As we start this new year of 2022, I’m thinking about the impact of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. We see in Scripture that the earth was cursed because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience and rejection of God. The words of the Serpent were shown to be lies. The Serpent promised, “Ye shall not surely die.” He was believed and God was rejected. Since then, we have all lived under the curse of sin, which is death. Each man and woman have suffered physical death. Putting God in the picture of the reality of Death has huge implications on our worldview.
We all must face that reality of death in our lives. Scripture says again and again that our lives are short. Isaiah 40:6-8 speaks of this. There it describes that all flesh is as grass and its beauty like the flower of the field. The grass withers and the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it. Because of the curse falling on mankind, our days are numbered. We can also look at 1 Peter 1:24,25; Job 14:1,2; Psalm 102:3, 11; 103:13-16 and James 1:10 to see the same message about the brevity of life. Whether we are age 16 or 95, the same condemnation is on each of us.
But that is not the end of the story. For Paul says in 2 Corinthians 2:14, “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.” Since we have been born again of imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God, we are being purified for that life eternal with the Father. Death is conquered. All praise to Him!
And so, today we are the witnesses to this current generation of this great truth. Yes. Life is short. We are all under the condemnation of physical death. But there is a hope of spiritual life for those who choose the way of salvation. And sadly, there is spiritual death for those who reject Him.
I like what Hebrews 2 says about this. It describes how it was fitting that our Heavenly Father, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory should make the founder of their salvation (Jesus) perfect through suffering. It was necessary that Jesus, God’s only son, should die to overcome that sentence of death that is on each of us because of Adam. The sentence of death that is the curse of sin. Hebrews 2:14 describes the impact of Jesus’s life. By living a life of flesh and blood, Jesus delivers us who were in bondage because of the fear of death.
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”
2 Corinthians 2:14
It also says there that through his death, Jesus destroys the power of the devil over death. How did the devil have power over death? The devil was the first tempter to sin and that sin was the cause of death. The devil draws all men into sin, which leads to death. This is how it can be said that the devil has the power of death. But now Christ has destroyed him who had that power, so that he can keep nobody under the power of spiritual death. “Death” has been conquered by the resurrection of Christ. It is not now in the hand of Satan, but in the hands of Christ.
For this cause, we today stand strong, as testimony to this generation against that power of Satan and for the power of our Heavenly Father through His son, Jesus. Amen?
Happy sabbath, hi my name is Brenda Knight I just moved back to Missouri The mid part of August. I was baptized withChurch of God seventh day in Tacoma WashingtonThat’s my familyChurch family there and I am trying to get involvedIn a church closer to meAlthough you’re pretty far away but I just wanted to write you andI’m going to watchYour church video today and hopefully I can make a drive there in the upcoming Saturdays soonBlessings andPrayers May Grace be with you.
I hope you were able to watch our service this weekend. We look forward to meeting you in the future.