"Dead Or Alive"

"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  Romans 6:23

 

This past week we received word that Rev. Billy Graham had passed away.  Since then I have seen quotes of his posted in many places.  One that has stood out was:  "Some day you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don't you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God."  Why would he say such a thing?  When a person dies, don't they die?  

 

When mankind sinned through Adam, it brought sin and death into the world.  The Bible tells us that the wages of sin is death.  That doesn't only mean physical death but it is talking about spiritual death.  It refers to what happens to us after this physical body dies.  Because of our sins, we are spiritually dead.  Spiritual death is eternal damnation, it is eternal separation from God, it is eternal torment in a place called hell.  This was our destiny.  Everyone's.  No one would escape it.  

 

But because of God's great love for mankind-- even though we rebelled against Him, even though we sinned against Him, and even though we don't deserve His love and mercy-- God provided a way for us to escape spiritual death.  That way was Jesus.  Jesus came to give His life for us so that we could be forgiven of our sins, be reconciled to God, be made a new person on the inside and receive the gift of eternal life.  Accepting Jesus as your Savior and following Him as your Lord delivers you from the wages of sin-- eternal/spiritual death-- and it gives you eternal life.  This is why Rev. Graham could make that statement.  His hope in the life to come-- after death took his physical body-- was in Jesus Christ to give him eternal life-- a home in heaven and in the presence of God eternally, living in a mansion in heaven, never dying again, never touched by sickness, disease or suffering forever.  

 

Have you received Jesus Christ as your Savior?  Are you still facing the wages of sin when you die?  Do you know you will have eternal life?  Can you say the same thing he did?  Do you know that you will never face spiritual death but have eternal life in heaven?  "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live." John 11:25

Have a great day.  When you know Jesus as Savior, when you die, you aren't dead.