Short Message for Renae

Back in November Vanessa was sharing with Jennifer and I how Renae had come to church and heard a message about God’s forgiveness. It was through God’s Word that he came to reconcile his relationship between his mother and him as well as other relationships. Vanessa told me that he had trusted in Jesus as his personal Savior.

As we come to think about death Scripture tells us that death is loss. It is something that we grieve and lament. Death is not the way things were supposed to be. Therefore as the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians chapter 15 death is the last enemy. The longer that we live the more we understand this. But, I want you all to know today that for us as Christians we do not face death alone. Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ has gone before us and has defeated death.

Jesus died as the eternal, sinless Son of God who became flesh. Jesus died as the only man who knew no sin, but who choose to lay down His life in order to take away our sin. As we all came into this world spiritually dead, we come to realized that our sin separates us from God’s favor. We must turn away from our sin and trust the Lord Jesus for salvation as Renae has. In order for death to be destroyed, sin must be overturned. That is exactly why the Son of God in Jesus took on flesh.

Hebrews 2:14–15 ESV

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

Jesus the Son of God became man to set us free from the power of sin, Satan, and death. By the Lord’s resurrection from the dead, Jesus conquered death.

Family and friends I want you to know today that yes it is extremely difficult when we think about the loss of Renae, but I want you to know today that because we believe in God’s Son we will not perish but have eternal life as John three sixteen tells us.

Certainly we all know that physical death which is the separation of our physical bodies from our souls awaits us all. But the reality is for those of us who know Christ we know that because Jesus has defeated physical death His resurrection guarantees the resurrection of all who by faith are in Christ.

When a believer such as Renae dies, his soul is transported into the presence of the Lord while his body returns to dust. That is what it means to be away from the body and at home with the Lord as 2 Corinthians chapter 5 tells us.

“Physical death, though still the last enemy, is a defeated enemy for us as Christians.” You need to know this today.

So with the Apostle Paul, every Christian can say:

1 Corinthians 15:54–56 ESV

54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.

I want you to think today about this reality. Death is really leaving the land of the dying and entering the land of the living.

The evangelist Dwight L Moody wrote this in his autobiography: “Someday you will read in the papers that Moody is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. At that moment I shall be more alive than ever. I was born in the flesh in 1837, I was born of the Spirit of God in 1855. So that which is born of the flesh may die. That which is born of the Spirit shall live forever.

We as Christians will live forever because the Captain of our salvation has defeated it. There is a day coming where Jesus will make all things new. On that day there will be a new heaven and a new earth. There will be no more crying, nor pain because the former things will have passed away and God himself will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.

(Close in Prayer)