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When Death is Cancelled, Only Life is Left!

Romans 6:8-10
Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. (NIVUK)

God's message about Jesus is, "Death is cancelled, life reigns!"  The resurrection of Jesus Christ was unique and dramatic, and all the more so because He could never die again - unlike others whose bodies had miraculously been raised to life (Mark 5:39-43; Luke 7:11-15; John 11:38-44; Matthew 27:52-53).  Christ alone has defeated death; He lives now and will remain alive forever.

Jesus had already promised that everybody who comes to Him will be raised up to eternal life on the Last Day (John 6:44).  That meant the finality of death is cancelled for everyone who believes in Him, in the same way that death was not final for Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).  As Jesus cannot die again, so every believer is promised that their new life after death will never come to an end.

The promise of the gospel is that all those who believe in Him will share in His new life (John 3:16).  Unless His return comes while we are physically alive, our bodies will die.  But the spirit of each believer will never die; they will not be condemned at the final judgement because Jesus has already been condemned and punished for our sins (1 Peter 3:18).  When we believe in Jesus, His death substitutes for our death; and we share His eternal life.  And one day we will have new bodies which will never die (1 Corinthians 15:42-44).

The ultimate human sadness is that death takes everything.  That is one reason why the gospel is so important, because it explains that death does not have to be the end and that God's offer of eternal life is to all people (2 Peter 3:9).  Faith in Jesus is the start of a new living relationship with God; a life which is infinite in its length and intimate in its depth.  If you already know Jesus as your Saviour, you are holding the secret of eternal life that everybody has been seeking.  So you not only enjoy a great privilege but also have a great responsibility - to tell others!  Faith in Christ is very personal, but it is not at all private; it is designed for everybody.  So, who will you tell today?

Prayer 
Living Lord. Thank You that Jesus Christ could not be held down by death, but in rising from the dead He proved that the principle of death was defeated. Thank You for the new life I have now in Jesus and for the assurance that I will live with You forever. Thank You for those who told me the gospel through which I believed in Jesus as my Saviour. But I am sorry that I have kept my personal faith too private, when so many have an unsatisfied hunger for eternity and do not know where to look. Please help me to lead them to Jesus, the conqueror of death and only giver of life. In His Name. Amen.
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© Dr Paul Adams