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Eternal Life

My dad would say very frequently “There are two things certain in life …. death and taxes”. I think for him it was more of a political statement than a spiritual one. No matter. It isn’t true.

In America, only half of the population pays income tax. Nonprofits don’t have to pay sales taxes or property taxes.

The one thing that is certain is death.

We aren’t immortal. We don’t last long. Like our dogs, we age and weaken. And die. | Psalm 49:12 (The Message Bible)

There is physical death and spiritual death. Jesus takes care of spiritual death.

Jesus died, was buried, and rose again on the third day. Through that historic event the power of death was broken. The Messiah’s subjection to death in payment for sin. He “became obedient unto death”; he died as a sacrifice for the sins of all; he descended into Hades, the place of the dead.

The major point is that he did not remain dead but defeated the devil, took the power (keys) of death, and ascended in victory. Jesus the Messiah worked not for his own benefit, but for those who commit themselves to him. By accepting a death he did not deserve, Jesus has broken the power of death for his followers.

Jesus came into the world to give life to the dead. That life-giving will not happen at the resurrection; it is already happening. All who commit themselves to Jesus pass immediately from death to life. Or, to put it another way, those who keep (obey) his words will never see death).

The point is that all who are outside the Messiah Jesus are already dead, and those trusting in Jesus are already enjoying life. The radical difference between the disciple of Jesus and the non-followers is a difference between life and death.

In Jesus, we have eternal life: “that everyone who believes in him [Jesus] will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16)

And again: “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.”

Source(s):

Elwell, W. A., & Beitzel, B. J. (1988). Death. In Baker encyclopedia of the Bible (Vol. 1, p. 603). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jn 3:16). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.

Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Jn 5:24). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.