NOT SUBJECT TO DEATH
Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.
(1 Corinthians 15:51)
Hebrews 9:27 has been misunderstood by many for so long. It says, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” For many people, this means “We must all die someday; everyone has an appointed time to die.” But no; they’re wrong. It’s not true that everybody has to die. The Bible doesn’t say “it’s appointed to men to die.” There’s a difference between “it is appointed unto men to die” and “…as it is appointed unto men once to die….”
In the latter, the argument is on how many times they should die, not that they must die. It can be rewritten as “Because they’re not supposed to die more than once….” That is, Christ was the sacrifice, and because they’re not supposed to die more than once, Christ, therefore, was offered to die once and for all. Now that He has died, it means death is no longer compulsory. That’s the meaning of that scripture, not that men have an appointed date with death.
Death isn’t from God; it’s an enemy, and it has been defeated, awaiting destruction: “For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). “Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:9-10). When you’re born again, you’re born into life and immortality— “deathlessness”!
Now you can understand why our theme verse says, “...We shall not all sleep...”; meaning that we shall not all die. It’s telling us everybody isn’t going to die. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says when Jesus comes back, the dead in Christ (Christians who had died) shall rise first, and then it says, “...we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds….” That means everybody didn’t die!
You’re not subject to death. Eternal life—the God-life, the very essence of divinity—was imparted to your spirit when you received Christ. The Scriptures declare that if you have the Son of God, you have that life. But you must have the knowledge of it and live every day with the consciousness of this reality, a consciousness of life, not death. Praise God!
FURTHER STUDY:
|| 1 John 3:14 KJV We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. ||
|| 1 Corinthians 15:51-57 KJV Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. ||
CONFESSION
I’ve been brought from humanity to eternity, for the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from death and the law of sin. In my path, there’s no death! I walk only in the path of life. I’m death-free, whether it’s death in finances, business, job, health, it makes no difference. I’m forever off death’s limits! Hallelujah!
A Rhapsody of Realities Daily Devotional, March 2022
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