Chains of Death
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1 Corinthians 15:56 (NIV)
56 The sting of death is sin...
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—
and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
These passages are connected…and in just a bit you will see how…
…and why this is so important in our lives as disciples…our task to make disciples.
The Bible has much to say about death. It tells us how death originated and how and why it is passed on.
..and why this is not something to “not” be talked about.
…in fact…this might just be a foundational topic to talk about when thinking about your own growth as a follower of Jesus…or when you’re discussing things with someone you might be trying to help.
Paradise
The Bible says that the heavens and earth were a direct result of the supernatural creation by Almighty God. The crown of God's creation was humanity - man and woman. God created them in His image and placed them in a perfect environment, and gave them dominion over said environment (no sin). The Bible says concerning the creation,
Genesis 1:31 (NIV)
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
This was a world with no pain, no sickness, and no death. God's world was perfect.
Warning
There was only one thing humanity was not allowed to do - to eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
The Lord put restrictions upon Adam and Eve, which required obedience to His will (what was that will? a VERY good world). God made it clear that disobedience would result in the death. They would live as long as they remained obedient (without sin).
Be As God
God allowed humanity to choose …free will. The Bible says the tempter, Satan, appeared in the form of a serpent and told them they could be like God if they only would eat from the forbidden tree.
Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Humanity has what at this point?
Life…eternal
Glory (God’s / Their own given by Him)
They have authority over the planet/creatures, which is under God’s authority. Another way to say it is humanity has dominion … God gave it to them.
But right here, humanity moves from all of this to subjection rather than dominion, sinfulness rather than righteousness, and servants of someone/something else rather than free beings under the love of God.
They’ve truly become chained.
Instead of their identity given, they now will fight for their own. Instead of purpose given, they will try to create their own. Instead of God’s glory in them, they will try to find it on their own...
…and all of this striving will be impossible because of one thing. Death.
They will soon, because of their sin…be in chained to death. They will live in fear of death.
We are in a world that lives in fear to death.
The result was judgment pronounced by God.
On Womanhood
The judgment on the woman concerned the birth process as well as her submissive role to her husband.
To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
On Manhood
The judgment on the male concerned work.
To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.
It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”
Death Is The Result
Not only were the couple banished from paradise, but physical death was now the result. The sinned, death came.
Death was now passed on to everyone. The Apostle Paul says.
1 Corinthians 15:21–22 (NIV)
For since death came through a man...
For as in Adam all die...
Adam and Eve had the perfect world…then death came…and it stayed.
We’re not like Adam and Eve here…we are born into a world of death…and as Paul wrote…now the sting of death is sin…
All Judged
In addition, all people are to be judged. The writer to the Hebrews declared.
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
Spread Of Death
Romans 5:12
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
The final result will be death - the separation from God.
For the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23).
Death is here, it holds us, and we continue to earn it.
First And Last Effect
But what did Paul say:
1 Corinthians 15:56 (CSB)
The sting of death is sin...
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Normal And Abnormal
Depending upon the perspective, death is both normal and abnormal. Death is normal in the sense that it is the way life ends for humans. Humans who are made from dust, return to dust. The exceptions are when someone dies violently, prematurely, or without an heir. In these cases death is not the normal end.
Abnormal
There is also the abnormal sense of death. From the account in Genesis, we discover that death is something that is abnormal -
it was never God's original intention or design.
Death came as a result of the choice of the first human pair to commit sin. Humans were created to live, not to die.
The Lord God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”
Who did Adam and Eve hand authority and dominion over to? The one who deceived them. And now he (Satan) hold death over their head…over our head...
At funerals, I often open by saying…that death doesn’t seem right in our world, does it. It’s not just that we have grief…which seems like it is a stranger in this life…it’s that death doesn’t fit in what we know should be right. We were not created to die; we were created to live.
It would seem that we all live now in the fear of death, don’t we?
Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Meaning…know that we are mere mortal and sinful humans…that in no way, can plan or decide, or power our way out of this death world. A heart of wisdom leads to a heart for the only one that can give us a new heart…our creator. He’s the only one who can restore us completely. And in dying to ourselves…we gain new life.
How did Jesus put it in what we call the Lord’s prayer? Your will be done…not mine…yours…because that’s what is best.
Dying to the fear of death.
Can you imagine a person, their whole life, trying to avoid any risk, but in doing so, they try to control everything to make their own way, to be successful in their own way… to beat death and the control it has over us essentially.
This type of person would have to live in constant stress and fear.
Look at our world right now:
We see the death and destruction of what this world can bring (weather) - Carolinas
We see the struggle of control and the battle for votes when we look at the world of politics these days don’t we? Josh Youtube example.
In culture…the dream now is to post something that get’s lots of “likes” or “views” or “comments.” We hope we gain viral attention…because that’s what helps us feel good.
We’re fighting this idea that we’re not good enough…that this amount of savings or this job or this education or this car or house or yard…or these clothes or this type of reputation will help us feel better…
remember, we were given identity from God. And in this world of death we often choose to strive for our own.
We hope that we’re on the right team…the winning team.
Our culture idolizes youth and beauty (worldly) and money and fame.
Ton’s of dollars are spent on products and clothing and makeup and health programs so that we can look better, be better, be healthier....which might not be bad things in themselves, but when we think that these will help us beat death
…and the idea that we are not going to save ourselves…we won’t ever have the glory we were meant to have… …anxiety can go from striving to fretting all the time....anxiety or depression...
Well…we then leave the ideas and plans and the will of God for our own will. Fear of death rules our lives doesn’t it?
We live with a fear of scarcity…of limits…or assumed scarcity and limits...
We have anxiety over life, don’t we?
Now …where do we go from here?
I think if we can identify enemies…its easier to see truth.
Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—
and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Free those who all their lives....were held in slavery…by their fear of death.
Does the idea of being born again look different now?
Born…not in this world of sin…but born of God…into His Kingdom.
No more fear…no more anxiety…no more striving…no more worry...
Do you think this is what the world needs? On this side of course…in this world of death…chains being broken....Like Jesus has the ultimate pair of bolt cutters…and he’s just going around cutting chains.
Living in this world of death…really leads us to all types of sin…
Jesus said…I’ll come forgive your sin…and in time…I’m taking care of the last enemy as well…death itself.
Challenge this week…watch for how people around you talk and behave…what they’re going after…how they strive …exhaustingly so… to “make it”....I think in doing that you’ll also see these things in yourself too…it will just happen…put humility first so that can happen…but look for ways that we can begin to see the fear or anxiety of death enslaving people...
Then begin to pray for those people…to be freed from those things.
Next week…Breaking Free from the Fear of Death
