Death: From a Curse to a Blessing
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Text - Romans 6.23; Philippians 1.2;
Text - Romans 6.23; Philippians 1.2;
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Title - Death: From Curse to Blessing
Title - Death: From Curse to Blessing
Main Subject
The New Testament is full of stories of death and dying, but there is something radically different in them...
In the O.T. physical death is feared and avoided at all cost
In the N.T. -
death is no longer feared
death is no longer feared
13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”
death is not considered loss but as gain
death is not considered loss but as gain
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
death is considered powerless
death is considered powerless
55 Where, O death, is your victory? where, O death, is your sting?”
56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law;
57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
How did the curse of death turn into a blessing to believers of Jesus Christ
God used Satan’s own work against him!
Disobedience and Obedience leads to the same end result
From slaves to sin to rulers in life
From a “dead end” to a “gateway”
Main Points
God used death to work against Satan
God used death to work against Satan
By appointing His Son to die for our sins!
9 But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.
10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the originator of their salvation through sufferings.
11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for this reason He is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters,
14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, so that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,
15 and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
Christ’s death becomes the “antidote” to the curse and power of death which the devil holds
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous person; though perhaps for the good person someone would even dare to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Christ’s death was the demonstration of God’s love for us.
Christ’s blood/death brought justification
Christ’s death brough reconciliation to us
God required “obedience unto death”
God required “obedience unto death”
God appointed death as the result of obedience
19 For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.
As Adam died because of his disobedience, so now Christ must die as a consequence of His obedience
8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death: death on a cross.
But death had different effects in Adam and in Christ -
in Adam - death, as a consequence of disobedience/sin, leads to destruction in the lake of fire
in Christ - death, as a result of obedience, leads to eternal life
Death becomes a gateway to life!
Death becomes a gateway to life!
First, death becomes a way of escape from sin
1 What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase?
2 Far from it! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?
3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?
4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.
5 For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
6 knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin;
those who are baptized are baptize into Christ’s death
death with Christ brings the believer to new life
death becomes freedom from sin!
Second, death becomes the gateway to heavenly enjoyment in Christ!
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
1 For we know that if our earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;
8 in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.
By death, we are transformed from slaves to rulers!
By death, we are transformed from slaves to rulers!
In sin, death reigned over us, but in Christ we reign in life!
17 For if by the offense of the one, death reigned through the one, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.
in Christ, we are not dominated by sin. Rather, we reign, and we have victory and power over death!
8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
9 knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him.
10 For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all time; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.
11 So you too, consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
12 Therefore sin is not to reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts,
In Christ, we can use death to experience and enjoy victory!
13 for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry.
Conclusion
Death was a tool in God’s hands
Death was a tool in God’s hands
It was God who appointed death as the consequence of sin/disobedience -
Genesis 2.17 “17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for on the day that you eat from it you will certainly die.””
But since the Fall of man, Satan has used and misused “death” to put his fear in hearts of men -
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came so that they would have life, and have it abundantly.
Only God has the power to kill/destroy both body and soul - Matthew 10.28
28 And do not be afraid of those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
God has also ordained that the Savior of the world would die
Christ’s death was ordained before the foundation of the world - Acts 2.23
23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death.
24 But God raised Him from the dead, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.
When God’s purpose has been accomplished, he will destroy death itself.
26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
God will abolish death by death!
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
SONG - Other Side of the Grave