Read Genesis 3:4. What are the many different ways this lie has been repeated through the ages?
One powerful manifestation of this lie is seen in the common belief in the immortality of the soul. This notion was the basis of many ancient religions and philosophies. In ancient Egypt, it motivated the mummification practices and the funerary architecture, such as seen in the pyramids.
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This theory also became one of the main pillars of Greek philosophy. For example, in The Republic of Plato, Socrates asks Glaucon: “Are you not aware that our soul is immortal and never perishes?” In Plato’s Phaedo, Socrates argued in a similar tone, saying that the “soul is immortal and imperishable, and our souls really will exist in Hades.” These philosophical concepts would shape much of the western culture and even post-Apostolic Christianity. But they originated much earlier, already in the Garden of Eden, with Satan himself.
At the core of the Edenic temptation, Satan assured Eve, “You certainly will not die!” (Genesis 3:4, NASB). With this emphatic assertion, Satan put his own word above the Word of God.
In contrast to immortality of the soul, what do these verses teach, and how can they be used to counter this lie? (Psalm 115:17; John 5:28-29; Psalm 146:4; Matthew 10:28; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58).
The satanic theory of the natural immortality of the soul has persisted, even in our modern world. Books, movies, and TV programs have all continued to promote the idea that, when we die, we simply pass into another conscious state. How unfortunate it is that this error is proclaimed in many Christian pulpits, as well. Even science has gotten involved. There is a foundation in the United States trying to create technology that, it claims, will enable us to contact the dead, whom they believe are still alive but exist as PMPs, “postmaterial persons.” With this error so prevalent, it’s no surprise that this deception will play a crucial role in the final events of human history.
| In what ways is this lie manifested in your own culture? Why must we rely on the Word of God over what our senses tell us? |
(5)The post Tuesday: “You Will Not Die” first appeared on Sabbath School Net.
The post Tuesday: “You Will Not Die” appeared first on Sabbath School Net.
