Marked Out Death Defeated

And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; Job 19:26

Death is a fact of life. Your attitude towards it, however, is where your Christian faith could come into its own. When you fully understand that this life is not all there is, you’re free from the fear of the ‘afterlife’.

Peter describes the Christians he’s writing to as ‘temporary residents and foreigners’’ (1 Peter 2:11). He was reminding them that they didn’t really belong to this world anyway. Their real home was with God. No matter what it says on your passport, your true citizenship is Heaven. That means our loyalty should be to God’s truth, His way of life and to His people. That should put your temper fit about not being able to watch the TV programs you want into perspective. When you put ‘set apart-ness’ into practice, you probably will feel like an alien in a foreign land. Not fitting in is par for the course if you want to be a true disciple.

But death isn’t the end of the matter. Christ offers us eternal never-ending life. ‘Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death where is your sting?’ (1 Corinthians 15:54-55) Jesus won the biggest battle ever waged, because He took your place for you. That’s worth living, and dying, for.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, like the Apostle Paul, I long to die and be with You. But You have yet to take me so let me get on with the work You would have me do. In Jesus’ Name, Amen