PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF DEATH

The table above highlights the differences between the natural thoughts of men and the thoughts of God about death. Death is inevitable and is the greatest threat in this world. However, God has provided a solution in Christ and requires adequate understanding for men to overcome death.

For adequate understanding, let us discuss this message in three sub-headings as follows:

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·?????? What is death?

·?????? Inevitability of first death ?

·?????? How to overcome death.

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WHAT IS DEATH?

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”And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and?body?in?hell” Matthew 10:28 (KJV).

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Man is a spirit with a soul and lives in a body. Death is separation. As can be seen in Matthew 10:28, death has two phases. First death is to kill the body, separating the spirit and soul from the body. This is the only death that the generality of men know and is inevitable for all men. There is a second death which is to kill the soul, destroying both soul and body in hell fire with an eternal torment (Revelation 21:8). The second death is more severe, and men are largely ignorant of it.

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INEVITABILITY OF FIRST DEATH

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”Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all?have?sinned” Romans 5:12 (KJV).

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The first death is a sentence passed on all men for the sin of Adam which nature has corrupted all his generations even unborn. This is to fulfil God’s law that “the soul that sinneth it shall die”. For this reason, no man can avoid the first death (believer or unbeliever). Even those who will be raptured will have their earthly bodies destroyed (first death) and translated into a new uncorrupted immortal body suddenly (1 Corinthians 15:50-55). However, punishment for sin is not complete at first death. A man who chooses to reject God’s remedy for sin before his first death will have his punishment consummated at the second death (an eternal torment). Those who accept God’s remedy for sin receive amnesty to escape the second death (Revelation 2:10,11; Luke 9:23,24; John 11:25,26).

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HOW TO OVERCOME DEATH

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”For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten?Son?of?God” John 3:16-18 (KJV).

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God sent Jesus Christ to take our place to suffer the punishment for sin in our behalf so that we can hide in Him to overcome the compulsory death sentence. As Jesus Christ has showed a perfect example of the will of God, He requires us to willingly accept all the judgement of reproaches or chastisements (including the compulsory trials and sentence of death – 2 Thessalonians 1:4,5,9,10; 1 Peter 1:7; 4:1,2,12-17) by believing in Christ and completely identifying with Him in reproaches to share in His holiness (Hebrews 12:5-11; 13:12,13; Luke 9:23,24).

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”For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee?fell?on?me” Romans 15:3 (KJV). He died so that we can be counted to have died with Him by faith even while we still live (Colossians 3:1-4; Galatians 2:20). He bore our sins and all our reproaches so that by completely identifying with Him in oneness He will take our pains in exchange for us to be blessed by the reproaches. In this way all our compulsory reproaches and trials fall on Christ but we receive blessings in exchange for them so that we can even take pleasure in them at Christ’s expense (2 Corinthians 12:9,10). The greatest of reproaches and Satan’s weapons is first death (Hebrews 2:14,15). Christ has abolished death (2 Timothy 1:10); by bearing the pains in our behalf and His resurrection that proves the certainty of our promised resurrection. For this reason, the compulsory first death is made of no effect but rather a great gain to the believer (Philippians 1:21; Revelation 2:10,11) as we gladly bear it void of fear (Hebrews 12:5-11; 13:6,12-15).

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To overcome death, a sinner need to repent from sin and believe in the gospel of Christ to receive pardon and get regenerated as a child of God, with a new seed of life growing within him. Many believers stop at this first step of just getting born-again which is probation pending confirmation (John 8:30-32). The born-again believer need to proceed with a second critical step of getting sanctified to be matured in the faith to fully identify with Christ in His sufferings to be confirmed a disciple indeed (Philippians 1:29). ”FOR UNTO YOU IT IS GIVEN IN THE BEHALF OF CHRIST, NOT ONLY TO BELIEVE ON HIM, BUT ALSO TO SUFFER?FOR?HIS?SAKE” Philippians 1:29 (KJV). “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. LET US GO FORTH THEREFORE UNTO HIM WITHOUT THE CAMP, BEARING?HIS?REPROACH” Hebrews 13:12-13 (KJV). Sanctification experience is to prepare the believer to willingly and gladly bear His reproaches (Hebrews 13:12-15), to serve the compulsory death sentence to surely escape damnation in the second death (2 Thessalonians 1:4,5,9,10; Revelation 2:10,11). The born-again believer who refuses to fully identify with Christ in sanctification, has a risk of being taken away from the body of Christ (John 15:2a; Luke 13:6-9), at the expiration of his period of probation (John 8:30-32), for lack of the fruit of perfect love due to being fearful of reproaches (1 Jon 4:18), thereby refusing to serve the compulsory death sentence. A man that refuses to serve the death sentence in this life, thinking to save his life, has chosen to serve a worse sentence without remedy in the second death (Luke 9:24). ”And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. FOR WHOSOEVER WILL SAVE HIS LIFE SHALL LOSE IT: BUT WHOSOEVER WILL LOSE HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE, THE SAME SHALL SAVE IT. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or?be?cast?away” Luke 9:23-25 (KJV)? Serving the death sentence in this life means to diligently limit ourselves to what is approved of God at all cost and refuse everything that is unacceptable to Him even if it will cost our lives to do so. To know how to get sanctified instantly by faith to make it easy to willingly serve the compulsory sentence, study the message titled “SANCTIFICATION BY THE WORD OF TRUTH” at? https://www.facebook.com/share/p/G96aW26hanyUyBJG/?mibextid=oFDknk.

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May God bless these words in the heart of every reader in Jesus name. Amen.