Topical Bible: Natural Life: Limited

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The concept of natural life being limited is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing the transient and finite nature of human existence on earth. This understanding is rooted in the biblical narrative of creation, fall, and redemption, which underscores the temporal nature of life due to sin and the hope of eternal life through Christ.

Creation and the Fall

In the beginning, God created humanity with the intention of eternal fellowship with Him. However, the entrance of sin through Adam and Eve's disobedience brought about the curse of death, marking the limitation of natural life. Genesis 3:19 states, "By the sweat of your brow you will eat your bread, until you return to the ground, because out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." This passage highlights the inevitability of physical death as a consequence of sin.

The Brevity of Life

The Scriptures frequently remind believers of the brevity and uncertainty of life. Psalm 90:10 reflects on the limited span of human life: "The length of our days is seventy years—or eighty if we are strong—yet their pride is but labor and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away." This verse, attributed to Moses, serves as a meditation on the fleeting nature of human existence and the importance of seeking wisdom from God.

James 4:14 further emphasizes this point: "You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes." The apostle James uses the metaphor of a mist to illustrate the ephemeral quality of life, urging believers to live with an awareness of their mortality.

The Purpose of Life

Despite its limitations, natural life is imbued with purpose and meaning. Ecclesiastes 12:13 concludes with the exhortation: "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind." The Preacher in Ecclesiastes acknowledges the vanity of earthly pursuits but affirms the significance of living in reverence to God.

The apostle Paul also speaks to the purpose of life in Philippians 1:21 , declaring, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." For Paul, the limited nature of natural life is an opportunity to serve Christ, with the assurance of eternal life beyond physical death.

Hope of Eternal Life

While natural life is limited, the Bible offers the hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ. John 3:16 proclaims, "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This promise of eternal life stands in contrast to the temporal nature of earthly existence, providing believers with the assurance of a future beyond the grave.

In 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 , Paul writes of the ultimate victory over death: "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.' 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?'" This passage celebrates the resurrection of Christ as the guarantee of eternal life for all who believe.

Conclusion

The Bible presents natural life as inherently limited, a reality that calls for a life lived in obedience to God and in anticipation of the eternal life promised through Jesus Christ. This understanding shapes the Christian worldview, encouraging believers to live with purpose and hope amidst the temporal nature of earthly existence.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 7:1
Is there not an appointed time to man on earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Job 14:5
Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with you, you have appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Schleiermacher -- Christ's Resurrection an Image of Our New Life
... I do not mean that this life is limited to the few ... Christ we do not apprehend it
as a natural and necessary ... during those forty days He led a life apparently so ...
/.../the worlds great sermons volume 3/schleiermacher christs resurrection an.htm

Christ's Resurrection an Image of Our New Life.
... I do not mean that this life is limited to the few ... Christ we do not apprehend it
as a natural and necessary ... during those forty days He led a life apparently so ...
/.../selected sermons of schleiermacher/xv christs resurrection an image.htm

Mortification
... of touch and hearing, his correspondences are still further limited; he is ... for the
spiritual life to reverse continuously the processes of the natural life. ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/mortification.htm

How Difficult it is to Demonstrate the Trinity by Natural Reason.
... It is to Demonstrate the Trinity by Natural Reason ... first reduce these numerous
predicates to some limited number ... For that which is called life in God, is itself ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 5 how difficult it is.htm

Eternal Life.
... contribution to the content of Religion, its analogies are not limited to a ... When
Science can define the Natural Life and the Physical Force we may hope for ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/eternal life.htm

part ii.
... of when we pass into the domain of life, so Biogenesis ... If, on the other hand, the
Natural Laws of the future ... our knowledge of higher Law must be limited by our ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/part ii.htm

Semi-Parasitism.
... other crabs, who lead a free and roving life, its independence generally is greatly
limited. ... The natural life, not less than the eternal, is the gift of God. ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/semi-parasitism.htm

Christ and Nicodemus.
... any more than we do those of the natural birth, but ... to receive him, will not perish
but have everlasting life. God's love is not limited;""he loved the world ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/christ and nicodemus.htm

The Life, Education, and Training of Julian, and his Accession to ...
... where it wished, since it was limited by the ... frequented the schools, where his fine
natural abilities and ... adopted externally the monkish mode of life, while he ...
/.../the ecclesiastical history of sozomenus/chapter ii the life education and.htm

Biogenesis
... of the origin of the Spiritual Life, that they have ... difficulty in meeting the challenge
of Natural Religions. ... of Nature, using Nature in its limited sense, was ...
/.../drummond/natural law in the spiritual world/biogenesis.htm