The heart of the gospel…

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:12–21)

One OT verse describes sin this way: “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6)

Christian martyr Watchman Nee helps me understand the nature of sin. He describes humans as spirit, soul, and body. The inner spirit is what enables me to connect with God. The soul is my faculties of intellect, emotions, and will power. The body is the physical connection to the elements around me. Adam was created to communicate with God through his spirit, with the soul saying yes to what God says and his body responding in obedience.

Adam was given one command that he disobeyed. This broke the spiritual connection with God. He was left with a soul that confused or ignored what God wanted because he became spiritually dead to it. Not only would he die physically, but he would die without hope of being with the One that gave him his spirit. This broken condition is what is called sin.

The only cure for this condition is receiving new life to the spirit from the only One who can give it. However, many rely on the power of their soul to live and some do a fine job of what looks like an obedient-to-God life. They fill their minds with their ideas influenced by their peers, false teachers, etc. and train their desires to choose ‘good’ things, choices that bring them assurance they are righteous and okay with God. Yet without the life of Christ, these efforts do not awaken a dead spirit. Only Jesus can do that.

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Body facilities cannot think God's thoughts, experience His emotions, or will themselves into true spirituality and more than I can become an opera singer by positive thinking, or being at peace if my house is on fire, or be the next mayor of our city by wanting it to happen. Reading the rules informs my soul, but my soul is only able to fool myself into thinking how I think, feel, or act is what God wants. 

Confessing sin is an important step toward a renewed spirit yet that also involves listening to God. Any other voice, inside or outside might choose for self-pity or self-promotion rather than true humility. How desperately Jesus and God's Spirit is needed to get us out of sin’s trap.

Lord, even as a redeemed person, my ideas, feelings, and wants can strive for obedience rather than listen to You or even admit that inner war is trying to trip me up. Satan told Adam and Eve that if they just said no to God and yes to their desires, they would be like God, but they already were! At that, evil won — until You came, died, and defeated death for us and because You obeyed Father God rather than give in to Your perfect will. It is still a wonder and even a mystery, yet You are the way, the truth, and the only life that brings me out of sin’s bondage to live the way You intended.

 

Three kinds of death

After the death of Ahab, Moab rebelled against Israel. Now Ahaziah fell through the lattice in his upper chamber in Samaria, and lay sick; so he sent messengers, telling them, “Go, inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron, whether I shall recover from this sickness.” But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, “Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say to them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going to inquire of Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus says the Lord, You shall not come down from the bed to which you have gone up, but you shall surely die.’ ” So Elijah went. (2 Kings 1:1–4)

In the Bible, there are three kinds of death. One is the physical death, usually first thought of for this word;

By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19) 

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, (Hebrews 9:27)

As my hubby often says, we are all terminal. This thought helps us make decisions in daily life. For instance, the accumulation of useless stuff is meaningless because we cannot take it with us. Unless our stuff has meaning for the time we are here, or can be helpful for others, possessing it has no meaning. Pragmatic thinking comes from recognizing this kind of death.

This physical death is the separation of the soul from the body yet the second one is of greater significance, spiritual death. This is the separation of the soul from God. In Genesis 2:17, God tells Adam that in the day he eats of the forbidden fruit he will “surely die.” Adam does fall, but his physical death does not happen at that point. However, he is separated from God. Because of that sin, all who have not been redeemed and regenerated are alienated from God by sin. 

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:1–7)

By faith in Jesus Christ, anyone who is dead in sin passes from that death into spiritual life, a life that is no longer lived apart from God. 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

The third death mentioned is really the second one. It is eternal death or eternal separation from God after physical death. This is true for those who reject God’s gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life. They remain eternally separate from the One who loves them and died for them.

Jesus, You died for a brief time and then were raised from the dead because You didn’t want me to remain separated from You. I shake my head in amazed wonder at the sacrifice You made for me and millions more. How utterly wonderful that Christians cannot be killed! I will live forever with You. 

 

 

Faith wipes out two kinds of death

Growing older means thinking more about the end of life. For Christians, it also means thinking of dying well. Our friend Duncan did that. He knew his illness was terminal, but he did not fear death. Instead, he greatly anticipated being with Jesus.

Not every person dies as Duncan did, excited to go into God’s presence. Some fear it. some fight it. Many prayer requests are for healing, particularly that older people stay well. Yet how will God take us home?

My husband often reminds people that we are all terminal. Some do not want to hear that, yet we must agree that life has an ending point. For those who know Jesus, it should bring the warm excitement of finally seeing His face, of being with those who have faith and are already there. Too many of us fear death, even though this fear is what Jesus came to destroy. He died, yet He rose from the dead to conquer both death and the fear of it.

The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:26)

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)

This victory is grounded in the wonder of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, yet that fear of death was also erased in OT saints.

By faith Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. By faith Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, bowing in worship over the head of his staff. By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones. (Hebrews 11:20–22)

One clue to this lack of fear is knowing that the Bible has two ways of speaking about death. The one that most of us understand is death of our bodies and our lives here. The other is spiritual death — being separated from God because of sin. The NT speaks of this death often, yet it seems that many people are more worried about physical death than having their sin putting a wall between them and the One who defeated death. God wants us to die well, but also to live well in the knowledge that we know Him and walk with Him. Eternal life does not begin when these bodies die — it begins when Jesus comes into our lives.

Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” (John 8:51)

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

MacArthur speaks of dying well in the sense of finishing our lives by honoring the Lord, and in hope and joy leaving a witness to the truth of His Word and His excellent ways. However, living that way is also putting an end to death — that other kind of death, that separation from God. the Lord is honored when we die victoriously, but He is also honored when we die to self and sin and live victoriously. He may mean both kinds of dying when He says: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15)

Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are examples of facing death with great faith and confidence. Each “died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” (Hebrews 11:13) They were not perfect nor was their faith yet each ended his life triumphantly.

PRAY: Those who didn’t see all Your promises fulfilled could still die well. With You in my life, death to sin and self is a reality. This assures me that I can face physical death with the same attitude — wanting it to happen rather than clinging to that which is fading away. I’m so thankful for Your marvelous grace, which triumphs over sin and death and assures me of eternal life, here and forever with You.

PONDER: Note the clear-headed and gracious thoughts for family in the final words of Jacob and Joseph in Genesis 48:1–49:33 and 50:22–26.