“Death is a part of life… Just accept it..." Really… just accept it? No! I refuse to accept such a painful, grief-producing thing like death. Why do we die? Death wrecks, separates and destroys! It is an enemy that strikes fear into the heart of every member of the human race. Listen to me… death is our enemy, not some neutral thing that is to be tolerated. Yes! That is what the Bible calls it! An enemy!

The question remains… If sin is to be hated as one of the worst enemies mankind has, how might we defeat and kill death before death kills us? The answer is Jesus Christ. This is why Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God came into the world! We read in the Bible: “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive … (I Corinthians 15:22)”.and just a few words away from these we read: “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death (I Corinthians 15:25-26)."

Adam is our first father spoken of in the first book of the Bible called Genesis. It was through His sin that DEATH came in to the world! That means death was not a part of God’s original creation. It snuck into the world which God made good! A world without sin and therefore a world without death! Sin is doing what God forbids and not doing what He commands. Sin is not a joke but rather “cosmic rebellion.” It is not your friend, something funny or a light thing as TV often portrays it. SIN AGAINST GOD IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF DEATH AND ALL SUFFERING! Sin and death have wrecked, separated and destroyed every generation since Adam’s. I hate sin and death. These things are from the devil and not from God! God is good; not sinful, God is life; not death!

The Bible does not simply tell us about the beginning of these vile-man-hating things called Satan, sin and death it also tells us what God did to destroy them all! He sent His only-begotten Son Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sin that we might live! God is just. Therefore, He punished sin in Jesus as a substitute for all who believe in Him! When you believe in Jesus Christ, because He dies as your substitute, you will not have to! But how did Jesus die on the cross? He died physically and spiritually. Men killed and tortured Jesus, but God the Father killed Jesus too! Jesus suffered the ultimate penalty for our sin on the cross which is hell. Why? For His sin? No, for ours!

So what… you ask, what does all of this really mean for me? It means that if you believe in and entrust yourself to Jesus as your Savior, He dies the death you should have died and gives you the perfect sinless life you are unable to live! The result? You will be saved from man’s worst enemies… sin and death! Practically speaking, those who die, believing in Christ, go to be with Him very much alive in Spirit. Believers know death is a door through which we leave this world, for a season, to be with Christ (Philippians 1:23). When Jesus Christ returns their dead bodies are going to be resurrected just like His, and they will never die again! At that point this thing I hate called death will be destroyed and not one person who believes in Jesus will ever die any form of death again! Yes, and every tear will be wiped away!

So what should you do in response to this great news? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved from sin and death! Go to Him in your soul ask Him to wash away the filth of your sin and all its consequences! Death comes from sin! Be confident that if Christ has died for your sins, defeated your sins and saved you from your sins He also has saved you from every evil, hateful thing sin brings, including DEATH! Believe in Jesus, Love Jesus and refuse to accept death as a fact of your future! I hate sin and death! So should you!

Questions? Please visit Amazing Grace Church of Catskill, NY 5073 route 32 or call Pastor Adam Davies at 518 678-3133.