We live in an evil world. The time is growing closer to the time of the end. We discussed this spiritual battle that we are all in, we touched on the enemies we face:
We all do battle with the devil, or Satan. The Bible calls him the accuser. He was the one that introduced sin into the world through temptation of the flesh, as we saw in the garden with Adam and Eve.
We also fight the Flesh, or our sinful nature. We can be our own worst enemies. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are, by nature, sinners. The devil and the world appeals to our sinful nature.
Our enemy is the world, the culture in which we live, which is ruled by the devil. The world by its very makeup is full of sinners, and thereby in opposition to God. We, as Christians, are in the world, but we are not of the world.
But there is one last enemy:
1 Corinthians 15:26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. (all Bible quotes are from the NASB95)
Death as an enemy. Benjamin Franklin once said, “Two things are certain in life, Death and Taxes.” At last count, death is fatal to 100% of the population. There have been an estimated 110 billion that has ever lived in all of earth’s history. All but two (Enoch and Elijah) have died.
Today we look at our enemy of death and we, who are Christians and have Jesus as our Lord and Savior need to no longer fear death. Yes, short of Jesus’ coming, we all will face physical death, but that is not to be feared. Only those who are not saved, who are spiritual dead, need to fear death.
1 Corinthians 15:20–26
Hebrews 2:14–15
An Indiana cemetery has a tombstone over a hundred years old that bears this epitaph: "Pause, Stranger, when you pass me by, As you are now, so once was I. As I am now, so you will be, So prepare for death and follow me."
An unknown passerby had read those words and scratched this reply below them: "To follow you I’m not content, Until I know which way you went." The passerby was right, the important thing about death is what follows. Where are you going? [1]
As I had said earlier, death is 100% fatal.
Psalm 89:48 What man can live and not see death? Can he deliver his soul from the power of Sheol?
4000 years ago, Job asked the question
Job 14:14a “If a man dies, will he live again?
The fact is, the Bible plainly tells us that everyone will have an eternal existence and consciousness, but only those who know Jesus will have life. I believe everyone senses this eternal existence, though I sure many will deny it.
Ecclesiastes 3:11 He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.
There were those who rose from the dead or came back from the dead in the Bible, most notable is Lazarus. However, all these who returned to live a physical life, lived only to die again. Jesus is the only one to have been truly resurrected from the dead. That is to rise to never again die.
1 Corinthians 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
First fruits is an Old Testament term use in making an offering. First fruits meant more of the same to come. Death of our physical bodies will happen one day short of Christ coming again for his own. Death of a believer is referred to as “sleep” in the NT. Why, because the believer will awake to life with Jesus. Those who sleep in the Lord will rise again.
1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.
For those in Christ who will rise again, rise again to never die, in Revelation, it is called the first resurrection.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
Being in the first resurrection means no more death. The first resurrection has already started – Jesus is the first. Those who sleep in Christ will be next. Others like Lazarus, rose only to die again –
Lazarus coming to life was not part of this resurrection. His subsequent death was not the second death either, and that will be defined in a few minutes. Skip a moment to verse 23:
1 Corinthians 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming,
Jesus was resurrected from the dead first, resurrected to never die again. Those who died in Christ is next and we who remain till Christ’s coming will be caught up with them in the air. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). Paul explains physical death.
1 Corinthians 15:21–22 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.
Key word in this verse is the word “in,” as in “in Adam” and “in Christ.” The fact of the matter is, we all are “in Adam,” but not everyone is “in Christ” All who are in Christ will be made alive. Here is the reality of the physical death to our physical bodies:
Genesis 3:19 By the sweat of your face You will eat bread, Till you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.”
One day all our physical bodies will become worm food. From dust we came and to dust we will return. By Adam and because of Adam we all sin. And because all sin, all will die.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all have sinned
Romans 6:23a For the wages of sin is death …
Death here is clearly both physical and spiritual death. Those who are not in Christ are dead – they just don’t know it. The question this morning is: Are you in Christ? or are you still just in Adam? Those in Christ have life.
Hebrews 2:14 Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
Jesus defeated the devil at the cross. But how did that work? What was the power of death the devil possessed? Other translation have “destroy him who had the power of death.” The Greek word used here means more of “to make idle, inactive, or inoperative.” The NASB is closer the Greek in this regard, “to make powerless.” The devil’s destruction is yet to come, yet his power over death has been taken away.
To see how was the devil made powerless, we need to look at the power the devil did have. As we had covered 3 weeks ago, the devil, or Satan, which means accuser in the Hebrew was the one who accuses the saints day and night before the throne of God (Revelation 12:10). As the prosecuting attorney, Satan demands death for all those who sin. For all have sinned and the wages of sin is death. Jesus on the cross took the penalty of sin on Himself, sparing all of humanity, all who would accept and believe. The only weapon Satan has is the fear of death and now that is no longer viable.
Hebrews 2:15 and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.
We are not to fear death. We are not to let the threat of death control our lives and our witness. Herein is the Gospel! Listen to these words of Jesus:
John 11:25–26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
Now physical death has yet to be done away with. Jesus tells us not to fear physical death and we are not to even to fear those who can physically snuff out our physical lives:
Matthew 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
But physical death will be destroyed, and that will come at the end of time which is when the final judgment takes place. In the meanwhile those who are not “in Christ,” those who have not accepted what Jesus has done for them on the cross, death is to be greatly feared.
In Revelation 20 we have record of the resurrection of the dead. Note the difference here. Not “resurrection from the dead” for that speak of Jesus and those who are saved. “Resurrection of the dead” is the resurrection of the unsaved. This comes at the end of the millennium. This is the second resurrection.
Revelation 20:13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds.
Judgment day, all the unsaved will be resurrected and all will stand before the Great White Throne where Jesus will sit in judgment. It is at that time that death will be completely done away with.
Revelation 20:14–15 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Death and the grave (Hades) will be done away. And right after that, all whose names are not in the book of life will go into the lake of fire after them. Revelation 20:10 reports the first ones into the lake of fire will be the beast and the false prophet, followed by the devil. The lake of fire is where they will be in torment day and night forever and ever.
The Bible teaches, everyone will be resurrected – but the wicked dead, those who do not know Jesus will be in the second resurrection and will face judgment. And this called “the second death.” And there they will face everlasting death and torment. I don’t know about you, I would rather be with Jesus and experience everlasting life where death has been forever abolished.
Revelation 21:4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
Destroying death will complete the work of Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:24–26 then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.
The final thing abolished is death. In the meanwhile, death has no enteral power over us, we who truly believe. Paul explains there is coming that day, when our bodies will change from the perishable to the imperishable. The KJV say from the corruptible to the incorruptible.
1 Corinthians 15:54–55 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. 55 O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?”
What side of death will you be on come that day?
It is all about Jesus and all about knowing Him. Death has no hold over those who are in Him. Are you still just “in Adam?” Or are you “in Jesus?”
[1] Michael P. Green, 1500 Illustrations for Biblical Preaching (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2000), 89.
