Death Not Intended
Notes
Transcript
In the past few weeks, there seems to have been an overabundance of loss, most due to tragic events. I have counseled with people who are having a tough time coping with death, and with the seeming finality that surrounds death. It is made harder, it seems, when someone dies in a tragic manner and at a younger age.
In talking to others, one resounding theme seems to resonate - death makes us uneasy. Death brings us sadness. Death is something we don’t want to truly talk about or deal with. But today, I want to encourage you, death for a believer is only the beginning. You see, earth is the only heaven a sinner will ever see. Earth is the only hell a believer will experience. We have assurance that we will live an eternity with God and our Savior, Jesus Christ upon our physical death.
One other thing to keep in mind is this - there can be two deaths. One is the physical death, the second the spiritual death that leads to eternal separation from God.
Death can be defined as the cessation of physical life; or can also refer to a spiritual state of separation from God. When God created this world, it was not intended for death to be a part of it.
The Way It Was Intended To Be
The Way It Was Intended To Be
26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.
28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.
30 And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
Everything was very good. Very good indicated completeness in all God had created in the universe. He was perfectly satisfied with His creation, it was perfect. Eden had been created for man, and as such, God had made the most perfect place imaginable for man to live. It was literally paradise, and nothing else could be asked for or wanted.
But…something happened. Something changed this utopia. Now close your eyes and imagine this…everything you could have ever dreamed for surrounds you. Sin is not present. God speaks with you daily, walking with you in the garden “in the cool of the day”.
You even have a tree dedicated to your perpetual life…the Tree of Life. I have often wondered, if God placed the tree of life in the Garden did He intend His creation (man) to live forever, or in perpetuity? Did God provide not a fountain of youth, but a literal tree of immortality? I do believe this certainly IS the case, because after sin entered…they were cast out of the garden.
22 Then the Lord God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—”
You only have one command. Do not eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil or…what will happen? God did warn them.
Warning Given
Warning Given
Genesis 2:15–17 (ESV)
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden,
17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
Was the tree itself sinful? No, God could not have created something sinful and still have called this universe “very good” now could He? God created everything good, but He set boundaries. Man’s purpose was to know and do God’s will and grace. God wanted to abundantly bless man. God wanted to share His blessings. So He created the paradise of Eden for man - a place where man could behold all the splendor, beauty, provision, fellowship, and perfection of God’s goodness and grace.
What purpose did man have in the garden? To look after it, to work in it, to cultivate it, manicure it, care for and tend it. He was the guardian of the Garden. He had responsibility. He was to do the work of God.
Even though man and woman were placed in perfection, God still expected obedience. Do not eat of the tree of knowledge.
You see, God put man on earth with a free will. God wanted us to CHOOSE to follow His will for our lives. He desired love, worship, and fellowship, but He would not force anyone to do so against their will. He provided everything we could have ever wanted…but we blew it.
Somewhere between God telling Adam to not eat of the tree of knowledge, and the time they did…there was the fall of Satan.
12 “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low!
We do not know the exact time…but we know there was a rebellion in heaven. Because of that rebellion, Satan and his followers were cast from heaven.
18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
They now roam this world creating the same chaos as the time of Adam and Eve. Why would Adam and Eve choose to sin? Why would they risk losing all the goodness and perfection God had given them? Simply because they could. It was their free will that was challenged…and they failed to follow God.
BUT God’s purpose for man has not been defeated despite the sin of Adam. God will not allow His purpose to be defeated, not ever—not by anything nor by anyone. Everything that was lost by Adam’s sin has been regained by Christ. How? By Christ’s death. Remember: God’s purpose for creating man is to show man the riches of His goodness and grace. No greater love could ever be shown than for God to give His Son to die for the sins of man. This is exactly what happened in the death of Christ. The summit of goodness and grace is seen in this: God gave His Son to bear the condemnation, punishment, and judgment for man’s sin. When a man believes that Christ died for him, God takes that man’s belief and counts it as the death of Christ. God counts the man as having died with Christ. The man’s punishment has therefore been paid: he has died with Christ. Consequently, he is freed from sin: he stands perfect and acceptable to God. By Christ—by faith in Christ—man is freed from sin; man is able to be restored to perfection and righteousness.
Sin, and Death
Sin, and Death
3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ”
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.
Temptation entered the world. Temptation caused doubt. Doubt caused Questions. Questions caused Sin.
I have often said it, and I will continue to say it…If Satan could convince God’s creation, made in His own image and likeness, to question God’s Word and cause THEM to sin…do we really have a chance?
Everything was perfect. Everything was pleasing. Everything was the way God intended…until Satan placed doubt and questions in the heart of Eve.
Genesis 3:1 (ESV)
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?”
Satan questioned Eve about the Word of God. “Did God actually say”? Out of nowhere, something terrible happened: evil appeared in the form of an evil creature. Where in the world did the creature come from? Was not man in the Garden of Eden, in paradise itself?
“Yes!” The answer to these questions is, “Yes. God did create all things good, and He did give man paradise in which to live.”
But, if this is so, who is this evil creature and where did he come from? How did he get upon earth and into the Garden of Eden, the paradise of earth?
Apparently this serpent was the most magnificent beast Adam and Eve had ever seen. While the word serpent is used, we do not know if this refers to the manifestation of Satan or whether Satan may have made his form to look like a serpent. Regardless, this being did not scare Adam or Eve. Again, notice the wording used in tempting Eve. “Did God”? Notice he did not say, now God didn’t say it that way. No, that could have thrown up too many flag and caused issues. Subtly, eloquently, and mischievously placing the seed of doubt. Just as Satan caused the fall of himself and his followers, he placed the doubt into the minds of God’s creation, caused the fall of mankind, and death entered the world…both physically as Adam and Eve were banned from the Tree of Life, but spiritually separating us from our Creator God.
Now, Satan has whatever control God allows him to have over the earth. He influences us and this world today. But that’s not the end of the story. You see, Satan can only rule for a short period of time and then God will judge Satan, his followers, and they will be separated from God for eternally. The second death. The spiritual death.
Conclusion
Conclusion
So, why do we hate death so much? Because we chose to separate ourselves from God spiritually. Period. It was NOT the way He intended it to be. He wanted to commune with us, talk with us, see us tend His Creation. But, we willfully and defiantly choose to sin, just like Adam and Eve, and it brings death and eternal separation IF we do not change our ways. Unless spiritual death is reversed in this life, the result will be eternal death. This is unending separation between God and all who reject Him.
Thankfully, God did not allow that sin to end the story. We still have hope through the blood of Jesus. And today all we have to do is Repent, Confess and receive Jesus Christ.
If you are afraid of death, it could be because you’re not yet born again and haven’t received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. You can receive the gift of God which is eternal life in Christ Jesus. Knowing that your future is secure will help you overcome the fear of death.
It’s never too late…until it’s eternally too late.
7 Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.
God rejoices when ANY sinner repents and turns to Him. Remember the thief who was hung on the cross next to Jesus? He repented in the final moments of his life on earth. And Jesus assured him that his place in heaven was guaranteed. Jesus gives us this same assurance today. We no longer have to fear death, but can confidently confess Jesus as our Lord and Savior has taken death (spiritual, eternal) away from us.
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers,
39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing can separate us from Him…if we believe.
Today will you believe? Will you follow Jesus as your personal Savior? Will you escape eternal death? The choice is yours.