Scripture: 1 John 1 v 1 - 3: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)
3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ."
Romans 6 v 21 - 23: "What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.
22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
In this world system, on this planet, we need to understand God's meaning of life and death so that we can have His life here and in the hereafter. To seek death is to seek eternity without God.
Jesus said that He is the way, the truth and the life. Meaning that He is the way to the Father and we need to have His life and His truth to find our way there. The way is blocked by lies, corruption, and all sin. The way of death blinds people to truth about Jesus. On purpose.
Isaiah prophesied: let the eyes of this people be blinded and their ears stopped lest they hear and receive salvation. Why is God saying this through His prophet? He is ensuring that sin never enters Heaven again. Sin was found in Lucifer the Archangel when he challenged Almighty God for the right to rule the Universe.
It was the sin of pride. The sin God mightily resists to this day and forever. We must be humble to receive help from Him. If we brag, boast, lord it over others, gloat at other's misfortunes, dominate people and act superior, then God will resist our prayers until we get the message. Be humble. Lift up the lowly. Bless the meek.
Pride never admits it is wrong, never apologises, never backs down. Therefore trying to get proud people to truly repent is futile until they admit that pride and truly crush it. Don't try to bury it under the carpet to make it easy for the proud to be saved. It just becomes a stumbling block until they submit.
Death is the fruit of sin and the highest attainment in Satan's realm commonly known as Hell. If we do not conquer sin in our lives we are in danger of eternal fire. It has become unpopular to preach on sin and its consequences, and tends to diminish the size of the congregation, who look for a more compromising church to fool themselves that attending church is the passport to Heaven.
Revelation 21 v 22 - 27: "And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.
23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
24 And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it.
25 And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there.
26 And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it.
27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."
Any sin, any corruption, any sexual immorality, any lie will prevent people from entering Heaven. Do not gossip or slander people. Do not be involved in occult, cults or witchcraft. Do not be deceived. Do not choose death over life. Keep your name securely written in the Lamb's Book of Life.
There was zero compromise when Jesus took upon Himself the sin of every person who ever lived, past, present and future. He died a horrible death for us. He died so that we could have the breath of life. The first breath of life was when God breathed His breath into a clay statue in the Garden of Eden, which became a living soul called Adam.
Every human that has lived on Earth has been given that same God-breathed life. After His resurrection, Jesus breathed on His disciples......John 20 v 21 - 23: "Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.
22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Ghost:
23 Whose soever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whose soever sins ye retain, they are retained."
Jesus breathed the Holy Ghost into them but this must not be confused with the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, which came upon them ten days after He ascended into Heaven. The first gave them His power to forgive, or withhold forgiveness, of sin. They would only withhold forgiveness if the person seeking it was insincere or mocking. Similar to an Earthly judge handing down a harsher sentence for one who shows no remorse for his evil deeds.
The Baptism of the Holy Ghost gives power to witness about Jesus, plus nine wonderful gifts, including prophecy, tongues, Faith, miracles, healings, and discerning of spirits of good and evil. The church needs these gifts to withstand the onslaught of Satan who is relentless against the whole church and each individual member.
1 Corinthians 15 v 24 - 26: "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.
25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."
There was no death in Eden, it is only when Adam and his family were cast out into the hostile world that they were subject to death. One of their sons killed the other in a fit of jealous rage, crushing his skull with a rock. Adam had submitted to Satan and that sin brought him the wages of death.
The death genie has been out of the bottle ever since then, with Satan finding more creative ways to dish it out. If Adam had remained with God then eternal life would have continued and we would all have been free of death, sickness, destruction and corruption forever. We would have been untouched by sin.
John 10 v 10: "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."
The thief is Satan and his nature is to steal, kill and destroy. As the Antichrist rises so the world becomes more and more lawless. Killing and destruction are evident on every continent.
Jesus still has to destroy death, but He is going to do it and then we will be alive forevermore. Jesus is the life. When we belong to Him by our own will, His nature is rebuilt within us. We follow the Bible to learn about His pure nature and allow the Holy Spirit to change us into His likeness.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, You gave us free will to choose to follow Jesus or stay under Satan's power. With You its everlasting life, with him it is eternal torment in unquenchable fire. The choice should be easy, yet many deny Jesus and persecute Christians. Lord help us who have chosen You, to help those who do not know You, to make the right choice. In Jesus' name. Amen.