The three words that describe humanity are mortal, moral and morale.

Man is a mortal being, living in a body that will experience death and decay. But man is also immortal in the sense that his spiritual being will never die. Man will receive a new body that’s immortal and suited for either heaven or hell. This present body we live in will not endure the flames of hell, nor because it is flesh and blood enter heaven (1 Cor.15:50).

We will all be finally and forever changed. When we leave this temporal state and step out into eternity our immortality becomes a reality and our mortality lost. The wicked at death will awaken to a painful existence that is eternal. The saved to the eternal bliss of heaven and presence of their Lord and Savior.

As mortals we die only once. “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Heb.9:27). That means there is no such thing as reincarnation (rebirth of the soul) in which man comes back into this world after death on multiple occasions.

After death everyone must stand before God the Creator and Judge of all the earth (Gen.18:25).

Man is a moral being. Which means he has a sense of right and wrong. He has a conscience that censors his morality, which though it may not have been exposed to the highest standard found in the Word of God (KJV) is equipped to serve him based on natural law (Rom.2:14, 15).

As a moral agent, man knows the sense of guilt when he does something contrary to the values (convictions) he’s agreed upon.

There’s moral depravity which is synonymous with sin and sinfulness and is bad moral character. There’s moral perfection which is synonymous with holiness and righteousness because it’s conformity to moral obligation and is good moral character.

There are moral absolutes and they’re found in God’s Word (KJV). An absolute moral is a duty that’s binding on all persons at all times in all places.

Whatever morality or character one has when they die is the morality or character they’ll have for eternity – “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still” (Rev.22:11).

The righteous in heaven have been delivered from the power, practice and presence of sin, and will never sin again. The wicked in hell can never do righteously.

There is no halfway house or purgatory, as some call it, where the wicked can go and remain until they have a change of heart and a change of character. Our eternal destiny and character is sealed when we die.

Morale is another part of our makeup as human beings. Morale “is a moral condition with respect to zeal, spirit, hope and confidence; mental state.” Morale is optimism. The pessimist has no morale.

The Christian should express the greatest morale of anyone. If they’re walking in the will of God they will. The Christian that’s walking in the will of God has a heart full of excitement, expectancy, hope and confidence, because as a result of their obedience to God they’re experiencing His power and seeing His promises fulfilled in their daily life (Ps.144:15, 146:5).

James H. Cagle is a resident of Ray City.