Death and Life

Read Time: 6 Minutes

God breathed into Adam the breath of life so that He could have a people to bestow His great grace and mercy upon. He set the stars and planets in motion to show forth His Word and cradle the earth perfectly so that man could live abundantly. However, Eve was tricked by Satan and Adam followed along which introduced death into the bloodline. But God showed great grace toward man and made a way for us to be redeemed. God has the final say. These bodies may fail but God has given us holy spirit which is eternal life.

Titus 3
:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
:4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared,
:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; [that holy spirit, Christ within us]
:6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
:7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Even though Adam transgressed and disobeyed God, and we have done so as well, God still shows great grace and mercy on our lives to redeem us and bring us back into the fold. He brings us back into the family of God.

When Jesus Christ died for us he was the sacrifice that bought us back. We are no longer outside of the fold. That holy spirit in us makes us belong to the family of God. We are now part of the body of Christ and where God dwells. God could never dwell in any place made by the hands of men. He longed for the day that He could dwell within. Christ's willing sacrifice made that possible.

Ephesians 2
:13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
:15 Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace;
:16 And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity [the striving/contention] thereby:
:17 And came and preached peace to you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh.
:18 For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
:19 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
:20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;
:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
:22 In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

God also knows that our earthly bodies are temporary. We do what we can to feed and care for it but because death was introduced into the blood the flesh corrupts. But God has so lovingly taken care of His people that He has provided a way for us to wait for the return of Christ. When we die we sleep and shall be raised and live again.

I Thessalonians 4
:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
:15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent [precede, go before] them which are asleep.
:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
:18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

This is a great comfort. God has brought us into His family and He is not letting go. When Christ returns to gather us together the dead in Christ shall rise first and then those of us that remain alive shall be caught up into the clouds with him. When we lose someone that is dear to us it is a comfort to know that we shall see them again. They are not lost forever but merely sleeping and waiting for the return of Christ Jesus our lord and saviour. Our earthly bodies are temporary and the vessel to hold the gift of God, holy spirit. Ultimately we are spiritual.

I Corinthians 15
:42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
:43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
:44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
:47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
:48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
:49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
:50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

We start out in our mortal bodies, weak and corruptible but God has rescued us from eternal death. Since flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God He has made us spiritual. Some of us may die physically but we shall all live spiritually.

Yes, death stings and we grieve. But we also know that death will be swallowed up in victory.

:51  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
:53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
:56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
:57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

God has promised that we still have hope. The hope of Christ's return. After our earthly bodies pass away we can be confident that we will be raised again and this is the anchor of our soul.

Hebrews 6
:18 That by two immutable things [the promise in vs. 13 and the oath in vs. 17], in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:
:19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;

The hope of Christ's return that is set before us is our refuge, our strong comfort where we flee for refuge. It is the anchor of our soul, sure and steadfast.

Therefore, I can, with confidence and comfort, say, "See you later Mom."

 

Dedicated to Stella Y. Ryan, April 9, 1931 - March 1, 2012.