We're Dead

The greatest news of our time, of any time, is that we are dead. It is not just “us”—those who believe in Christ Jesus, but everyone in the whole space and time we call the world. This wonderful news burst on me the other day and I want to share it with you-may you find it truly good news-the best news ever. First, let me define a few terms: Dead and death: Scripture speaks of death in a number of ways. We have the death which is the cessation of physical life. “He had a heart attack and died.” We put these people in the ground where they rot and return to their component elements. Another dead death is what Paul calls being “dead in our transgressions and sins.” Ephesians 2:1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, It is the third of these deaths which is the good news. This death is a death to the death of transgressions and sins. We are dead to sins and Sin. I’m not going to define all that that means-it would take many too many words. But here it is: Ephesians 2:4, 5 Because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions -- it is by grace you have been saved. We are made alive by the grace of God. One of the foundations of Christianity. But wait, it gets better! Not only are we (the body of Christ) dead but all mankind. “How can I say that? Well, it is not I who said it, but Paul: If For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 2 Corinthians: 13-15 This death, the death that is in Jesus, is the death spoken of in what I call “the bloody Psalms.” These Psalms talk of death and destruction to the Lord’s enemies. In reality they speak of dying to that death into which we were born, the death of sin. When David cries out for the death of his enemies, when he talks of Yahweh wading in the blood of His enemies, he is looking forward to a time when sin itself will die and that part of us which is in harmony with that death will die. Revelation has some gruesome scenes as well and are also predictive of this time. John speaks of blood coming out of the wine-press of God’s wrath in such volumes that it will be “to the horse’s bridles.” This horrific image would make God the greatest of all terrorists if it were not symbolic. But in symbol, it becomes a beautiful representation of that process by which dying to self, we become alive to God and that life which cannot be taken from us. Death is never pleasant topic. But this death takes a new turn in the road in the salvation story. May we embrace this death an rejoice in it when It happens to us. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death. Surely God will crush the heads of his enemies, the hairy crowns of those who go on in their sins. The Lord says, "I will bring them from Bashan; I will bring them from the depths of the sea, that you may plunge your feet in the blood of your foes, while the tongues of your dogs have their share." Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and King into the sanctuary. In front are the singers, after them the musicians; with them are the maidens playing tambourines. “Praise God in the great congregation; praise the LORD in the assembly of Israel.” There is the little tribe of Benjamin, leading them, there the great throng of Judah's princes, and there the princes of Zebulun and of Naphtali. Summon your power, O God; show us your strength, O God, as you have done before. Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring you gifts. Rebuke the beast among the reeds, the herd of bulls among the calves of the nations. Humbled, may it bring bars of silver. Scatter the nations who delight in war. Envoys will come from Egypt; Cush will submit herself to God. Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord, Selah Psalm 68 20-33 Revelation 14:19 So the angel swung his sickle to the earth and gathered the clusters from the vine of the earth, and threw them into the great wine press of the wrath of God. 20 And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out from the wine press, up to the horses' bridles, for a distance of two hundred miles. knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:6-11