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Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:4
D.L. MOODY
Suppose there was a law that man should not steal, but no penalty was attached to stealing; some man would have my pocketbook before the day was over. If I threatened to have him arrested, he would snap his fingers in my face. He would not fear the law if there was no penalty. It is not the law that people are afraid of, it is the penalty for transgression.
Do not suppose God has made a law without a penalty. What an absurd thing it would be! The penalty for sin is death: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). If I have sinned, I must die or get somebody to die for me. If the Bible doesn’t teach that, it doesn’t teach anything. And that is where the atonement of Jesus Christ comes in.
ERWIN LUTZER
The Black Death killed many millions of people in the 1300s. But there is another epidemic in the human race. Everyone has caught it and, in every instance, it leads to death. I am referring to the poison of sin, which has infected the human race with a plague.
Interestingly, if you read a biography of D.L. Moody, you would discover he feared death as a young man but, as he grew older, he feared it no more. He learned that physical death is the natural consequence of our sin, but spiritually, we go on living. For believers, our eternal life will be in the presence of God. Just as we are punished for Adam’s sin, we get credited with the righteousness of Jesus Christ—if we trust in Him. And, because He lives, we shall also live (John 14:19).
Let us honestly confront our own mortality; let us live for the reality of eternity, not just for the moment. We are not promised that the path to our death will be smooth, but thanks to Christ, we are promised a safe landing.
PRAYER
Father, thank you for Jesus, and that in Him, death has lost its sting. Wean me from earthly values and may I seek that which is above.REFLECTION QUESTIONS
How does knowing that your future is secure in Christ affect the way you view death and eternity?
What are you most thankful for in your life with Christ?