NO MORE DEATH
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.
There are three stages of death. There is spiritual death, physical death and eternal death. This, not being known and preached in our age, has caused the above passage to commonly be thought to relate to some future age. But it is referring to the present age of the gospel. Most do not realize the full value of the accomplishment of Christ at the cross! For the Lord Jesus came to end spiritual death and give spiritual and eternal life to all who believe on him. John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. 26 For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
The Lord God warned our first parents that immediate death would result in their disobedience regarding the tree of knowledge. Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. The Hebrew reads, “in dying, thou shalt die.” But we then read that the “Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden.” (Genesis 3:23).
Therefore either Adam and Eve walked out of that garden as dead people, or God is a liar! And we know that God is truth and cannot lie! So it is up to us to find out just what kind of death that was. Consider these verses: Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) So the first couple walked out of that garden, dead in trespasses and sins! They still had physical life, but no spiritual life. But that spiritual death brought on physical death! Genesis 5:5 And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died.
Our Lord referred to this with his disciples. Matthew 8:22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. He was saying, “Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead!” The need of the sinner, since he is spiritually dead, is spiritual life. Therefore our passage in Revelation 21:4 reveals that Christ’s work on the cross has overcome spiritual death in all those who believe in him! Death had been conquered! Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
His death on the cross had “finished the transgression,” and “made an end of sins!” Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. THAT is what he was referring to when he cried from the cross, “It is finished!” He had “finished the transgression!”
His death handled our offenses. His resurrection handled our justification to life! Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. Immediately upon Christ’s death at the cross, Satan was cast out and stripped of the power of death, as justification was established, so there was No More Death! Revelation 12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night.
John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32 And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33 This he said, signifying what death he should die.
Hebrews 2:14 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; 15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
The cross brought an immediate global change, for it brought in new heavens and a new earth. Old things were passed away. All things became new. Christ’s work of sacrificial redemption ended the old world of the law and brought in the new world of grace and truth! Hebrews 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: 4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
Death had been around for a long time! As we have seen, it began in the garden of Eden when our first parents sinned. But it was not unexpected, nor unprepared for by God. Revelation 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The Lamb of God – the Lord Jesus Christ – (see John 1:29), being the eternal Son, who is before all things, was determined to be the sacrificing Person of the trinity from the foundation of the world! The Father would elect (Ephesians 1:4). The Son would redeem (Ephesians 1:7). And the Spirit would seal (Ephesians 1:13).
But all this necessitated one specific ingredient – sin! Without sin the Incarnation is not required. Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
Without sin, grace cannot abound! Romans 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.
And without sin, the characteristic of God’s mercy could not be shown! For mercy requires a guilty object! Romans 9:17 For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth. 18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth. 22 What if God, willing to shew his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: 23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory, Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
But be assured, dear Reader, only the Lord God can cause the wickedness of sin to be useful! For with human kind, as with the angelic beings, it is greatly destructive and should be abhorred! James 1:15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. 1 Thessalonians. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil. Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Proverbs 8:36 But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death. Ezekiel 18:20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. Jude 6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
The first man, Adam, was a picture of the man, Christ Jesus, who is called the Last Adam. 1 Corinthians 15:45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
The first Adam introduced sin into the realm of those born as human beings. The Last Adam, the Lord Jesus, introduced spiritual and eternal life. 2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began, 10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:
He made an end of death for all born again believers! Romans 5:17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
All those with only a natural birth into Adam’s race shall die physically and then eternally. All those with the second birth into regeneration in Christ may die physically, but shall not die eternally! 1 Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. For regeneration is the first resurrection. And all those raised from the dead spiritually by Christ’s redemption have no part in the second death! (See Revelation 20:5,6. Also see John 5:25,26 in the second column of the first page of this article.)
Death is the penalty for sin. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. But for those for whom Christ died the payment has already been made! 2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Therefore they “now” have no condemnation! Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
And having conquered Satan, who had the power of death, he also conquered death, hell and the grave! Therefore he became Lord over both the spiritually dead and those spiritually alive! Romans 14:9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living. Satan does not have authority in Hell! All authority is given to the Lord Jesus, being highly exalted for his work at the cross! Philippians 2:8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10 That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;
Make no mistake about it, Jesus Christ is presently reigning Lord over all things! Hebrews 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;
Therefore the Devil is his subject, and the lake of fire is his property! Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
So be extremely thankful for your salvation by Him! Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
Pastor Gene Breed, October 26, 2017