The Mystery Of Death

The Mystery Of Death

Romans 8:13 For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

According to the text above, there are essentially two ways to live, the life of the flesh and that of the Spirit. The former leads to the death of the soul, while the latter emboldens and strengthen the soul in living celestial bliss.

At the beginning of creation, man was made in perfect unison with God. And as the image of God, he possessed a never dying spirit and body. But after man’s disobedience and ultimate fall into sin, death entered and corrupted the nature of God in him. Romans 5:12 & 6:23 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned… For the wages of sin is death…

Death in this context, simply means separation. As soon as man was separated from God, his spirit- the part of his being that bears the semblance of the Godhead experienced death. However, the regeneration of the spirit and the restoration of the divine life comes only through the appropriation of the blood of Jesus for forgiveness and justification. Romans 6:23 …but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Having being delivered from sin, we must earnestly seek to live under the control and influence of the Spirit of God to keep our soul and spirit alive unto God.

There is another type of death, the death to the flesh which is needed for the continual accomplishment of God’s salvation of the soul. There is 1. “death in sin”- Romans 8:13a For if you live according to the flesh you will die; and 2. “dead to sin (flesh)”- Romans 8:13b & 1 Corinthians 15:31 but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live … I affirm, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. To gain eternity, you must die to the flesh. It is a must and must be consistent.

Meditation/prayer: Have I been delivered from the death of sin? Am I dead to the lusts and allurements of the world? Do I seek daily to be risen with Christ? May I die daily to the works and manifestations of the flesh.

1 There’s a line that is drawn by rejecting our Lord,
Where the call of His Spirit is lost,
And you hurry along with the pleasure-mad throng –
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?

Chorus:
Have you counted the cost, if your soul should be lost
Tho’ you gain the whole world for your own?
Even now it may be that the line you have crossed,
Have you counted, have you counted the cost?

2 You may barter your hope of eternity’s morn,
For a moment of joy at the most,
For the glitter of sin and the things it will win –
Have you counted, have you counted the cost? [Chorus]

3 While the door of His mercy is open to you,
Ere the depth of His love you exhaust,
Won’t you come and be healed, won’t you whisper, I yield –
I have counted, I have counted the cost. [Chorus]