A Matter of Life or Death

II Peter 3:9

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness: but is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

God has a plan for each one of his creations. This includes you and me. We are created to be a glory to our God, and to be in a close relationship. Christ, the Son of God, paid a very high price – his blood was spilt for love of men – to deliver you and I from evil, from Satan’s influence and deception. When we come to Jesus and choose to receive “freedom” from sin and “forgiveness” of sin, then we can embrace God’s marvelous plan for our lives. We become new creations in Christ Jesus. And the best thing is, we are reconciled to God and He becomes to us a heavenly Father.

Colossians 1:21-23a

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation, if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel.”

The problem, or rather the root of sin, is “deception”, i.e., believing a lie. I refer to the lies of your true enemy, Satan…who seeks to rob, kill, and destroy you, your purpose, and your person. Realizing you have an “enemy” – and its not God or his people—will be a first step in breaking free of Satan’s hold upon your mind, will, or emotions.

I John 3:7-10 says:

“…make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as he is righteous; the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.”

Other descriptors of Satan include:

• Accuser (Rev 12:10)
• Hinderer (I Thess 2:18)
• Schemer (Eph 6:11)
• Sets your mind on man’s interests, not God’s (Mark 8:33)
• Enemy of Righteousness (Acts 13:8-10)

Satan and his demons seek to destroy you. They are enemies of God! They rule all who are outside of salvation found in Christ.

Each of us comes to a place in our lives when we choose whom we will serve.

Joshua 24:15

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom You will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Note that the beginning of that verse, the Word literally “exposes” the lie of Satan, which is deceiving unbelievers: it seems evil unto them to serve the Lord. Each of us is told to “Choose whom we will serve”. Will our lineage determine whom we serve? Or will the gods pervasive in the land we dwell in? We have a choice.

To make a choice in anything, we have to weigh our options:

So, let’s look at Romans 6:23…

“The wages of sin is death. But, the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

And what is Jesus saying in John 5:24?

“Truly, truly, I say to you… (i.e. this is not a lie)…Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

The scripture speaks of death as “separation” from God, and eternal life as “knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou has sent (John 17:3).

“Death”– spiritual death – keeping you separated from the life that is in Christ, is the objective of Satan, your enemy. Jesus, on the other hand, gives you life when he gives you himself, and tells us in John 5:26, “For as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.”

You cannot “have life” apart from God and Christ.

Jesus goes on to say that God the Father has also given to him “authority to execute judgment” (John 5:26).

He says also in verse 30, “as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not my own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.”

And then in verse 40 he implores, “And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

Life is a better option than death. I refer to both physical and spiritual death. Those in Christ have a hope of eternal life, i.e., life with God and Jesus now, and beyond the grave.

I John 5:12 tells us,

“He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

I know the next scripture I share is a sobering one, but Jesus spoke it. He begins by saying that all in the graves shall hear his voice, and then says in John 5:29,

“and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.”

II Thess 1:9 gives us a pretty good definition of what damnation is. It says,

“Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power.”

Scripture explains what will take place “at the end” of time…which is why Satan wants to take as many men, women, and children with him as he can. Listen to what I share:

Scripture tells us in Revelation 20:10 that…

“…the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast & false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

And now what is seen to be next? It is called “The Great White Throne Judgment” and Revelation 20:11-15 tells us about it:

“And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is ‘the Book of Life’: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Pause a moment…

Ponder this:

The devil, your enemy, is out to ultimately “destroy you” – taking you beyond your own physical death—to joining him in the Lake of Fire…to experience “torment” “day and night” “forever and ever” …

God, in his love, is not willing that any should perish.

He gave Jesus – for you. This he did because He loves us! He loves all men, women, and children!

This is why, to genuine believers and receivers, …Christ, the risen and life-giving Lord, means so much to them!

They realize LIFE has been given them AS A GIFT!

They realize they can’t earn salvation, for Life is only in the Father and in the Son! This is why they must “abide” in them!

Their works of righteousness then come from the newness of Life that dwells within them, the Spirit of God and Christ.

You don’t have to understand everything that the Word of God says to become a Christian. Remember John 5:40, already shared, implores you to just “come to Jesus and receive Life”! You have to “come” before you can “become” (smile).

I’m going to share one last thing: Jesus is a living God and Saviour. If you come to Him, not only does He “save you” from the Lake of Fire, He “frees you” from sin, and He “forgives you” of sin. He is a gift that will turn your existence into Life. You will know it when you truly “receive Him”. Darkness describes any person or life lived apart from Christ. When you live in this darkness you don’t even know it…you are used to it. You are deceived. You are separated from God, who is Light.

Yet, if you are reading this, and feeling a tug upon your heart, you are being offered mercy and grace, for The Life is available to you, by receiving Jesus Christ, and getting your own name written down in the Book of Life. Remember, if at The Judgment your name is not written there, you will be cast into the Lake of Fire along with your most vile enemy, the devil.

Jesus declared in Luke 10:20 to his followers,

“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.”

Jesus declares to us all in John 14:6…

“I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life; no man comes to the Father but by me.”

Seems to me “an easy choice” to make.

But is it?

I think it’s an easy choice to understand… but to make, not so much.

To come to Jesus, you choose to “leave behind” your sin, and you come out from “the World”, wherein the devil reigns.

It is necessary to receive Life before you can do this, in practice; yet you need to desire to leave it, when you come to Jesus.

A repentance takes place in your heart – the choice to leave your life of sin—then, the Holy Spirit comes to dwell within you, giving you Life as he restores relationship of the Father and Son (Jesus Christ) to you.

And it is His Spirit that then “enables you” to do works of righteousness. In other words, to live like Jesus and to make right choices in God’s sight.

You will live then, not to please man, but to please God, who has given you life. This then is that which identifies you to the world as belonging to Him.

Knowing your eternal “security” gives sweet peace.

If you live in anxiety, fear, depression, and darkness now, you will notice a huge “uplifting” when Jesus comes into your life to rule and reign. Oppression is weighty, debilitating, and energy-consuming. Jesus came that you might have LIFE and that more abundant. He will Lift You Up!

And the longer you enjoy fellowship with the Father and the Son, the more joy from within, and freedom from sin will become part of your life. His love is amazing toward you! No wonder the devil wants to keep you from Christ!

Ephesians 3:19 reveals that God wants you to “know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fulness of God.” Wow!

Two things that Jesus mainly came to do are: 1) to destroy the works of the Devil and 2) to give life, and that more abundant:

I John 3:8

“He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.”

The Lord doesn’t want to destroy you, but to save you. It’s the devil who is your enemy, not God! Most people know John 3:16 but remain unfamiliar with the verses following that, verse 17-18, which say,

“God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

As I previously quoted, John 10:10 says

“The thief (the devil) cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Please accept Jesus! You’ll be reconciled to God too! And eternal life will be yours. Life becomes your gift that no one – not even the devil – can take from you, if you abide in your salvation…in Christ and God.

Truly your choice IS a matter of life or death.

Choose Life.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” Romans 15:13

Amen.