And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the first and the last:I am he that lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. Revelation 1: 17-18.
The bible reveals and identifies Satan in the form of the serpent as the first enemy of mankind right from the Garden of Eden. Throughout the scriptures has nothing good ever spoken of him concerning man but all are alerted and warned to be sober and vigilant against the adversary, Satan, who like a lion, roaming around, seeking whom to devour.
Sin is not an enemy but a principle (a fundamental truth, concept or proposition that serves as the foundation for a system of belief or behaviour or for a chain of reasoning) introduced by Satan and accepted by man- And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make wise, she took the fruit thereof, and did eat and gave also to her husband with her; and he did eat. The reasoning, yielding and giving in to the devil’s arguments and suggestions to the act or process of eating the fruit was the sin. Sin is disobedient which the bible calls as the transgression of the law. It is the wilful inclination against reverence submission. This is the choice we make to please or not to please God by doing what he asks us to do and to reject and refute whatsoever he says is wrong. After the fall of man, the body became weakened and the will of man is captivated by sin and the latter becomes his master as the fallen angels identified themselves with each sin and lord of it, just as the devil is the lord over the sinners after the transgression, thus the bible correlated sins with demons (and you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works in the children of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others) and thus the scripture declares that you are servant to whom you yield yourself to obey, either of sin unto death; or of obedience unto righteousness. 1 John 3:4. Romans 6:16
Sin is an evil principle and a law which is known as the law of sin and death, while lust is the forerunner of this evil principle. When lust is conceived, and then it brings forth sin; and sin, death. Temptation is meant to determine our integrity and steadfastness but it become a sin if we yield to it as we by the action wilfully or ignorantly merchandise ourselves into Satan’s hand, snare and plot as the consequence of the choice made to live to gratify the works of the flesh and give in into the lusts of those things that are warring against the soul – the fleshly lusts. 1 Peter 2:11.
The remedy against lust is to constantly be renewed by the word of God in the spirit of your mind against those evil principles or chains of reasoning’s contrary to the word of God as we ceaselessly bring our thoughts into captivity unto the obedience of Christ by casting down imaginations and every high things exalting itself against the knowledge of God in our lives.
Man is a tripartite creature consisted of body, soul and spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
He was formed with clay from the dust of the earth, but his spirit was from the breath of God’s nostrils –the breath of life. This is not the Holy Spirit of regeneration, but the spirit of man which belongs to God and will go back to him when man’s appointed time on earth is over. Job 7:1. Another name for man’s spirit (God’s breath) is the candle of the Lord, searching all his inward parts. Ecclesiastes 12:7. Proverbs 20:27.
The combination and unifying of the spirit and body bring the soul into existence which consists of his will (decision), his mind or intellect (thought’s life) and his emotion (affection) after the spirit of God’s breath entered into his lifeless body.
Man is a living soul and this is his uniqueness and individuality. He’s either presently a spiritually dead or alive, though a living soul in his mortal physical body: as it shall spiritually live or die afterward throughout all eternity in his immortal spiritual body. Ezekiel 18:20.
The horror and terribleness of self-willed was revealed when God sent his son in our likeness to die for our sins that sin might be condemned in the flesh. The flesh therefore is the second enemy. We learnt from the scripture that flesh is constantly fighting against the demands of God and of the Holy Spirit. The mind governed and ruled by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. And those that are in the flesh (those who chooses to please themselves against the word of God) cannot please God. If we are not constant and steadfast in our life and walk and love in the Spirit, the flesh will drive and make us to walk contrary to God’s word and expectations that we might incur the wrath of God. Love not the world, neither the things which are in the world. If any man loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passes away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abides forever. Romans 6: 6. Galatians 5:17. 1 John 2:15-17.
After the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus came into operation and it become another principle, a fundamental truth and effective proposition through the help and presence of the indwelling -Spirit of God that we might have power to subject or put to death the works of the flesh by applying the scriptures and the principle of ‘reckoning yourself dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God for righteousness’ into our situations and circumstances (spiritually minded) instead of ignoring and disobeying the word of eternal life.
In my book, ‘The Purposes of the Cross’, I detailed fully and carefully on the four kinds of death which are: (1) The spiritual death –dead in sin which transpired the moment Adam and Eve sinned against the word of God and they lost the life and the nature of God. This life (Zoë) was restored when God quickened us again that were once dead in sins and trespasses and saved us by his grace, having begotten us again into a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus from the dead to bring us back to the Bishop and Shepherd of our souls. It is said that we passed from death (spiritual death) unto life (the new spiritual life in Christ Jesus) through translation from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of his dear son. (2) The eternal or second death which has been abolished in Christ for immortality and life through the gospel. The Lord said, whosoever lives and believes in me shall not die. And whosoever believes in me, even though he died, he shall live. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish (second or eternal death) but have everlasting life. (3) Dead to sin – the best death the believers are dying daily in the crucifixion of the body of sin which the bible calls the old man which is crucified (co-death) with Christ. Romans 6:6.
By the grace of God, the believer can now walk daily in the newness of life as he strives to mortify the deeds of the flesh through the power and the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Those which depart from this sinful world in the state of spiritual death (dead in sin and trespasses) shall not have part in the first resurrection but shall ultimately die the second death because their names shall not be found written in the book of life -they are born again- blessed and holy is he that have part in the first resurrection; on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6. John 3:1-6.
(4) The last death is the corporeal- the outcome or effect of the curse which was spoken in the Garden of Eden as God judiciously declared that man shall return back to the dust from whence he was made after the fall of Adam and Eve. The sinners, unbelievers and unconverted to Christ at their respective deaths shall be conducted to the land of the dead in the prison homes for the lost souls. This territory belongs to death, a land of darkness, as darkness itself, and of the shadow of death, without any order, and where light is as darkness until he (death) shall be summoned and ordered to release the lost dead souls in his captivity after which death itself as the last enemy shall be sentenced to the lake of fire which is the second death (spiritual capital punishment). And death and sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell (another compartment for the damned lost souls awaiting final judgment at the great white throne also belongs to death but it’s not the hell fire. Proverbs 7:24-27. Isaiah 14:9) delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death and whosoever was not found written in the book of life shall be cast into the lake of fire. Job 10:22. Job 38:17. Revelation 20:13-15.
The new life in Christ righteousness is the straight gate and the narrow way that those who are the dead to sin but alive to God through the quickening power of the Spirit of God are presently walking to heaven. It is a pattern of life which is likened to sowing to the Spirit for the fruit and harvest of eternal life for an incorruptible body. God is not mocked, whatsoever we sow now, shall be reaped later. Those that sow to the flesh shall reap death and corruption and those that sowed to the spirit shall reap eternal life.
Though the body is sown in corruption: sown in dishonour, but it shall be raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it shall be raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body that they might have and bear the image of the heavenly, the second Adam which is the Lord from heaven, even as they had borne the image of the first Adam, the man from the earth -earthy. This is the ultimate price and goal, the worthy reason the believers are dying daily to the flesh, that they might attain unto the resurrection of the dead; even the blessed and the first resurrection, having been sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of their inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. The Spirit of Christ deposited in them is the guarantor and the witness that the Lord shall not fail to change their vile bodies that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.
A great respect and honour should be given to those who have gone before us because the living believers at the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep (in the graves). For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
The believer who is indeed dead to sin is he that has the true knowledge of the terror of the Lord and lives his life in the conviction and assurance of this revelation and understanding that if he lives, he lives unto the Lord (to live is Christ) and if he died, he died unto the Lord (to die is gain).
Death is described and presented as a great horror and terrifying heart -broken situation and event such as that day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, and the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of music shall be brought low; also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goes to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern….nonetheless, because of the believer’s sake, whose death is so precious in the sight of God, its (death’s) pain, horror and sorrow has been rendered venom-less in Christ Jesus for his victory over death and destruction of the devil that has the power of death as Christ took the keys of hell and death from him. Hebrews 2:14-15.
Man is mortal and death is the one event common to all and it come alike to the righteous, and to the wicked, to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean, to him that sacrifice, and to him that sacrifices not, as is the good, so is the sinner, as he that swears, as he that feared an oath and all shall go the dead and there is no discharge in that war when it is the time to go either suddenly or at the time appointed for individual. If a man die shall he live again? Yes he shall live again but not in transition to another country on earth before all things shall be made new or be reincarnated to another body or form as he goes to his long eternal home awaiting the final judgement of his life and sojourn on earth as an unbeliever at the great white throne of God or as a believer for the reward of his works of love and labour of faith at the judgement seat of Christ during the feast of the marriage with the Lamb –the marriage supper of the Lamb. The dead has forever lost their place on earth and has not a portion again of anything done under the sun. Also their love, hatred, envies and whatever earthly sentiments they once had, is perished with them. Ecclesiastes 9:1-6. Job 14:14.
If such was a sincere believer, the day of his death should be counted far better than the day of his birth as he died the death of the righteous and instantly goes to be with the Lord, rest from his labours as light shall appear in the darkest hour for the righteous for the hope which was promised them at death and angel shall attend to them and bring them to the bosom of Abraham…this day shall thou be with me in paradise was the promised made by the Lord to the repentant thief at his right hand on the day of his death. Every promise has its particular time of fulfilment in life as well as in death and God shall make good all his word which are Yea and in him Amen that the believer might meet face to face with his redeemer. While the believer lives, they were absent from the Lord, and when they shall die, they shall be at home with Christ who has gone to prepare a place for them in his Father’s house where there are many mansions. The fear and uncertainty of the unknown after death before the sinner is the joy, confidence and opportunity to possess the inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, reserved in heaven for the faithful believer. Christ, by the grace of God has tasted death for the believer and has neutralized his sting and demolished the power of the grave by his resurrection from the dead: God has raised him up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be held by it. Acts 2:24. Hebrews 2:9.
‘Is’ – a form of the present tense…..Verily, verily, I say unto you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself. Look at the word ‘now is’ and the word ‘they that shall hear’. This implies that as soon as the believer’s spirit departs from his body, just as the sheep hear and discern the voice of the shepherd shall he hear come this way and come home from his Lord and Saviour who is alive and was dead and is alive forevermore: and have the keys of hell and death in his hand. Amen.
Any where the word ‘is’ has been used in the scriptures by the Lord denotes ‘now’ or with ‘immediate effect’-the kingdom of God is ( right now or presently) within you – For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is (effectively or right now) my brother, and sister, and mother.. John 5:25-26. Revelation 1:18.
At death, the Lord will hold death back from holding the believer captive in the land of the dead as captives and prisoners. The believer is as a man out of prison by bail (purchased or ransomed by the blood of Jesus) but may have to wear a GPS tracker, usually an ankle monitor as a bail condition. This GPS tracking is represented by the Holy Ghost which was deposited in him when he got born again by accepting Jesus as his Lord and Saviour and he is the enabler for his involvement or participation in the first resurrection that will transform his vile body to be fashioned like the resurrected glorious body of Christ from his grave when the Lord shall come back for the living saints and the dead in Christ shall hear his voice and rise first. The Lord shall command the Spirit of life to go back to their dead bones and it will turn out to be like going out with the big brother from the house to bring together the traveller members of the family back home from the motor park or the airport.
The gospel of Saint John chapter 5 verses 28-29 speaks as if the resurrection of the good and righteous and the sinners and wicked shall take place at the same time, but not so. There is going to be an interval of a thousand years between the first and the second resurrection. Daniel 12:2. Revelation 20:4-6. Get my book on ‘The Purposes of the Cross’. Emmanuel Adebiyi @ www.amazon.com. Because the keys of hell and death are with Jesus, the devil has no right and cannot touch the body and soul of the child of God who is walking in truth and serving the Lord in Spirit, except he breaks the edge (Ecclesiastes 10:8) and the Lord permits it for a reason that such individual should be delivered unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus – unto the Lord belong the issues from death and he alone has the power to determines the departure of any of his royal ambassador back to their country of origin (heaven) when their works and assignments here on earth is done. Philippians 1:23-25.
The Spirit of the Lord has infused the believer’s heart with the unfeigned love (Romans 5:5) for his Saviour and that love is stronger than death. Neither the thoughts of dying nor the anxieties of life can separate him from living daily for Christ as they loudly and joyfully sing the wondrous song of the inhabitants of Zion each passing day – this God is our God forever and ever: and he shall be our guide even unto death. Psalms 48:14.
They are not expected to depart without being desired (2 Chronicles 21:20) but to depart in peace and with joy, neither shall they die as the fools die (2 Samuel 3:33. Proverbs 1:32) but as over-comers and victors shall they be carried by angels at death and be taken to see and meet with the first fruits of them that slept –Christ. Acts 18: 9-11. 2 Peter 1:14-15.
Teach us to number our days, that we may apply our heart unto wisdom….one day in my early twenties as I became terribly wayward and rebellious in character (but I had a praying mother) my dad (God bless his sweet and loving soul in heaven) privately called me and asked this question, imagining you as my first boy (not the first born) who ought to be the leader and example in good things for your brothers and sisters to follow is doing all these stupid and foolish things, what are you expecting from and teaching your little siblings….teach us to number our days that we may apply our heart unto wisdom….was exactly what my dad did.
Divine wisdom has nothing to do with our calendar age (Job 32:9) and except Christ transform us and to live in us, if we will obey and walk after his steps, we are prone or likely to live a useless, wasted and meaningless life by chasing after the wind in a lost battle of life without God in the world and in the vanity of life throughout the appointed time our brief stay on earth…for all our days are passed away in thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. Job 7:1. Psalms 90: 9-10.
There is a spiritual additional arithmetic we must learn from God each year as we celebrates our birthday — though the calendar year is of no importance to eternal and immortal God (Psalms 39:5) that our lives might be lived out to fulfil the pleasure and purposes of him who has created all things for his pleasure. Revelation 4:11.
Now is the time to get the sum of our lives right with God in numbering our days to apply our heart unto divine wisdom in each day and year of our existence before the author and sustenance of life summons us to make his own final sum and assessments of us in the light of his word, if we have lived to self and world or for his Christ and glory….be ye not unwise (foolish) but understanding what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:17. Daniel 5:26.
Teach us to number our days, that we might apply our hearts unto wisdom…..this is in conjunction to increasing and perfecting obedience in our wise preparation for heaven as the wise will construct his house upon the rock against the time of terrible wind and tempest as he walk, stand and lives daily by the word of God, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as he have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving — Therefore whosoever hears these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock….. Matthew 7: 24 – 25. Job 28:28. As your days are so shall your strength be – your strength shall not fail you, the longer you live the strongest you’ll becoming (Deuteronomy 33:25).
God will furnish us with new strength and power each day and year (Psalms 68:35) to walk with him and to do his will if we set our heart unto them unless we have prepared to face divine wrath for an unfulfilled and wasted life in the services and servitude to the god and goddess of self and pleasure…..And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more. Luke 12: 47 – 48.