Doing God’s will, living the life, is considered to be living in God’s eyes, while living in the absence of God, living only for the things we can obtain in this life, is considered to be death to the spirit of man.

 

136. Doing God’s will, living the life, is considered to be living in God’s eyes, while the absence of God, living only for the things of this life, is considered to be death to the spirit of man:  JUDAISM: Deuteronomy: 4:4 “But ye that did cleave unto The LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.” In the writings of God’s messengers, Bahá’í, Christian, or otherwise, living the life God has out lined for us is considered being spiritually alive and healthful to the soul, while living outside of His law is considered living the life of the animal, the beast lurking inside of man, thinking only of material pleasures, and what we can get for ourselves out of this world; which is considered as being spiritually dead in the eyes of God:  CHRISTIANITY: 1 Timothy: 5:6 “But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.” Romans: 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die:” Again, we hear this right out of the writings of the bible; living for the material pleasures leads humanity to a kind of spiritual death or sickness, because if man is strictly focused on the pleasures of this world, and on the flesh, he is not thinking about God or the development of his soul; He is thinking about mortal gain and what he can get out of this physical life. He is not thinking about how to become a better more enlightened soul, he is thinking about how to acquire more material wealth and what his status is in this world. This is not the way to the development of the soul in man; it is the way to spiritual deprivation and spiritual death for the soul. Some may think this is an odd way of describing the human soul, as being dead while the man is up apparently walking about living and breathing, but the spiritual side of man, the human soul, has requirement as well as the human body does, and when these spiritual requirements are not being met you have an unhealthy soul sick unto death that is in dire need of spiritual substance and healing; which can only come from God and our living within the bounds He has out lined for us. Otherwise our spiritual nature is sickly and we are like one of the walking dead Christ warns us about when he tells us to let the dead bury the dead:  CHRISTIANITY: Luke: 9:60 “Jesus said unto him, Let the dead bury their dead:” BAHA’I FAITH: “During the time of thy visit here the meanings of the words of Christ ‘Let the dead bury their dead,’ was explained to thee. Those souls who are not vivified and attracted by the Holy Spirit, are accounted among the dead, because their souls are deprived of the breath of the Holy Spirit, and these persons after physical death are in a certain condition, having feeling and discernment in their environment, but in comparison with the pure souls who have been vivified by the Holy Spirit, they are as dead and deprived.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Tablets of Abdu’l-Baha v3, p. 670)

Conversely, if living for the material world leads to spiritual death, then focusing your attention on the writings of God, following His teachings and doing the things the writings tell you to do is the way that leads to spiritual life and health for the soul. This is, of course, inferred in the bible and some of the other religions, but, in a later time, it is explained in the Bahá’í Writings: BAHA’I FAITH: “The rewards of this life are the virtues and perfections which adorn the reality of man. For example, he was dark and becomes luminous, he was ignorant and becomes wise, he was neglectful and becomes vigilant, he was asleep and becomes awakened, he was dead and becomes living, he was blind and becomes a seer, he was deaf and becomes a hearer, he was earthly and becomes heavenly, he was material and becomes spiritual. Through these rewards he gains spiritual birth, and becomes a new creature. He becomes the manifestation of the verse in the Gospel where it is said of the disciples that they were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God; that is to say, they were delivered from the animal characteristics and qualities which are the characteristics of human nature, and they became qualified with the divine characteristics, which are the bounty of God; this is the meaning of the second birth.”

(Abdu’l-Baha, Baha’i World Faith – Abdu’l-Baha Section, p. 323)

So therefore, to become holy and spiritually alive, we must actually live the holy life and observe and follow The Holy Laws, ordinances and teachings given to us by God‘s holy ones or we are not actually observing and acting upon His teachings: JUDAISM: Leviticus: 18:5 “Ye shall therefore keep My statutes, and My judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am The LORD.” Deuteronomy: 4:1 “Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live…..” Deuteronomy: 30:15 “See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil,” Deuteronomy: 30:16 “In that I command thee this day to love The LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that thou mayest live,” Proverbs: 11:19 “As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.” Proverbs: 19:23 “The fear of The LORD tendeth to life.” Psalms: 33:18 “Behold, the eye of The LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy;” 33:19 “To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive…..” Deuteronomy: 5:33 “Ye shall walk in all the ways which The LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live,” Isaiah: 38:16 “O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; so wilt Thou recover me, and make me to live.” Amos 5:4 “For thus saith The LORD unto the house of Israel, Seek ye Me, and ye shall live:” Amos: 5:6 “Seek The LORD, and ye shall live;” Amos: 5:14 “Seek good, and not evil, that ye may live: and so The LORD, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken.” Ezekiel: 18:21 “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all My statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” Ezekiel: 20:11 “And I gave them My statutes, and shewed them My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.” Ezekiel: 33:11 “Say unto them, As I live, saith The Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?” Deuteronomy: 6:24 “And The LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear The LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.” 6:25 “And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before The LORD our God, as He hath commanded us.”  CHRISTIANITY: John: 6:63 “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are.” Mark: 8:36 “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Mark: 8:37 “Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” John: 8:12 “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” But, John: 8:24 “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” John: 8:34 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” 8:35 “And the servant abideth not in the house.” John: 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John: 11:25 “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” 11:26 “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” Acts: 17:28 “For in Him we live, and move, and have our being;” Romans: 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.” Romans 8:13 “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” 1 Peter: 4:6 “For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.” Galatians: 5:19 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,” 5:20 “Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,” 5:21 “Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God (nor inherit spiritual life).” Matthew: 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things (your needs in this world, spiritual life) shall be added unto you.” Matthew: 7:9 “Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 7:10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent?” 7:11 “If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” 7:12 “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” So, Luke: 11:28 “Blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.” Luke: 10:27 “Thou shalt love The Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself,” 10:28 “this do, and thou shalt live.” Luke: 9:23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross (do the works, live the life, live by the teachings) daily, and follow me.” Romans: 12:9 “Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; 12:11 Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving The Lord.” 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” 12:13 “Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.” 12:15 “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” 12:16 “Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate.” 12:17 “Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.” 12:21 “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.” 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.” 13:2 “Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance (laws) of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.” 11:15 “For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?” Titus: 3:1 “Put them in mind (laws and ordinances) to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work,” 3:2 “to speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.” 3:8 “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men.” 3:14 So again, “let our’s also learn to maintain good works for necessary uses, that they be not unfruitful, (by these we live in God).” John: 14:12 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth  on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” 14:21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” 14:23 “Jesus – said, – If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” James: 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

 BABI RELIGION: “This is an epistle from the letter ‘That unto Him Who will be made manifest through the power of Truth — He Who is the All-Glorious, the Best Beloved — to affirm that all created things as well as myself bear witness for all time that there is none other God but Thee, the Omnipotent, the Self-Subsisting; that Thou art God, there is no God besides Thee and that all men shall be raised up to life through Thee.

(The Bab, Selections from the Writings of the Bab, p. 3)

 ISLAM: 24. “O ye who believe! give your response to Allah (God) and His Messenger, when He calleth you to that which will give you life;” 97. “Whoever works righteousness, man or woman, and has faith, verily, to him will We give a new life, a life that is good and pure,”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surahs 8 and 16)

 22. “Nor are alike those that are living and those that are dead. Allah can make any that He wills to hear; but thou canst not make those to hear who are (buried) in graves.” “Thou canst but admonish: such a one as follows the Message and fears The (Lord) Most Gracious, unseen: give such a one, therefore, good tidings, of Forgiveness and a Reward most generous. Verily We shall give life.”

(The Qur’an (Yusuf Ali tr), Surah  35 and 36)

 ZOROASTRIANISM: 20. “Perish away, O Druj! Perish away to the regions of the north, never more to give unto death the living world of Righteousness!”

(Zoroaster, The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Vendidad 11)

 7. Doing, “Right and Piety gave continued life.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 30)

 19. “The man himself, O Maidyoi-Maungha, Spitama hath set this before him after conceiving it in his own self. He that would see life indeed, to him will He make known what in actions by Mazda’s (God‘s) ordinance is better during (this) existence.”

(The Zend-Avesta, Avesta – Yasna 51)

 Denkard. Zoroaster, “Be it known that, every man ought to take thought regarding the giving of deliverance to (his) soul. Religious men make (their souls) more glorious by imparting the practices of the Mazdayasnian religion” unto life.

 HINDUISM: “He who thus vows his soul to the Supreme Soul, quitting sin, Passes unhindered to the endless bliss Of unity with Brahma (God). He so vowed, So blended, sees the Life-Soul resident In all things living, and all living things In that Life-Soul contained. And whoso thus Discerneth Me in all, and all in Me,” “What goeth forth from Me, Causing all life to live.”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapters 6 and 8)

 “They comprehend not, the Unheavenly, How Souls go forth from Me; nor how they come Back unto Me: nor is there Truth in these, Nor purity, nor rule of Life. ‘This world Hath not a Law, nor Order, nor a Lord,’ So say they: ‘nor hath risen up by Cause Following on Cause, in perfect purposing, But is none other than a House of Lust.’ And, this thing thinking, all those ruined ones- Of little wit, dark-minded- give themselves To evil deeds, the curses of their kind. Surrendered to desires insatiable, Full of deceitfulness, folly, and pride, In blindness cleaving to their errors, caught Into the sinful course, they trust this lie As it were true- this lie which leads to death.”

(Hindu, Bhagavad Gita (Edwin Arnold tr) chapter 16)

 BUDDHISM: 1. “Even if he does not quote appropriate texts much, if he follows the principles of the Teaching by getting rid of greed, hatred and delusion, deep of insight and with a mind free from attachment, not clinging to anything in this world or the next – that man is a partner in the Holy Life.”

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards))

 “The purpose of the Holy Life does not consist in acquiring alms, honor, or fame. That unshakable deliverance of the heart: that, verily, is the object of the Holy Life, that is its essence, that is its goal.’ ‘Though one were to live a hundred years immoral and with a mind unstilled by meditation, the life of a single day is better if one is moral and practices meditation.’ ‘He who drinks in the Truth will live happily with a peaceful mind.”’

(Buddhist, Dhammapada – Sayings of the Buddha 1 (tr. J. Richards) and The Eightfold Path.)

 “If a good disciple, man or woman, studies this Scripture and thoughtfully observes (puts into practice) even a verse of it, his merit will be very great. What words can express the merit of a disciple who, living with restraint and kindness, diligently studies and observes it! Such a disciple is attaining powers commensurate with the supreme and most wonderful Dharma. Wherever there is the hermitage of such a good disciple, it is the treasure-house of this sacred Scripture; it is a shrine of The Lord Buddha; and over it will hover uncounted Bodhisattvas of highest reverence and honor.” (Buddha, Diamond Sutra)

 SABEANISM: “And it was revealed to me and to all of them in this book, and they acted upon this reliable baser acting according to this (its) light and removing nothing from this writing of great revelation that was given to Adam the first man.” “And Thou hast spoken to us with Thy Word And hast commanded us with Thy commandment – Be My glory and I will be your Glory. Be my light and I will be your Light. And my name shall be in your mouths And I will be with you,” and thou shall live. (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapter 75)

 “Those who listen to the speech of The Life (God’s teachings) Will be greatly increased, Will be enriched and will not lack.” “Life (is) for those who know, Life (is) for those who believe.” (Sabeanism, Ginza Rba- chapters 88 and 171)

 BABI RELIGION: “The days when idle worship was deemed sufficient are ended. The time is come when naught but the purest motive, supported by deeds of stainless purity, can ascend to the throne of the Most High and be acceptable unto Him. ‘The good word riseth up unto Him, and the righteous deed will cause it to be exalted before Him.”

The Bab: (Shoghi Effendi, The Dawn-Breakers, p. 92)

“By the terms ‘life’ and ‘death,’ spoken of in the scriptures, is intended the life of faith and the death of unbelief. The generality of the people, owing to their failure to grasp the meaning of these words, rejected and despised the person of the Manifestation, deprived themselves of the light of His divine guidance, and refused to follow the example of that immortal Beauty.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Baha’u’llah, The Kitab-i-Iqan, p. 114)

“Strive therefore, with heart and soul, to follow the precepts of the Blessed Perfection (Baha’u’llah), and rest assured that if ye succeed in living the life he marks out for you, Eternal Life and everlasting joy in the Heavenly Kingdom will be yours, and celestial sustenance will be sent to strengthen you all your days.”

(Bahá’í Faith, Abdu’l-Baha, Paris Talks, p. 113)