Main Menu
Links
Bulletin
Board
Contact Us
A Life and Death Issue
Hopewell Church of Christ
March 28, 2004
Introduction
Moses, when 120 years old, said to Israel just before his death, "See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil." (Deut. 30:15.)
"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." (Deut. 30:19.)
The Mediator of the Second Covenant likewise said, "The thief comes not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10.)
In Christianity and preaching the Gospel, we are dealing with life and death issues. Therefore, we should be sober-minded and serious. There is a time for everything, said the preacher Solomon. (Eccl. 3:1-9.) There is a time for joy, laughter, and dancing. But concerning the Gospel’s message, we must be thoughtful and serious. Some biblical words are grave and sober (1 T 3:11), and sober-minded (Titus 2:6). The Bible also cautions about foolish talking and jesting. (Eph. 5:4.) These things are named along with fornication, covetousness and filthiness. There is a time for light-heartedness, but it ought not to characterize our lives. In the church and with the Gospel, we are dealing with life and death issues.
Festus once said, "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning does make you mad." Paul replied, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but I speak forth the words of truth and soberness." (Acts 26:24-25.)
It seems to me that it is a fair statement to say that those who are indifferent about the church and faithfulness to God do not understand what is at stake, or they do not believe God’s Word. God has set before us life and death. That is what we are choosing. Here are some biblical examples of life and death being set before us.
Adam and Eve
"But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." (Gen. 2:17.) Soon after the creation of man and the world, Adam and Eve were warned about what they chose to do. God set before them life and death, a blessing and a cursing. They could continue to eat of the tree of life as long as they did not choose the other. "The serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die." (Gen. 3:4.) But they did!
And so do we. "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." (Rom. 5:12.)
Many of the choices that we make in life are not so weighty. Life does not hang in the balance on every turn we make and everything we decide to do. But concerning our response and obedience to God, it does! When God says—I set before you this day life and death; choose life that you and your seed may live—that is exactly what is at stake.
The Flood
"And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them." (Gen. 6:5-7.)
Earlier the Lord said, "My spirit shall not always strive with man, for he is mortal. Yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." (6:3.)
All through the Bible, the serious consequence of life and death is always before man. The apostle Peter wrote that only eight souls were saved by water. (1 Peter 3:20.)
Sodom and Gomorrah
"And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. (Gen. 19:14.) "Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven. And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt." (Gen. 19:24-26.)
Abraham interceded for the city of Sodom because of his nephew, Lot, and his family. He asked the Lord if he would destroy if fifty righteous souls could be found there. The Lord replied that he would not. What if there are 45, 40, 30, 20, or 10? The Lord would not destroy it if he found only ten righteous people in the city. But ten could not be found! These cities of the plains were known for their lewd, sexual, homosexual behavior.
"In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire." (Jude 7, NIV.)
The angel announced that God would reign fire and brimstone upon the wicked cities. He set before them life and death; they chose death.
Nadab and Abihu
"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not. And there went out fire from the Lord and devoured them, and they died before the Lord." (Lev. 10:1-2.) Note the following verse.
"Then Moses said unto Aaron, This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will be sanctified in them that come nigh me, and before all the people I will be glorified. And Aaron held his peace." (10:3.) These were Aaron’s sons, but he was silent before the Lord.
Ananias and Sapphira
"And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things." (Acts 5:5.) "Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. And great fear came upon all the church and upon as many as heard these things." (5:10.)
This example in the early church shows that the same principle is at work—God has set before man life and death, a blessing and a cursing.
Others. . . In the words of the Hebrew writer, "time will not allow me tell about" Pharaoh and his army, the Canaanites, Achan, Ahab and Jezebel, Eli and his wicked sons, Hophni and Phinehas, Saul, Absalom and Ahithophel, the ten tribes of Israel in Assyrian captivity, Judah in Babylon, Haman, Nebuchadnezzar, Jonah, Judas, the rich young ruler, Herod, and Rome.
Time, likewise, will not allow me tell about those who chose life. Some are Noah, Abraham, Lot, Sarah, Rachel, Joseph, Moses, Rahab, Joshua, David, Daniel, Job, Jonah, Nehemiah, Peter, Matthew, James, John, Saul of Tarsus, Mary Magdalene, Mary, Martha, Lazarus, Joseph of Arimathea, Cornelius, Lydia, Stephen, Barnabas, and some in Caesar’s own household.
The Death of Jesus Christ
Jesus did not die for any sins of his own, because he did not sin. "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin." (1 John 3:5.) Isaiah said, "The Lord laid upon him the iniquity of us all." (53:6.)
"But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man." (Heb. 2:9.)
Recently, the question has been raised, Why did Jesus suffer so much? Why this death on the cross? It is the most important death in the Bible. His death sums up all the other examples. God has set before us life and death. He wants us to chose life that we may live. Jesus died so that we might be able to live eternally. Christianity is a life and death matter. Jesus' death shows it to be so.
Why Life and Death?
Why is Christianity so serious? Why does life and death hang in the balances? It does because of the following reasons.
Sin and disobedience. In every example, from Adam and Eve to our day, the reason why death is brought upon man is because of sin, rebellion and disobedience. "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life." (Rom. 6:23.) Sin, widespread sin, is the reason for the biblical flood in Noah’s day. Sexual perversion is the reason for the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah. Ananias and Sapphira died because they lied to the Holy Spirit of God. Nadab and Abihu died because they offered fire on the altar that God did not allow. Adam and Eve died because they ate of the forbidden fruit. Judas committed suicide because he betrayed the innocent blood. Jonah’s life was almost taken because he ran from the commission of God to preach to the Ninevites. We might add that he was punished because he reflected the old Israeli prejudice against the Assyrians. Jesus suffered and died because he was bearing the weight of our sins to the cross.
Another kind of death. There is another kind of death in addition to physical death. We are moved that every person from Adam’s day to this one dies physically, but that is not the whole story. There is a spiritual death or separation from God that is much more serious.
"And you hath he quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins." (Eph. 2:1.) The father of the prodigal son said, "This my son was dead and is alive again he was lost, and is found." (Luke 15:24.) These passages and many others are referring to spiritual death. The Lord said that Adam and Eve would die in the day that they partook of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. They did not physically die that day, but they were driven from the presence of God. Physical and spiritual death are both caused by sin.
The Bible speaks of a second death. "Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Rev. 20:14-15.) This is the death that we should fear. Jesus most often referred to physical death as being asleep. The Bible reserves the word, death, to speak of the second death. This is the real death because it is eternal in nature. It separates man from God and from any happiness and pleasure forever.
One who chooses to disobey God loses in every way. He does not have life and happiness now or eternally. Some who live in sin destroy their health and relationships with others. They live away from God and in rebellion to Him. In eternity, they experience the second death.
