Last Enemy - The rules have changed

S. SEKOU ABODUNRIN

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 Tim 1:10


It seems that the light of revelation polarizes on this very verse. There are scattered here and there throughout scripture these places where there is a "polarization of light". The more you look, the more intense it gets. You cannot help but shout for joy as the truths of that verse of scripture dawn upon you. There is a purpose that God had before the world began and through grace this purpose has been given to you in Christ Jesus!

We will be looking at that little phrase “abolished death”

You almost want to hug each word in that verse. Only the grace of God that has been extended to us in Christ Jesus could have thought up such a plan. You realise that the Lord Jesus not only delivered us from sin, but he also abolished death! That is pregnant with meaning. The word that is translated as abolished there actually means, “to render useless” usually when you hear that kind of talk you shrug it off as some fantasy of certain impressionable minds. The trouble is that in this case this “rendering useless” is attributed to the Lord Jesus. If the word tells me that the Lord has rendered death useless I’d believe it. I did not render death useless, Jesus did. I might not have a full grasp of all that’s hidden within that abolishing, but I’d at least believe it.

You need to realise that death no longer has the power it once had; neither does it hold the sway it once did. Christ Jesus has abolished the reign of death. Just like you had to believe the good news of redemption and the provision of eternal life, you will have to come around to accepting this also - He that put away sin by the sacrifice of himself also abolished death by his endless life power.

Have you stopped to consider this fact: when the bible speaks about the way that the Lord Jesus dealt with the devil it uses terms and concepts that are radically different from that which he used is describing how the Lord dealt with death.

We are told, “that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;” Heb 2:14b

Did you notice that in dealing with the devil the Lord does not “abolish” him? Yet in dealing with death we are told he “abolished” death. The reason is that the devil is a spirit being and you cannot abolish a spirit being. Death on the other hand can be abolished, this in itself gives us some insight – death is not a spirit being, but a principle or law.

The fact that the bible talks about more than one type of death is also another indicator. In all, the bible speaks of three kinds of death – physical death, spiritual death and second death.

The implications of this are staggering. Knowledge of it will birth in you a firmer ground for dealing with death.

Contrary to traditional thinking, there is no spirit being called death that is roaming all over the world looking to keep some “appointment” with you.

Death is a law, a principle. The bible says, “The soul that sinneth shall die” in order words death is the end result of a process. To handle death then I learn to handle the things that trigger its operation. It is very much like a fellow who is angry that his wife gave birth to a baby, when he has done all that is required for a baby to be manifest. Like the natural law of pregnancies there was a conception, then a gestation period followed by the process for passing out the baby, then a baby “appears”. If you don’t want a baby, handle the process – don’t conceive.

The beloved apostle called it the law of sin and death.

In Christ Jesus we can effectively live above this law. We have passed out of the jurisdiction of the law of death by receiving the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. What remains is that you need to understand how to enforce your rights even in the face of death.

Death is not a phenomenon, but a law. That’s good news! You wonder why?

The apostle Paul did not say the “phenomena of sin and death”. If it were phenomena, then there is little or no way of handling it or predicting its operation and its occurrence. It is a law, and like all laws can be studied, it needs not be a mystery any longer – at least, not to you.

The word shows us that through death Jesus destroyed him that HAD the power of death. In order words, the devil no longer has the power of death. If you were to die anyhow it wouldn’t really be the devil running roughshod over you for he no longer has the “power of death”. It would be that you were cooperating with him in some capacity to affect the laws of death.

In the death of Jesus, we have the death of death itself.

The way to handle death has been brought to light through the gospel. The gospel is the power of God unto them that believe.

Am I saying that your body will not die physically? The answer depends on how much longer it is before the Lord comes for the church. If he were to come today, then I am saying you wouldn’t even die physically. If he were to tarry for 500 years, then you most likely will. The thing to note is that life and immortality is in your spirit right now and at the return of the Lord that same life and immortality will be operative in your body.

What do you do before that day comes? Learn how to live and not die! Learn to measure in little doses some of what your spirit already possesses to your outer man.

We do not currently see the full effects of the fact that death has been abolished, but our spirits has it already. As we participate more and more in the law of the spirit of life, we can enjoy little doses of this spiritual power in our physical bodies.

But of this you can be sure – Death will not have the last say. We will not all sleep.

The following words were given by prophecy in line with the message above.

There is, in the head of the church,
Even the exalted Lord Jesus,
An endless life power
Even resurrection life and ability.
There is in his body, such fullness
Even the fullness of that life.
And by faith’s operation you have been baptised
Into his body, yea into the living one
There has been communicated
To the spirits of those who believe this life
And the Spirit of life
Sent from the bosom of the father
Will teach your hearts
Not just sanctification and holiness
But the realities of life
So embrace and be embraced by
The fullness of God, yea the glory of him
For this life is light
Light for the whole man to rejoice in
So rejoice and measure out by faith
From the fullness that abides within
For the Lord of life is raised
And you can know even now
The working of his resurrection life
With power.