining the body He makes for us with the spirit (power) He provides…
“And the LORD God formed a human of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the human became a living soul.” (Genesis 2:7)
An example would be what we do every day when we turn on a light. The electrical power (spirit) is joined to the light bulb (body) and light appears (soul). When the switch is turned off the power flows out of the bulb to its source and the light goes out and is no longer seen UNTIL the power (spirit) returns.
Our expectation (hope) is to be saved out of death when Jesus returns to wake us from death with a shout and return the “spirit” into the NEW "spiritual body” that God provides. Only then will our “soul” spring forth into abundant immortal spiritual life - and what a life it will be!
"So
"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)
"For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
"Now the Lord is the spirit; yet where the spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. Now we all with uncovered face, mirroring the glory of the Lord, will be transformed into the same image, from glory to glory, even as from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
"...our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself, will transform our lowly bodies to be like His glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21)
Thank you Lord, it doesn't get any better than that - it is the gospel (good news) of God that I dwell on during this Thanksgiving Holiday Season!