Weekly Devotion: Life and Death

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life…” Deuteronomy 30:19, 20a

Shortly before Moses passed away, he charged the Israelites to “choose life”; which he defined as being “the LORD thy God”. On the flip side then, “death” is separation from “the presence of the Lord” (2 Thessalonians 1:9), the source of life! You don’t have to choose “death” though; it comes to you standard from the factory, by default “for the wages of sin”.

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:23

Paul says that this “death” is a spiritual death, “that now worketh in the children of disobedience; Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past” (Ephesians 2:2b, 3a). So, we were all “dead in trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1b) until the “Spirit of life” quickened us and set us “free from the law of sin and death”.

“For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:2

If a person dies physically without being born again spiritually, he experiences what Revelation 21:8 calls the “second death”; which is eternal separation from God, in the lake of fire. So, if you are only born once, you will die twice but if you are born twice, you will only die once. This second birth unto “life” is brought “to light through the gospel”.

“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:” 2 Timothy 1:10

Since Christ “hath abolished death” and made “immortality” possible “through the gospel”, it behooves the Christian to tell others. This “gospel” is communicated with words, which is why Proverbs 18:21a says that, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”! God’s words can produce life they are received and mingled with faith!

As we have seen, “death” is not annihilation or non-existence, as some teach, it is the absence of having God’s “life” in your life. So, while we must all die physically one day (if the Lord tarries His coming), our soul will exist beyond the grave in one of two places (heaven or hell). God won’t send anyone to hell; they choose to go there by not choosing to obey the “gospel”. The “gospel” simply stated is that Christ died for our sins, he was buried for three days, and rose again “according to the scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4), if you believe that, you can be saved. Salvation is a choice that each of us must personally make in order to pass from “death unto life”. Friend, hear his “word”, believe “on him”, and “choose life” today, it’s a “life and death” decision!

“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