The Spirit and Life 

Then the Lord said, “My Spirit will not contend with humans forever, for they are mortal; their days will be a hundred and twenty years.” (Genesis 6: 3) 

Every time somebody passed away, this Bible verse came to my mind.  Indeed, nobody seems to be able to break the age limit of a hundred and twenty years.  It wasn't like that at first.  In Genesis, it recorded that men could live over hundreds of years, even over 900 years.  Then gradually, the life span was getting shorter and shorter.  Until God said that men's days would be 120 years.  Why is that?  Could God control our life by saying so?   

The first part of the verse can also be translated as "My spirit will not remain in humans forever".  It seems that God's spirit has something to do with how long we could live.  If this is true, then it all makes sense.  When God created Adam and Eve, there was no death.  That's because Adam was created with God's breath, or His spirit.  At that time, man has the flesh, soul, and spirit.  As God said, Adam was a perfect man.  Not only that, but this perfect life could also be inherited.  That's why when God created Eve with Adam's rib, Eve could also live forever.  Because Eve has the same perfect nature as Adam. 

Death came to them only after they had sinned.  Why?  That's because now men have the knowledge of good and evil.  Men can now think and make their own decisions, just like God.  We don't need to rely on God's spirit to live.  So, we are departing from the spirit farther and farther away.  We didn't cut off with God's spirit right away.  That's why men's life span was reduced gradually, until God said that His spirit will not remain in humans forever.  This is not something done by God but because we let the spirit wither by not relying or communicating with God.  When the spirit died, it not only made us incomplete but also made us under heavy influence by our soul and flesh.  That is why some mental issues, such as depression, stress, or some physical issues, such as diabetes, obesity, cancer, etc. could easily shorten our life. 

Then, what should we do?  Just to wait for death to take its toll?  In the Bible, Jesus says: 

"I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14: 6).   

“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing.  The words I have spoken to you, they are full of the Spirit and life.” (John 6: 63).    

We don't need to wait for death.  We can resurrect our life through Jesus.  Because we can reconnect with God through the words of Jesus.  As soon as we reconnect with God, our spirit will be revived.  We will become complete again. 

It doesn't stop there.  Apostle Paul says:  

"To equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attending to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ" (Ephesians 4: 12 13).   

With the Word, we could develop the fullness of the Spirit in us just like Adam's initial condition.  Why is it so great?  Because that's how we are going to live in the heavenly New Jerusalem.  With the fullness of Spirit, we will live forever and that is called eternal life.  Emmanuel. 

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