THE BENEFITS OF DEATH - (PREAMBLE 3)

The fear of death has been classified as the “mother of all fears” under the sun. No one wants to die, even those who want to go to heaven don't want to die and yet death is the principal way to heaven. But the other side of the coin is that death could also be an exit into hell. 

After death you either joyfully go to heaven or sadly go to hell; heaven and hell are real; they are not fictional and once we cannot escape death then we will either end up in heaven or hell. We can use money to employ someone to drive us, employ someone to cook for us, employ someone to manage our business, employ someone to take care of our properties, we can even use money to buy beauty from the beauty shop, but we can never use money to employ someone to take away our death, all human beings have a date with DEATH.

 The nuances that comes along with the loss of loved ones, with its accompanying ceremonies such as funerals, wake keeping etc. are evident of the painful and the dreaded fate that death visits on the family and love ones of its victim; However, death is unavoidable and It is an open acceptance that all humans will have a date with death at least once in their lives, the bible put it this way “And as it is appointed unto men once to die” according to Hebrews 9:27A.

We are mostly clueless of the time and how death will meet us, but because we are Christians and are assured of a better place in Christ Jesus, to us death is a transition into a better space. Death is the exit for every living soul from this material world; it is part of a gradual social and spiritual process. So if all of us have an appointment with death, then it is important that we live our lives in a way that will invigorate us with an assurance and confidence to meet death joyfully when the appointed time arrives.

we should not be like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death when the time comes; we must not weep and pray for a little more time to live our lives over again in a different way. How you are living right now is carving the new about you, but someday not too long from now, when death meets you the news about you will become history; what kind of history do you want to be remembered for. Would you be remembered as someone who has impacted his generation positively for God and the greater advancement and well-being of the community you lived in or someone who brought shame, disgrace, wickedness, strive, division and all the wrong reasons to your community.

Let’s face it, we have a very limited time on earth, a time will come when we will leave this material world, and we cannot revert the hand of time, so it is important that we stop wasting our time to living wrongly and someone else’s life; we all have an assignment on this earth, so we must discover it and begin to fulfill it.

Jesus said in John_9:4 (KJV) “ I  must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.”

Right from the onset of his life Jesus Christ knew his purpose on this earth, but do you know the reason for your existence in this world? We should grow into maturity in our walk with God by knowing His assignment for our life and pursue it with all our energy so as to come to a juncture where, we can confidently have a deep assurance in our heart that “We have fought a good fight, we have finished our course, and we have kept the faith” – 2^nd Timothy 4:7.

It is only when we know God and begin to pursue his assignment for our lives that we can come to a point where death becomes beneficial to us and the greater good of the human race? Apostle Paul, in one of his letters touted death as gainful by saying that “…………………. and to die is gain” Philippians 1:21B (KJV); how can we live our lives fully so that we are prepared to die at any time?

 The only way you and I can come that point where we can begin to live meaningfully is to accept Jesus Christ as first of all as the LORD and the savior of our lives, until we do that you cannot embrace that benefits that accompanies death, it is only in Jesus Christ that death becomes beneficial, the bible says in Colossians 2:14  “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross”. The totality of the human being both in this world and the world to come can only be actualized in Christ Jesus the Bible puts it this way “For in him we live, and move, and have our being…………………………………………..”  Act_17: 28A (KJV).

Everything in this world was created by Him and for Him “For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him.”  Colossians 1:16 (KJV). Accepting the Lord Jesus Christ your LORD and personal savior will automatically make you the partaker of the following benefits that accompanies death:

(1)    DEATH IS THE ONLY HOPE FOR THE HUMAN RACE – The biggest beneficiaries of death are Christians, the Bible says that  “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled  In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” Colossians 1:21-22 (KJV) and  “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;  And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hebrew_2:14-15 (KJV). His death and resurrection redeem us from the imminent condemnation and gave us approval in the sight of God as well as presented us as though we were without sin “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.” 2^nd Corinthians 5:21.

The sin of Adam and Eve brought us to the slave market of sin; their sin subjected us to the wills and detects of the oppressor the devil; we became Slaves of fear; in a depressed and miserable condition, like slaves we were under a master, we had no freedom; no comfort; no peace. We were as the scripture says “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way;” Isaiah 53:6A (KJV) and  “That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world” according to Ephesians 2:12.

I am sure you might be wandering why the sins of Adam and Eve is been attributed to us since this act occurred many year before we  were born, but the fact is that when Adam and Eve were sinning we were right with them in their loins. Having become the slaves of sin, were like wretched pathetic sheep being led to the slaughter house of judgement and the only thing that could redeem us was a sinless blood that is poured as a results of death.

This might be probably be one of the reason why God had to protect the tree of life in the Garden of so that Adam and Eve do not reach forth to it and eat the fruit from it and thereby assume immortality and live forever with their sins  “And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever” Genesis 3:22 (KJV) and Genesis 3:24 (KJV) “So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubim’s, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.” . The wages of sin is death according to Romans 6:23A (KJV).

The sins of Adam and Eve committed the fate of the human race to death and eternal damnation. However, because man has not attain immortality in his sinful state, the same fate death-became the conduit that God was going to use to redeem us. The Bible says that “without shedding of blood there is no remission of sin “(Hebrews 9:22B).

God has to assume the form of man and then shed his blood on the cross through death so as to conquer the power of death over the human soul.  The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ gave us hope; his death and resurrection redeem us from the snare and the enslavement of the devil. The salvation of the human race totally depended on the work Christ came to do on the cross, it was in his death that he paid the price of our sins and set us free.  

The death of Jesus Christ gave us victory over death according to “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15: 55 -57 (KJV)

“Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  John 15:13 (KJV)

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” John 5:24 (KJV).

JESUS’S DEATH AND RESSURECTION ON THE CROSS GAVE US VICTORY OVER DEATH - DEATH HAS NO POWER OVER YOU AS BELIEVER”

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THANK YOU!