Life After Death: Salvation - Essay Example

LIFE AFTER DEATH R.Preeti 10/12/2007 Life After Death is a very spiritual concept, thathighlights the notion that life on Earth is a transient phase that is just a part of the gift of 'life' bestowed upon one and all, by the Lord. This notion puts forth the concept that life extends beyond this transitory phase and goes on to become a permanent one outside the materialistic world we live in. When the spirit is trapped in the physical body, it is considered a materialistic phase and after the death of the body, the spirit attains freedom and goes on to lead a permanent life. The Christian faith puts forth this ideology of life after death, as a means to attaining salvation. According to Baptism, man shall be redeemed from all his sins and wrongdoings once he received Baptism. This is the way his spirit shall be resurrected from its sinful self, through belief and faith in the Almighty, just as Jesus Christ received resurrection for man's sins. BAPTISM OF JESUS CHRIST The religion of Christianity advocates three kinds of Baptism---The Baptism of John, the Baptism of Jesus Christ and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. Among these, the Baptism of Jesus Christ is based on a mortal's belief in Christ, his repentance and yearning for forgiveness and his consequent Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ, our Saviour. There are few requisites laid down to qualify or attain Baptism spiritually and wholly. Some of them are enlisted here: 1) Be called forward to Christ by God and desire to know 2) Hear the Word of God 3 Be repentant of your sins 4) Believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he died for your sins, and was resurrected, with all your heart 5) Confess you know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God 6) Be baptized by water (signifying your death) in the name of Jesus Christ 7) Come out of the water (signifying your resurrection) in the name of Jesus Christ 8) Receive the gift of the baptism of the Holy Ghost (Holy Spirit) {Website: http://www.guidedbiblestudies.com/001wbap2.htm} In order to be free form sins and wrongdoings and to lead a permanent life among the lambs around the Lord, one must 'hear' that belief in Christ is necessary. Here, 'hearing' translates into understanding, perceiving and comprehension of this truth, wholeheartedly. Baptism translates into meaning that the mortal body, dies in the process and is resurrected to eternal spiritual life with the Lord in His Kingdom. This is akin to the manner in which Jesus Christ gave up His life to redeem man of his sins. Sheer belief and the urge to surrender and repent are the key essentials for a profound Baptism. Personally, the very belief in the Lord and His love for me as his child, is very reassuring and comforting. This also acts as a guiding voice in troubles and tribulations, trauma and pain, and helps one cross the bridge without flinching for a moment, since the knowledge that the Lord is with you is all powering and humbling at the same moment. This way, it also helps one lead a morally sound life on Earth and depart from one's mortal body as a soul worthy of leading permanent life with the Lord. As a allegorical reference, the Hindu religion of the Eastern world is one of the most spiritual faiths and it advocates life after death, but in different light. The spiritual faith says that one's soul is subject to re-birth till one is enlightened spiritually of God's ways. After this, the soul or the 'aatma' gets into union with the higher spirit or the 'Paramaatma'. Coming back to Baptism of Jesus Christ, there are two issues that have been put forth: 1) Does one have to believe in the Deity of Christ and His work on the cross to have eternal life Baptism of the Christ does strongly advocate that one must believe in Jesus Christ and his death and consequent resurrection as a mode of redeeming mankind of sins. This is because, it is based on this that Baptism by holy water is performed, when one is redeemed of one's sins and is 'mortally dead' and is lead on to a resurrected spiritual life from there on, as was the case with Lord God Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ says, "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Baptism is the mode of laying to death one's mortal life and resurrecting one's spiritual and permanent life, abandoning the transitory one. Therefore, it is imperative to believe in, perceive, comprehend and wholly understand, revere Jesus Christ, our Saviour's sacrifice on the Holy Cross, to be able to redeem one's sins and lead a spiritual permanent life. 2) What is the role of good works and sinning (i.e. 'does one have to be a good' person) to enter heaven or a blissful life after death According to Baptism, one's sins are washed away and one is redeemed through Baptism, since one's mortal body is considered dead and one's spirit rises to live an eternal life with the Lord. In this, one's virtues and good deeds are indeed important to leading one to a blissful life in Heaven. When one sins once and attains Baptism, one is forbidden from sinning again. However, sinning again makes one impure and re-Baptism is not what is advocated, since one's mortal body can die just once. It is said that through Baptism, all souls are resurrected, save only those that are meant for the perdition. Perditions translates into meaning Hell, where are sinners who have performed higher levels of sin like murder are sent. Thus, one's good deeds certainly makes one capable of attaining permanent life with the Lord in Heaven, without being condemned to Hell. Adam and Eve were condemned for a single sin and their past obedience had been washed away, since they were the first Man and Woman on this mortal world. They were rested with the sole responsibility of leading virtuous lives under the command of the Lord. However, they surrendered to Temptation and made way for sin to engulf this world; not only in their mortal lives but for all their future progeny. Till today this evil is evident. It is for this sin that they were condemned. Thus, Life After Death refers to the mere 'death' of one's spiritual body and the eternal 'life' of one's spirit with the Lord. Mortal living is important to learn and understand the will of the Lord and to pave way for an enlightened and fruitful spiritual life with the Lord. REFERENCES Website: http://www.guidedbiblestudies.com/001wbap2.htm Website: http://www.mormonbeliefs.com/life_after_death.htm#Life%20after%20Death Read More