Commentary on "The Atmosphere of Praise"

TERRY MIRRA

 

Day 1: Sabbath Afternoon, May 15, 2010

 

OVERVIEW

Today's discussion is introducing us to the topic of the week, "The Atmosphere of Praise", using Gen. 2:7 as its key text:

"Then the Lord God formed the man out of the dust from the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being."

The discussion following begins with a story of a family that dies from lack of oxygen (most likely Carbon Monoxide poisoning) because a heater was on all night with no ventilation. It then goes on to discuss our need for oxygen and the importance of clean, unpolluted air on a daily basis.

 

OBSERVATIONS

I find this discussion random and disconnected. First of all, Gen. 2:7 is talking about God bringing man to life by breathing His Holy Spirit into him. It's a very loose connection between this verse and our physical need for clean air and oxygen. One is talking about man's soul/spiritual life and the other is merely physical. I doubt God was worried about air quality or oxygen content when He breathed into Adam. Furthermore, what does this have to do with an "atmosphere of praise"? Air quality is not related to our ability to praise God or affect the quality of our relationship with Him. If you follow the author's line of reasoning, then those in bad environmental situations should have more problems in their relationship with Jesus. In reality, some of the most dedicated Christ followers, being persecuted for their faith all over the world, are held in dirty, unsanitary conditions, inaccessible to sunlight and fresh air. Some of the most powerful writings in scripture are from the apostle Paul when he was in prison, shortly before his execution.

"Keep in mind Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descended from David, according to my gospel. For this I suffer, to the point of being bound like a criminal; but God's message is not bound. This is why I endure all things for the elect; so that they also may obtain salvation, which is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory." (2 Tim. 2:8-10)

There is no relationship between the two, as it's a matter of the heart, not the lungs. While everyone agrees that it's physically beneficial to have clean air, it's unrelated to one's spiritual condition. The body is temporary, the soul is eternal. While the physical body will die, regardless of the environment it's in, the soul's destiny depends on the person's acceptance of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The main point being missed here is that the "breath" the Bible refers to has nothing to do with physical air, but a God-breathed Spirit. Our spiritual condition relies on the Holy Spirit to come into our hearts; to restore it back to spiritual communion with God. Without His Holy Spirit, we are spiritually dead and unable to respond to God.

"For the mind-set of the flesh is death, but the mind-set of the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind-set of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit itself to God's law, for it is unable to do so. Those whose lives are in the flesh are unable to please God. You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him." (Rom 8:6-11, emphasis mine).

John 6:44, 65 reiterates this point:

"No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day….."He went on to say, ‘This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him.' "

Gen 2:7 wouldn't make any rational sense if we were to think that "breath" in this context=atmospheric air, for this alone couldn't make man a living being. The Hebrew word behind spirit is "ruach", and it means "air in motion"; and is the same word for "breath". It also means "life". By resemblance to "breath" and "air in motion", it means "spirit". In John 3:6-8, Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit, and He's saying it's like the wind. The Greek word behind that is "pneuma", which again means "a current of air", "breath", or a "breeze", and again by analogy, a "spirit". 2 Cor. 3:4-6 explains the Spirit's role in giving life, as everything is given to us from God:

"We have this kind of confidence toward God through Christ: not that we are competent in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our competence is from God. He has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter, but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit produces life."

While our physical breath is important, and a miracle from God, it is temporary and trumped by our need for "spiritual resuscitation", so to speak. As we saw back in Romans 8, since the fall of man, we're born physically alive, but spiritually dead—only when we ask the Lord into our life does He send the Holy Spirit to indwell us as a believer.

"Now the One who confirms us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, is God; He has also sealed us and given us the Spirit as a down payment in our hearts." (2 Cor. 1:21, 22)

"In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation—in Him when you believed—were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit. He is the down payment of our inheritance, for the redemption of the possession, to the praise of His glory." (Eph. 1:13, 14) (Note the word "praise" in this verse!)

John 3:6, 7 and John 3:36 remind us that God's wrath and condemnation is our "default" aside from accepting Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

"Whatever is born of the flesh is flesh, and whatever is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again." (John 3:6, 7)

"The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36, emphasis mine)

We have to actively ask Jesus to come into our heart and life to crossover from death to life.

"I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life." (John 5:24)

A heart for God, and an acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Savior, is what's needed for an "atmosphere of praise", not exceptional air quality. One is physical, the other is spiritual.

 

CONCLUSIONS

1. It's random to try to connect God's "breath" (into Adam at creation) with clean atmospheric air.
2. Clean air has no relationship to an "atmosphere of praise".
3. Persecuted Christians throughout history (including the apostle Paul) were often in prison or other less-than-ideal physical circumstances, limiting their access to clean atmospheric air. These factors didn't affect their ability to follow or worship Jesus. A clean atmospheric environment is not related to our relationship with Christ.
4. While a clean environment is beneficial to one's physical health, our spiritual health is a condition of the heart, not the lungs.
5. A God-breathed Spirit (the Holy Spirit) doesn't equal atmospheric air.
6. 2 Cor. 3:4-6 reiterates the Holy Spirit's life-giving role.
7. Physical breath is important and a miracle from God, but it's trumped by our need for "spiritual resuscitation".
8. As fallen sinners, God's wrath is our default; it takes the Holy Spirit to indwell us as believers to cross over from death to life. (John 5:24)
9. A heart indwelt by the Holy Spirit is what's needed for an "atmosphere of praise", not exceptional air quality. One is physical, the other is spiritual.

 

GO TO DAY 2

 

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