“No more death”
What does this really mean?
Revelation 21:3-4, 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
Many churches today believe that physical death is the death introduced by Adam in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 2:16-17 Many churches also believe that physical death is the death to be overcome through the resurrection of 1 Corinthians 15:22.
The story of redemption is the story of the deliverance from the death of Adam. If you don’t understand about the death that Adam died, you will not understand about the life that Jesus restored.
Physical death is not the death that Adam introduced so then physical death is not the death conquered by the resurrection of 1 Corinthians 15.
Adam and Eve died spiritually the day that they ate the fruit in Genesis 2:17 because of disobedience to the commandment of God. They did not die physically for hundreds of years later.
Because of the sin of their disobedience to God’s command, sin entered into the world and death by sin. So, death passed upon all men, for all have sinned. Romans 5:12,19, 6:23.
The two great men of power in the Bible are Adam and Jesus. Adam was the death giver; Jesus is the life giver. God’s judgment on sin has already been given since the beginning. Ezekiel 18:4, Hebrews 9:27
Sinners are not sinners because they sin; sinners sin because they are sinners.
They are born that way.
Rich and poor, no matter the colour of your skin or where you live, you are born a sinner! Death is the end result of sin.
When God saw that man was without strength and unable to rescue and redeem himself, He got involved with what the world needed most, a saviour. Psalms 98:1, Isaiah 59:16, Luke 2:11
He made himself a body and called it His son. While we were yet sinners, He died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6, 1 John 3:16, Acts 20:28
Jesus died for every sinner; past, present and future. Isaiah 43:10-11, John 1:1,10,14, Matthew 1:23, 1 Timothy 3:16, Titus 2:13 These scriptures are all about the story of redemption.
The Old Covenant was God choosing a people to serve Him. The New Everlasting Eternal Covenant was people making a choice to obey and live for God.
The Bible is the story of time and events leading up to salvation when Jesus arrived in the first century. He had the words of Eternal Life and gave those words to the Apostles that He had chosen. John 6:68 He prayed for all people who would believe on Him through their (the apostles) word. John 17:20
They went into all the world preaching the Gospel message of Jesus Christ, about His death, burial, and resurrection. Mark 16:15-16, 20, John 3:3,5,7,7:38-39
It was on the day of Pentecost in the Book of Acts 2:1-4 God’s Spirit was first poured out. Peter said that this was the fulfilment of prophecy in the last days of the Old Covenant. Acts 2:16-17. Three thousand people were the first to obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ and be born into the church on that day. Acts 2:38,41-42, 47
They were the first to be born again and be free from the laws of the Old Testament.
The question often arises, do we believe the Gospel, or do we obey the Gospel?
The answer is of course both. We must believe and obey. Mark 16:15-16
It was by disobedience that sin came into the world. It is by obedience that salvation comes to whomsoever will believe and obey.
You have to do something to be saved!
Repent, make the decision to turn away from your life of sin Luke 13:5.
Be baptized by immersion having the Name of Jesus Christ spoken over you to receive the remission, which is the forgiveness of all sin, inherited or committed. Acts 2:38
Receive the Holy Spirit experience evidenced by speaking words you never knew and a language you never learned. Mark 16:16, John 7:38-39. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. John 3:8, Acts 11:14.
What the Gospel says to one person, past present, or future; it says to all. What the Gospel of Jesus Christ requires of one, it requires of all, past, present, or future. If you have never repented and been baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit, then you DO NOT have salvation and are NOT born again.
Adam was the death-giver; Jesus is the life-giver. Jesus said that He was the resurrection and the life. John 11:25 He was the Resurrection to those under the Old Covenant and the Life to those under the New Covenant.
Jesus said in John 11:26, “And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die.…..” He is saying that death was defeated. No more death! He said in John 8:51, “If a man keep my Word, he shall never see death.”
No more death! Born- again Christians are never going to die. Only dead people need a resurrection. When we obey the Gospel of Jesus Christ and are buried with Him in a watery grave in Jesus Name, in the likeness of His death with repentance, we also through the Holy Spirit are in the likeness of His resurrection and receive eternal life never to face spiritual death. John 10:27-28, Romans 6:23, 1 Timothy 5:11-13
In the beginning of this article, we said if you don’t understand the death that Adam died on that day, you will not understand the life that Jesus gives.
Adam died spiritually that day and was no longer in God’s presence. Spiritual death is when you no longer can be in God’s presence. Sin is the separator.
All people are born spiritually dead. Ephesians 2:1, Isaiah 59:1
Jesus is the life. John 6:53-54
The life is in the blood of Jesus; the blood that washes away sin is in the Name of Jesus. Acts 4:12 Life is in His Name. John 20:31
Born-again Christians die every day physically. It is an appointment that no one can cancel. Jesus did not die to restore physical life; Jesus died to restore what Adam lost that day in the garden which was spiritual life in the presence of God.
When a born-again Christian dies physically, the spiritual life within that body goes to the new house not made with hands eternal in heaven. 2 Corinthians 5:1
If you are born only once, that is physically, you will die twice, physically and the death of your soul; but if you are born twice, physically and spiritually you will only die once, that is physically. Revelation 20:14-15, Matthew 10:28 No More Death! Revelation 21:3-4
Conclusion
In our study today we learned that spiritual death was defeated and abolished by our Saviour Jesus Christ in the year AD 70. 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, 2 Timothy 1:10
There is not going to be a physical resurrection of dead bodies out of graveyards and cemeteries around the world. The death from which born-again believers have been delivered is spiritual death which is eternal death.
The great question that needs to be answered today is “What must I do to be saved?” This same question was asked several times in the Bible and a clear concise answer was always given: John 3:5,7, Acts 2:37-39, 10:44,47-48, 11:14, 16:30-34, 9:6, 22:16, Mark 16:16.
It takes more than simple believism that the “church world” is claiming today. It takes belief and obedience to the Gospel. James 1:22, 2:18-20
