Death Your Most Important Appointment
Death is the most important appointment that everyone must keep at the end of every life. Ecclesiastes 9:5 When Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden and ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, sin entered into the world. Romans 5:12
Because of Adam’s sin, the nature of sin was passed on to every human being. Even though they had not sinned as Adam had, the sin nature was now in every person, every baby, every boy and girl, every mom and dad, and in all of the human family. Romans 5:14
Because of the sin nature that was now in humanity, the wickedness of man was great in the earth. (Genesis 6:5) God decided to destroy man that he had made. Genesis 6:7 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Genesis 6:8 Because of wickedness and sin, the judgment of God came upon the people in Noah’s generation.
The day Adam disobeyed God was the day he died. He didn’t die physically that day, but he died spiritually and was put out of the spiritual presence of God.
Adam continued to live physically outside the Garden. Adam died physically at the age of 930 years old. Genesis 5:5 Since Adam’s sin, all human life dies and returns to the dust. Genesis 3:19 Jesus came to restore what Adam lost that day in the Garden of Eden.
Adam lost “spiritual life” in the presence of God, NOT “physical life”. Throughout the Old Testament, when people died, they all went to “sheol” Strong's H#7585 or the grave or pit, or Hades which is the holding place for the dead. It was there that their souls would await the Messiah at the day of resurrection. Job 14:14, Daniel 12:13
Jesus said, all that are in the grave would hear His voice and come forth in the resurrection, some to eternal life and some to eternal damnation. John 5:25, 28-29 Death awaits us all. Ezekiel 18:4
Job says that the holding place for the dead had bars and was a place of no escape. Job 17:16 Sin has already been judged from the beginning. The only way sin can be taken off your soul is by the Passover Blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.
For God so loved the world that He got involved with what the world needed most, and that was a saviour. Luke 2:11 The world needed a Redeemer; someone who could pay the price to bring us out of sin. 1 Corinthians 6:20, Acts 20:28, 1 John 3:16
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. I often think of the old song, “Heaven is a holy place filled with glory and with grace; sin can never enter there. So, if at the judgment bar; sinful spots your soul shall mar, sin can never enter there.”
The question is often asked, “Where is the blood of Jesus?” There is no physical blood of Jesus anywhere on Earth today. The blood of Jesus is in the Name of Jesus. Acts 4:12
In Hebrews 9:22, the Scripture says, “Without shedding of blood, there is no remission.” The word “remission” means the release from the guilt and the penalty of sin, the pardon or forgiveness of sin.
All through the New Testament Scriptures, remission of sin was received by obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in water baptism by immersion in the Name of Jesus Christ. Matthew 26:28, Luke 24:47, Acts 2:37-39, Acts 10:43,48 under the Old Covenant, those who succumbed to death went into hell, the grave, or the pit to await the day of resurrection, to await judgment day at the White Throne Judgment seat which was in the year AD 70. Revelation 20:11-15
Now, this White Throne Judgment is ongoing throughout all eternity. The holding place of the dead has been emptied out. Revelation 20:14
Now at death, all sinners and the unbelieving go to God’s judgment. Hebrews 9:27 “It is appointed unto all men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
In the original language, the Greek word for “after” is “meta” which means “with” death comes judgment.
There is NO immortal soul outside of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; only those who believe and obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ will receive immortality. 2 Timothy 1:10, I Corinthians 15:51-54
All other souls will die. Ezekiel 18:4 If you are born only once, you will die twice, physical death and spiritual death. Matthew 10:28 If you are born again with the new birth of the Gospel, you will only die once, physically. Jesus explains this concept in John 8:51 and in John 11:25-26.
Conclusion
If you die a physical death and you have not obeyed the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, you will suffer the loss of Eternal Life and receive the everlasting destruction of your soul which is what the word “perish” means. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
But we have Good News! John 3:16-19 tells us about the great love that God has for us. God has provided us a way of escape from the condemnation of sin that has a hold of every human life. “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.” Romans 7:13 But that’s not the end of the story, “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:56-57
Most people spend their life working and saving money, preparing for retirement having no thought to make preparation for their appointed destiny which is the judgment of God. It is through obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ that affords us the opportunity to escape the judgment and inherit eternal life. We must prepare ourselves for this, our most important appointment.
