Those Who Never See Death


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The Spirit of God is Forever Redeeming and Transforming all that we encounter, causing each event to work for our spiritual good. Indeed, it has been truly stated that rescue is the constant pattern of God's activity; His final act of encouragement is the Resurrection.
Jesus promised, Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death ( John 8:51 ). The Jew to whom Jesus spoke were offended by this statement. They lacke divine logic and the view of life from eternity; they were ignorant of the resurrection power given every follower of Christ.
However before we judge them too harshly, let us ask ourselves, Are we offended by Christ's promise? Given the fact that everyone who followed Jesus in the first century died, are we ashamed of the apparent contradictions of this promis? Do we really believe we shall never see death? To keep Jesus' saying means to hear His Words and obey them. When Jesus says those who obey wont die, He is talking about spiritual death, not physical death. Even physical death, however, will be overcome. Those who follow Jesus will be raised to live eternally with Him.
The Jew also were perplexed. They countered, Then said the jews unto Him, now we know thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the Prophets; and thou saith, if a man keep my sayings, he shall never taste of death (John 8:52 ). But Jesus did not say that His followers would never taste death; He said we would never see death.
Certainly, there are times when we seem engulfed by sorrow, trapped in an incubar of death itself. Yet, this is a glory of our faith: Though we die, we do not see death;we see life. We will taste death, but as Christians we ingest life. Yes, if we keep Christ's Word throughout the trial, His promise to us is that we shall never see death. For those who live by every word that comes from the mouth of God, the final outcome of each struggle is not death but life in abundance.
Jesus said; And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolk, and friend; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for My name's sake. But there shall not an hair on your head perish ( Luke 21:16-18 ). Jesus was not saying believers would be exempt from harm or death during the persecutions. Remember that most of the disciples were martyred. Rather He was saying that non of His followers would suffer spiritual or eternal loss. Everyone will die on earth, but believers in Jesus will be saved for eternal life. He said we may be put to death, yet not even a hair on our heads shall perish. Is not death the cessation of life? If death is due to illness, is it not the progressive diminishing of life. Yet in Christ, every darkened, shadowy valley into which our human experience descends is predestined to surface in a broad field of life. We taste death but do not see it.
David said; Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: For thou art with me; thou rod and thy staff they comfort me ( Psalms 23:4 ). Death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are entirely helpless in its presence. We can struggle with other enemies-pain, suffering, disease, injury-but strength and courage cannot overcome death. It has the final word. Only one person can walk with us through death's dark valley and bring us safely to the other side-the God of life, our Shepherd. Because life is uncertain, we should follow this Shepherd who offers us eternal confidence. As frightnening as death seems, for those who keep the Word of the Lord death is no more a barrier than a shadow. For what dies in us is that which was foreordained to die-the husk of our old nature. While the death of self is a daily choice, our new inner nature does not die.
For which cause we faint not; but though our out ward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day ( II Corinthians 4:16 ). It is easy to quit. We all have faced problems in our relationships or work that cause us to want to lay down tools and walk away. Rather than giving up when persecution wore him down, Paul concentrated on experiencing the inner strength from the Holy Spirit ( Ephesians 3:16 ). Don't let fatigue, pain, or criticism force you off the job. Renew your commitment to serving Christ. Don't forsake your eternal reward because of the intensity of today's pain. Your weakness allows the resurrection power of Christ to strengthen you moment by moment. Yes, in the experience of our own hearts we have the demonstration of God's resurrection power, effectual now and in the future. As we keep Christ's Word, our difficulties always culminate in eternal life. We join Paul in thanking God, Who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of knowledge of Him in every place ( II Corinthians 2:14 ).
In the many faces of death, inspite of our failures, sickness, and difficulties, there remains a stonghold. It is here in our holding fast the Word of Life that the Lord keeps [us] and the evil one does not touch [us]. John says; We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself and that wicked one toucheth him not. And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness ( I John 5:18, 19 ). Christians commit sins, of course, but they ask God to forgive them and then they continue serving Him. God freed them from slavery to Satan, and He keeps them safe from Satan's continued attacks. The rest of the world does not have the Christian's freedom to obey God. Unless they come to Christ in faith, they have no choice but to obey Satan. There is no middle ground; people either belong to God and obey Him, or they live under Satan's control.
Therre will be a time when, from the vantage point of heaven, we will review our life's experiences. In glorious retrospect we shall see every occasion when destruction stood against us. And, we shall also see that it was here, in these very difficulties, that Christ revealed within us His resurrection power! Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we did not die; rather, we learned to fear no evil. From heaven's view, with awe we will one day say, Truly, I have never seen death.

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