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Pathways Through Paul
Daily Devotional
September 14
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Today's Pathway:
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Yesterday we saw Paul's teaching that the risen Christ was going to establish His kingdom, conquer all His enemies, and then present the kingdom to God the Father. In verse 26 Paul mentions that the "last enemy that shall be destroyed is death" There are a few things that should be mentioned here. First of all, death is an enemy. We live in a society which has a very unbiblical view of death. Suicide and assisted suicide are considered to be viable options for those who are struggling, and even some Christians have fallen prey to this thinking. Yet these are not Biblical choices. One Baptist seminary professor gave the following reasons why:
- "God is the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of life.
This truth is clear throughout Scripture: 'In Him we live and move and have our being' (Acts 17:28); 'By Him all things consist' (Col. 1:17). Human life is incalculably valuable because it is a gift from God, because humans bear the image of God (Gen. 1:26), and because no one can restore life once it is lost. Life is a wonderful and valuable gift.
- 'Death with dignity' is a misnomer.
Contrary to the continual message from the media and right-to-die activists, death with dignity does not exist. People may consider assisted suicide as death with dignity, but a person who chooses to end his or her own life ultimately does so as a final act of rebellion against the God who created man in His image and desires to give eternal life. If death with dignity has any meaning at all, it is only in the context of a life lived with integrity and devotion to the Giver and Sustainer of life.
- Death is an enemy.
Though death is not an enemy a believer needs to fear, it is an enemy nonetheless. Paul plainly declares death to be an enemy in 1 Corinthians 15:26. If death were good, Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to defeat it would have been senseless."
Second, Jesus has already rendered death powerless against the believer. II Timothy 1:10 tells us that Jesus Christ
"hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."
The word translated "abolished" does not mean that death is annihilated, but rather that death is nullified or made of no effect as a result of Christ's death and resurrection. Because of Christ's sacrifice, physical death, though still an enemy, has lost its power over believers. Therefore the Christian does not need to fear it. Because we have believed the Gospel message, those of us who are born again understand that we have eternal life, and that we will someday rise again with immortal bodies. Hebrews 2:14-15 reads,
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
The devil has been defeated, death has been rendered ineffective, and the believer no longer needs to be afraid because he knows that "to be absent from the body", is "to be present with the Lord" (II Corinthians 5:8).
Third, death will ultimately be destroyed following the Great White Throne Judgment. Revelation 20:14 tells us that "death and hell were cast into the lake of fire". Then when we see the new Heaven and new Earth appear in Revelation 21, verse 4 of that chapter immediately states, "there shall be no more death". This is just one more amazing facet of the glory of Heaven. We have to deal with death here on earth, and if the Lord tarries His coming, we will go through that door ourselves. But on the other side, we will never face it in any way, shape, or form again. It has been defeated, and will be destroyed, by our risen Savior. Hallelujah!
Pastor Mark J Montgomery
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