How is life defined, based on world view? The Red Pyramid world assumes that the only reality is physical and accidental. Therefore, life is reduced to the ability of our body to please itself – which is why modern “life” is also primarily about instant gratification of every kind of appetite, especially sexual. A person “living” in this world is like a person drowning, frantic to get up and out of the threat of sinking down into death. Accumulating material things seems like it would lift one higher above the threat of death while also increasing the amount of happiness drawn from those things. But everyone in this world sinks down just the same, sooner or later. And that sense of impending doom is like a heavy, dark cloud bearing down on the person who is already terrified of drowning … so what becomes of happiness here?
In Green V world, “life” has to do with positive relationships. A person’s physical being is called “living” only to the extent that it is in positive relationship with nature (including its own health) and with other people. In this world view, the eternal soul is the essence of the person, which means it can be happy all the time because it recognizes the value of all relationships, whether pleasing or challenging (notice these terms replace “good” and “bad”).
Thus, Jesus said that whoever is honest about dependence on Him will never die. Thus, God makes all things work together for good for those whose souls are regenerated from above, from the Word. And these souls live always and forever. Now we can make sense of Jesus’ command to love our enemies since we have a physical nature to use in the service of and for the benefit of all, especially those who consider themselves most opposed to us. Jesus is life itself; we see Him living in the gospel history, and we experience His life as He continually wakes us up to realize the truth.