CLEARING THE LAST HURDLE
by Pastor Dick
God has declared that spiritual death is abolished for all who belong to Christ (2 Tim.1:10). Jesus said, "Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die" (John 11:26). If you belong to Christ, don't let the devil, your flesh, your feelings, or anyone else ever tell you that you will die spiritually (be separated from God). The Lord promised never to leave or forsake you (Heb.13:5).
Now, we all must die physically, which could be described as passing through that dimensional curtain. There is loss of a body but no loss of life. Your body is only a temporary vehicle that gets you around while you are here on earth. The real you is your spirit that lives within and moves on when physical death occurs. The Bible says, ". . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"(Heb.9:27).
All will stand before God on Judgment Day. We, who belong to Jesus, will be there too, but will not be judged because we have already been declared innocent, even though we are guilty. Christ has taken our punishment through His death at Calvary. In other words, the whole of mankind has been given a pardon, but a gift must be accepted. People who are unwilling to repent (turn to God) cannot acquire it. How can anyone take possession of a gift if their back is turned, and they are walking away from the giver?
Suppose you were guilty of a crime that, according to the law, demanded punishment by death. Picture yourself waiting in a cell on death row. Then the day comes when the guard, while taking you to the electric chair, opens, not the door of the death chamber, but a door leading outside--to freedom--and says, "You may go free; your death sentence has been paid. A man who was innocent of any crime came in earlier and volunteered to be executed in your place. The law has been kept." (Jesus said, "I am not come to destroy (the law), but to fulfill" [Mat.5:17]). The guard goes on to explain, "The man gave you life by giving up his." Would you let his death be in vain by refusing the pardon, or would you accept your freedom with a thankful heart?
Anyone who receives God's forgiveness through Christ has been pardoned from sin by the highest authority, the Supreme Judge of the universe. God acquits the guilty and remains just because the death penalty was imposed on a substitute instead of on you and me and the rest of sinful mankind. No one who was carrying their own sin could take the penalty of another. The substitute had to be someone who was in a human body, yet sinless. Only the Son of God could meet that requirement.
But Christ could not be punished for sin in His holy, righteous state. Something horrible had to happen to Him first. His agony in Gethsemane was caused by the thought of what lay ahead. He knew He was going to become sin--your sin, my sin, and the sin of the human race. The Bible says, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him" (2 Cor.5:21).
Christ died for us. He bore our sin at Calvary. He became separated from His Father for the first time in all eternity. That is why He cried out on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?"(Mat.27:46). It was not easy for Him to abolish death for us.
What a relief to be pardoned by God. Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). God will view us, standing before Him, covered with garments of salvation and the robe of righteousness (Isa.61:10). But our works will be judged, some of which will make it through the refining fire and count toward a reward, while others, that we think are so great, will go up in smoke (1Cor.3:13).
So how should God's people look at that hurdle called death? Let us view it with eyes of faith. The Bible says, ". . . the righteous hath hope in his death"(Prov.14:32). This glorious hope is an anchor for our soul; it keeps us secure throughout life. The most wonderful words ever heard were the ones that the angels spoke to the women at the sepulcher: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen" (Luke 24:5,6). We have hope because of the resurrection of Jesus.
If you were given a trip to a beautiful vacation paradise to be taken sometime in the future, wouldn't you want to know what airline or cruise ship you were scheduled to travel on? Wouldn't you want to set some money aside, plan your wardrobe, and make sure your responsibilities were fulfilled before leaving? Wouldn't you be excited about it and want to tell your friends where you were going? Well, if you are in Christ, you are going on a wonderful trip. You are not sure of your exact departure time, but you are assured that your destination is heaven. You already have the right clothes to wear: your garment of righteousness that was woven for you by Jesus on the cross of Calvary! Your place in heaven is waiting for you. It has been prepared by Jesus (John 14:1-3). Everyone there is expecting you! A great welcome is awaiting you.
Suppose you were to visit a foreign country for the first time. Wouldn't you want someone there to meet you when you arrived who knows the language and could show you around and introduce you to others? Don't worry. The Lord has some special guides waiting to assist you on your heavenly journey. They are called angels. They are accustomed to heaven's environment, and they will escort you into the holy presence of God (Luke 16:22).
Now, please do not feel as if you lack faith if you are a Christian and you are not looking forward to death. The natural part of you has to act negative because it can only see the physical side of death, which is ugly. Your spiritual eyes, by faith, can look at it from God's viewpoint, and it is beautiful.
In the meantime, while you are still here upon earth waiting, why not make good use of the time you have left by guiding others to the pathway of the Tree of Life by telling them about Jesus? You can do many other good works in the name of the Lord, and you can allow the Holy Spirit to produce His fruit in your life, which will glorify God.
Don't be conformed to this world. It is not your permanent home; you are just passing through. You have been scheduled on a great trip to meet the Lord in a new way in your promised, glorified body, and to live with Him forever where there is no death, sorrow, crying or pain (Rev.21:4); and, needless to say, no more Satan, which means it will even be better than the Garden of Eden!
As for the hurdle of physical death, try not to worry about it. "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms" (Deut.33:27), and when you are in the Lord's arms, He will easily lift you over that hurdle and make your trip through death most enjoyable. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me" (Psalm 23:4).
The Bible teaches that perfect love casts
out fear (1 John 4:18). If you just look at what God did for you on the cross of
Calvary, you will never question His love for you; and when you are enjoying His
perfect love, you will find that your fears are all gone . . . even the fear of
death!