Thought For Today - January 13 - Christ, the Conqueror Of Death !

Visit us online at www.telehelppublications.com - - - Thought For Today - January 13 - - - CHRIST, THE CONQUEROR OF DEATH !- - - The ultimate and most feared enemy of all times for mankind is death, the cessation of physical life, the cessation, absence or opposite of spiritual life, spiritual and eternal ruin. God’s original plan for mankind in the creation was eternal everlasting existence in paradise. Death entered when sin entered into the realm of human existence. Since man was originally created to live forever, the thought of non existence or cessation of life creates terror and horror in the human mind. God proclaimed death to be the penalty for sin when man disobeyed God. God put mankind to a simple test, and mankind failed that test and the result was and is the death penalty. The bible gives us two descriptions of death, one being the separation of the soul from the body. The body returns to the dust of the earth from which it came, and the soul rises to go back to God to enjoy eternal bliss, or goes to a place separated from God to be judged by the word of God. The second and most fearful death is the death of the soul .which is the eternal everlasting separation of the spirit and soul from God the Father and creator to be forever tormented and suffer in hell. “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.: Romans 5:12. “And the lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; 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 2:16. God the Father is a loving God, full of grace and compassion. God saw the plight of mankind, that he was helpless to redeem himself from the penalty of death, and in the counsels of heaven he devised a plan by which death for mankind could be conquered . He became flesh and dwelt among us, and took the blame for our sin on himself and paid the ultimate penalty. Christ Jesus who is God in human flesh, came into the world to conquer death for all men. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16. Christ’s coming as the conqueror of death was foretold by the prophets. “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it.: Isaiah 25:8. Christ, the conqueror of death, has life in himself, and cannot be destroyed, and could never see corruption. He is qualified to be the conqueror of man’s most feared enemy. “Therefore did my heart revive, and my tongue was glad, moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither will thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption” Acts 2: 26.27. Christ defied death to hold him in its’ grip. He has all power over life and death.. He holds the keys to death and life. He was not martyred by sinful men, but he voluntarily laid down his own life so that he might claim it again along with all that he would save from the penalty of sin.. “Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father.” John 10; 17,18. While he walked on earth, Christ entered the realm of death to rescue its’ victims+ ”Now when he came to the gate of the city, behold there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her. And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, weep not , and he came and touched the bier; and they that bare him stood still. And he said, young man, I say unto the rise, and he that was dead sat up, and began to speak and he delivered him again to his mother.” Luke 7: 12-15. After Lazarus had been dead for four days, Jesus came to his tomb and said: take ye away the stone. Martha the sister of him that was dead saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith unto them , said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe thou should see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father I thank thee that thou has heard me and I know that thou hearest me always; but because of the people which stand by I said it that they may believe that thou hast sent me. And when he had spoken he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was bound with napkins. Jesus saith unto them, loose him, and let him go.” John 11: 39-44. Christ came and he died for our sins according to the scriptures, he was buried and rose again the third day. He demonstrated his power over death by his own resurrection. God promised through the prophets: “Concerning his son Jesus Christ our Lord which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” Romans 1: 3,4. Christ has the keys of death and the grave in his hand. He has the power to speak the word and all the graves shall be opened and the dead shall come forth. “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the grave shall her his voice, and shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.” John 5: 28,29. For the Christian, our blessed hope is in Christ our Lord who paid the price that we could never have paid for our sins. He has guaranteed to those who will receive him, that for them he is the conqueror of death. He holds the keys of hell and death. “I am he that liveth, and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and death.” Rev 1:18. Man has many enemies on earth, be that as it may, but his greatest enemy of all is death. We can be sure that Christ is the conqueror of death, and he will finally destroy it., “For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.” 1 Cor 15: 25,26. - - See more at www.telehelppublications.com - Click on - "Chapel Time"