Well I want you to turn back
with me to Hebrews chapter 2 this week, we started looking at it,
well we've had two messages already, the first one on the first four
verses and then up to verse 13. I want to come back and look
at verses 5 to 18 effectively again, because here there is
such a title to eternal life for the people of God. There
is such a divine legal title. to eternal life. What a blessing
it is to know that. You see, we're all mortal. All
of us are mortal, which means that we all face death. And when you look around this
world, you would say that the vast majority of people dread
death. And the reason why is clear.
It's because of the unknown. We don't know what... We see
somebody leave this world and we don't know what is it with
them. There's the issue of leaving
loved ones behind. There's the issue of the comforts
and the familiarity of life. Most people in this world dread
death and yet we all have to face it. What do we think about
this? It's so important. Those who
say they're Christians, those who say they believe the Lord
Jesus Christ and their trust and their hope is in him, they
believe the gospel promises. Gospel is good news, it's the
good news of God to his people about the salvation he's accomplished.
And his people believe gospel promises. They trust Christ. That means the same thing. They
trust him. They hear his gospel message. They hear the truth
about his cleansing from all sin and making fit for the presence
of God. And we trust him. Those who are
believers trust him. We hear his declaration that
death is abolished. I love that verse in Paul's second
epistle to Timothy. in the first chapter in verse
10, talking about Christ Jesus, he says, he is now made manifest
by the salvation that he saved us with. He's now made manifest
by the appearing of our savior, Jesus Christ. Listen to these
words. In this world, of death and the
fear of death, who has abolished death and has brought life and
immortality to light through the gospel. What a wonderful
word from the living God by his servant the apostle Paul, inspired
by the Holy Spirit to write that. What a wonderful promise from
God to his people. Has God in Christ secured your
salvation? Can you say, yes, that's me,
I know that I am among the people for whom Christ has paid the
penalty of sin and has died in my place? Do you have good reason
to confidently expect eternal bliss when this life is over?
Or are you, as it says in verse 15 of Hebrews 2, are you subject
all your lifetime to bondage? Why? Through the fear of death.
Deliver them who through the fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage. Let me ask you this question.
I saw it in somebody's bulletin this week. In fact, I might have
seen it in two people's bulletins, because I think one copied from
another. But if you had a disease that all would fear, but you
knew that you would wake tomorrow morning completely well, would
you fear going to sleep tonight? Of course not. Of course not. The Psalmist says, Psalm 4 verse
8, I will both lay me down and sleep in peace. Why? For thou,
Lord, only makest me to dwell in safety. God speaks peace to
his people. God gives reasons to trust and
to rest in him. He has accomplished, what does
it say in verse 3 of chapter 2, so great salvation. He has accomplished so great
salvation, be sure not to neglect it. How shall we escape if we
neglect it? As it says in verse 1 of chapter
2, take earnest heed, take the more earnest heed to the things
which we've heard concerning the gospel. In Hebrews chapter
2, God anchors his people to a solid, unmovable rock and no
storms of life, whatever they might be, you think of the troubles
and the issues that you have, no storms of life, however severe,
can dislodge you. can dislodge your anchor from
that solid rock. We have an anchor that keeps
the soul, and the rock to which we're anchored is the Lord Jesus
Christ, our God in Christ. So what is the purpose of God
for man? I want to think about this. We
read these verses right at the very start of the service in
Genesis chapter 1. The purpose of God for man, it
was to subdue the earth. God said, let us make man in
our image, in our likeness, and let them have dominion. Let man
have the purpose. God's declared purpose for man
is that man should have dominion over the whole of creation. Dominion
over the fish of the sea, over the fowl of the air, over the
cattle, over the earth, over every creeping thing. God created
man in his own image. In the image of God created he
him. Listen to this. Male and female created he him. Male and female. Not any number
on a great big spectrum that some depraved characters make
up. No, male and female created he
them, and God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful
and multiply, and replenish the earth and subdue it. The earth,
the creation, the kingdom of God. Subdue it, subdue it, have
dominion over it. That was the purpose of God for
man. How different, how different to the ideas and the views of
people that you hear getting a platform to spout their nonsense
today. No, man is made, unlike the rest
of the animals and the rest of creation, in which is life, the
life of God, but man is made in the image of God. in the image
of God. You know what it said in chapter
one about our Lord Jesus Christ, his son, the son of God? It said
he is the express image of the person of God. But man is made
in the image of God, a sentient being, a thinking being. You know that this is the case.
They try to prove, trying to prove evolution, how clever some
animals are, and a lot of conditioned behavior looks very impressive.
But only man thinks about why he's here. The animals don't
wonder why they're here. Only man does. And it gave him
dominion. He made Adam the viceroy over
his creation. He put him on probation, because
you know in the next chapter, chapter two, verses 16 and 17,
he said to Adam, he said, of all the trees in the garden,
you can eat, but of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil, you must not eat. For in the day that you
eat thereof, you shall surely die. So now jump forward to Hebrews
2 and verses 5 to 8. Verses 5 to 8, as I said last
week, quote Psalm 8. I'm not just preaching last week's
sermon again, but there's more to see. In verses 5 to 8, it
says this, unto the angels hath he not, God has not put in subjection
the world to come. We've been reading about God
putting subjection the world in creation in subjection to
man that he created in his own image. Not unto angels hath he
not put in subjection the world to come, the world to come, the
new heavens and the new earth whereof we speak. But one in
a certain place, the psalmist of Psalm 8, David, said this,
What is man? God, who is so great, so immense,
what is man that thou art mindful of him? Or the son of man that
thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower,
or for a little while lower than the angels. Thou crown'st him
with glory and honor, and didst set him over the works of thy
hands, dominion over creation. Thou hast put all things in subjection
under his feet. for in that he put all in subjection
under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. It doesn't
look that way, does it? That's what it says. But now,
now, now, we see not yet all things put under him. In this
present world, we see a mess. We don't see all things put under
man. Man was elevated above the angels. Man was destined to rule with
Christ over God's kingdom. Man, Adam, the first man, was
made the viceroy, the vice king of the kingdom of God. Not the
angels, they weren't made vice kings, the viceroy of the kingdom
of God. But Lucifer, Satan, was filled with envy. And in rebellion
against the will of God, he fermented the fall in Eden. He deceived
Eve so that she did that which God had said in the day, you
eat thereof, you shall surely die. And Adam ate with her. He fomented the fall to frustrate
God's purpose for man. That was Satan's purpose in the
fall and allowed to go ahead in the permissive will of God.
Adam was the federal head of all mankind. And of all mankind,
we read in the scriptures, there is none righteous, no, not one. And to be with God and to be
in his kingdom, we must be righteous. We must be as righteous as God
is righteous. For without that, we cannot be
there. All are barred from heaven. God cannot tolerate sin, but
God's eternal purpose must stand. What is his purpose? His purpose
is to put all things in subjection, not to the angels, but to man. Thou hast put all things in subjection
under his feet, verse 8. For in that he put all in subjection
under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now
we see not yet all things put under him. He put all things
in subjection to him. How? Because now we see not all
things put in subjection to him. We see not yet that purpose attained
in this world. So what do we see if we don't
see that yet? Answer verse 9. But we see Jesus. who was made for a little while
lower than the angels. Why was he made a little lower
than the angels, or for a little while lower than the angels?
For the suffering of death. For the suffering of death, that
by it he might save a people. And we see him crowned with glory
and honor, that he, by the grace of God, should taste death for
every man. We see Jesus. We see Jesus, the
second Adam. There was Adam created in the
garden, and then there's Jesus, the second Adam. Jesus, the Saviour,
that's his name, Saviour. We see him humbled to die, to
pay the penalty. I want you to turn to 1 Corinthians
chapter 15. 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 21. Just follow these verses with
me. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 21, for since by man came death,
how did it come? By Adam disobeying God. By Adam
doing that which God had said in the day that you do it, you
shall surely die. Since by man, since by Adam,
the name Adam means man, man means Adam. Since by Adam came
death, by man, by a man, came also the resurrection of the
dead. For since by one federal headman,
Adam, the first Adam, came death, by another man, by another man,
another federal head, came also the resurrection of the dead.
What do you mean, Paul? Verse 22. For as in Adam, as
the offspring of Adam all die, that's you and me and everybody,
even so in Christ shall all all those who are in Christ be made
alive. I want to be found in Him, said
Paul in Philippians. When it comes to that day of
judgment, where do you want to be? I want to be found in Him,
not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that
which is through faith of Christ Jesus. But every man in his own
order. Christ the firstfruits, afterward
they that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he
shall have delivered up the kingdom to God the Father, when he shall
have put down all rule and all authority and all power. For
he must reign, Christ must reign, till he hath put all enemies
under his feet. The last enemy that shall be
destroyed is death. Now turn over to verse 45 of
that same chapter, 1 Corinthians 15. And so it is written, the
first man, Adam, was made a living soul. The last Adam, we're speaking
about Christ, was made a quickening spirit. Truly man, God truly
became man. The last Adam was made a quickening
spirit. How be it? That which was not
first, which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward
that which is spiritual, the first man is of the earth. Earthy,
red earth it means. The second man, the second man,
the Lord Jesus Christ, who's he? The second man, the second
Adam, is the Lord from heaven. The last Adam, this quickening
spirit, he's the Lord, he's our God from heaven. As is the earthy,
Adam made from the dust of the earth, Such are they also that
are earthy. That's us by nature. And as is
the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. That's the
new man of the Spirit of God that's born again in the child
of God. And as we have born the image
of the earthy, Adam, we have the flesh, the sinful flesh of
Adam, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly. Inhabiting
this mortal flesh, isn't that a comforting word from God? we
shall also inhabit the heavenly. In Christ Jesus. in God incarnate. The purpose of God, what was
the purpose of God for man? That he should have dominion,
that all things should be put under him, in subjection to him.
It isn't accomplished by the angels, it isn't accomplished
by man descended from Adam, but in the Lord Jesus Christ it is
accomplished. It is not to the angels, but
to man in union with Christ, the second Adam. is authority
given over the world to come. Read that verse again, verse
5. To the angels he hasn't put in subjection the world to come,
whereof we speak, but he has put the world to come of which
we speak in subjection to man in union with Christ the second
Adam. And to them, to him, is authority
given over the world to come. Now here's the key question.
Am I one? of those men, and when I say
men of course you know I mean mankind, male and female created
he then. Am I one of those men in union
with Christ? Is that not the key question?
Is my name on that roll? I could put it another way. Is
my name written in the Lamb's book of life? Because as you
know from Revelation, that is so crucial. Is my name in the
Lamb's book of life? Am I one of those men in union
with Christ to which all things will be subdued and put in subjection? He talks about the redemption
of many sons. See there he said, We see Jesus
crowned with glory and honor that he, by the grace of God,
should taste death for every man. And I said last week, that
meant not that he should die for every man and woman without
exception that ever lived. That cannot possibly be. because
how would anybody go to hell? How would God judge if that was
the case? And that clearly isn't. What
it means is that he might taste the death of every one of those
that are put into union with him. The question is, has Jesus
tasted my death for me? Has he accomplished my death
for me? As Paul said in Galatians, Chapter
2, verse 20, is it? Yes, I think so. I am crucified
with Christ. Am I crucified with Christ? Nevertheless
I live, yet not I, but Christ lives in me. And the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God
who loved me and gave himself for me. Has Jesus tasted the
death that is due for my sins for me, in my place, in place
of me, as my substitute. Am I one, see it says there at
the end of verse nine, that he, by the grace of God, should taste
death for every man. Has he tasted my death for me? Because I am in union with him,
and he came and was made lower than the angels for a little
while, that he might suffer the death due to me in my place.
Has he tasted my death for me? Is he going to bring me as one
of the many sons? Look in verse 10. It became him. It was appropriate for him. It
was suitable for Christ, for whom are all things, and by whom
are all things, in bringing, not everybody, but many sons
unto glory. Am I among the many sons that
he is bringing to glory? Is he the captain of my salvation? Is he the leader? Is he the military
leader taking me into glory? Is he making Is he made perfect
through suffering in my place? Am I amongst, look at verse 11,
just follow down these verses, verse 11. He that sanctifieth,
that means makes holy, and they who are sanctified, they who
are made holy, one makes holy and there are people who are
made holy, they're all of one, they're all of the same thing,
they're in union together, for which cause he is not ashamed
to call them brethren. The holy God who cannot look
upon sin, cannot look upon sinners and say, they are my brethren,
except he accomplish the death that is due to their sins in
their place, that he tastes death for every one of them in bringing
them to glory. When he tastes death for them,
they are made the righteousness of God in him, and therefore
he is not ashamed to call this multitude, these people, am I
one of them? He is not ashamed to call us
brethren. He's made us holy in Him. How
has He made us holy? 2 Corinthians 5.21 tells us,
For God made Him, Jesus, who knew no sin, the Son of God,
become man. He made Him who knew no sin,
sinless, perfect. He made him who knew no sin to
be sin for us, to be my sin, to taste, to be loaded with my
sin that he might taste death for my sin in my place. Why? So that we who are in him, who
are united with him, might be made the righteousness of God
in him. And what's the glorious result
of that? Verse 12, saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren. I will declare the name of God. This is the Son of God. This
is the Lord Jesus Christ. This is God manifest, saying
to those he has redeemed from the curse of the law, I will
declare the name of God to my brethren. In the midst of the
church, I will sing praise to him. I am a member of Christ's
church. Christ's church we know from
other epistles. The church of Christ is the body
of Christ, the people for whom he died. He didn't die for everybody. I put an article that you might
think was a bit extreme in some ways in the bulletin about not
going to join in with the singing of Stainer's Crucifixion in an
old building down the road from here. And the reason why was
it just struck me. It said, for sins of man, all
sins of man since the world began were laid on him. The scripture
doesn't say that. The scripture says that Christ
bore the sins of his sheep. It was for his sheep, for the
transgressions of my people, not everybody, not for all sins. And because of that, I couldn't
go and sing it. Am I counted as one of the children that were
given by the Father to the Son? Verse 13, again, I will put my
trust in him, and again, behold I and the children which God
hath given me. This is the Lord Jesus Christ
with the people that he's redeemed, who he's going to lead into glory.
And in Isaiah chapter 8 and verse 18, it says, behold, I and the
children which he has given me, am I counted as one of those
children given by the Father to the Son, who is going to lead
into eternal glory? Am I one of his sheep, John chapter
10 and verse 11. I am the good shepherd, said
Jesus. And they hated him for saying this, the Jews, the Pharisees. I am the good shepherd. The good
shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. Am I among the sheep
that the father gave to the son? the ones for whom the good shepherd
gave his life. He gives his life for the sheep.
If I am, look down at verse 26 of John 10. Verse 26, he's saying
to the Pharisees, he's telling them, they don't believe him,
and he says, you believe not, because you are not of my sheep
as I said unto you my sheep hear my voice and I know them and
they follow me and I give them unto them eternal life and they
shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my
hand because my father who is God almighty God which gave them
me see a company given to Christ a multitude given to Christ of
children My father is greater than all, and no man is able
to pluck the sheep that he's given to him out of his hand.
And if you're one of his sheep, because you are one of his sheep,
because you were given by the father to the son before the
beginning of time, you will believe him when you hear the gospel.
And he said to those Pharisees, you don't believe because you
are not of my sheep. If you said that in the church
that's half a mile down the road from where we are now, as they
did to Jesus at Nazareth, they'd drag us out and they'd want to
throw us off the cliff into the sea at the end of the road. because
they hate that doctrine. But here it is. God has a people
whom he calls his sheep that he gave to his son to redeem
from the curse of the law. And you believe that testimony.
Because you're one of those sheep, you believe his son. If I believe
in him, I am among the multitude that John saw in Revelation 7
verse 9. And I beheld, and a multitude
which no man can number of every tongue and tribe and kindred,
a multi-ethnic multitude, chosen by the Father, given by the Father
to the Son in eternity, and given life by Christ in redeeming grace. If I am in that host of God's
elect, led by the Lord of hosts, I said it last week, lift up
your heads, Psalm 24, verse 10, O ye gates, and be ye lifted
up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come
in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts. He is the
King of glory. Why is he the Lord of hosts?
Because here am I and the children whom he has given me. Not all
men, without exception, but the multi-ethnic, innumerable multitude
chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, as Ephesians 1,
verse 4 tells us. in accordance with God's glorious
grace. If I am among that multitude,
I'm with Abel, not with Cain. I'm with Isaac, not with Ishmael. I'm with Jacob, not with Esau. I'm with Israel, not with the
nations round about. Those to whom it is given to
see the mystery of grace. You say, I don't like this doctrine.
You better either bow to what the scripture says or shake your
fist in the face of God. Matthew 13, verse 10. The disciples
came and said to him, to Jesus, why do you speak to the people
in parables? Listen to Jesus's answer and
ask yourself, how would this go down in most religion today? He answered and said unto them,
because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven. but to them it is not given.
For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more
abundance. But whosoever hath not, from
him shall be taken away even that he hath. Therefore speak
I to them in parables, because they, seeing, see not, and hearing,
they hear not, neither do they understand. And in them is fulfilled
the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear
and shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see and not perceive.
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull
of hearing, and their eyes are closed, lest at any time they
should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should
understand with their heart, and should be converted, and
I should heal them. But blessed are your eyes, for
they see, and your ears, for they hear. Religion doesn't like
that. So then let's go on, verse 14,
union with the seed of Abraham. The many sons that he's bringing
to glory inhabit flesh and blood. And in verse 14, the many sons,
it says, the children, the church, for then, for as much then as
the children are partakers of flesh and blood, you and me,
just the same, all humanity, He also himself took part of
the same flesh and blood. That through death, flesh and
blood dies. The life is in the blood, says
Deuteronomy. The life is in the blood. And
when the blood is shed, that person dies. That flesh and blood
dies. He himself, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the second Adam, took part of that flesh. He became as we are. That through death, through the
death of that body, we remember it in communion, the breaking
of bread and the drinking of wine. representing the broken
body and the shed blood, that through death he might destroy
him that had the power of death. That is the devil. The devil
has the power of death because as a result of the fall, we're
all in bondage to sin. We can do nothing other than
that which Adam did, and that's to sin against God. Sinful flesh
is under the curse of the law. The soul that sins, it shall
die. In the day you eat thereof, says
God, in that second chapter of Genesis, in the day you eat thereof
you shall surely die. If the children are to be redeemed
from the curse of the divine law against sin, fitting federal
head must die the death due to every one of them that's what
it said in verse 9 at the end of it he must taste death for
every it means every one of those that were put in him and we know
that this is true in Galatians chapter 3 and verse 10 It's written,
as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse,
for it's written, cursed is everyone that continues not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them. That's
quoting Deuteronomy. But jump forward to verse 13.
But Christ has redeemed us from that curse of the law. Christ
has redeemed, bought us, paid the release price from that curse.
Why? How? By being made that curse
for us, for it is written, cursed is everyone. that hangeth on
a tree. That's another quotation from
Deuteronomy, I think. Is it Deuteronomy? Yes, it is
Deuteronomy. He was hanged on a tree. when
he was nailed to the cross of Calvary. Only the blood of a
true man, a sinless man, can pay redemption's price. It says
in Romans 8 verse 3, God sending his own son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh. We know he
sent him in the likeness of sinful flesh. He's tempted, says Hebrews
4.15, in all points as we are, yet without sin. He was in the
likeness of sinful flesh, but he never sinned, he never committed
one sin. And therefore he was a sinless
man who could bear as a substitute, a perfect substitute, the sins
of a multitude. But he's only one man. And that
isn't enough. He has to be infinite God as
well. He must be infinite God and fully
man in one body. Only one in whose body dwelt,
as it says in Colossians 2 verse 9, only one in whose body dwelt
the fullness of the Godhead is there the capacity, the divine
infinite capacity to save an innumerable multitude. This is
our Jehovah, Jesus, being made his people sin, paying its penalty
to the full, and thereby disarming the accuser. You read that in
Revelation 12 verses 10 and 11. The accuser of the brethren is
cast down. Because the sins are paid for,
Satan's got no more accusation to bring. It says at the end
in Romans 8, 33 and 34, who shall bring any charge against God's
elect? The elect, the people, the children, the church, the
body of Christ. Who can bring any charge against
them? Christ has died. Christ has borne their sins.
There's no more sins to account for. He's completely disarmed
Satan. Read Matthew 12 and Colossians
1 that we read earlier. So who are the objects of this
gracious redemption, this guarantee of eternal salvation? Look in
verse 16. You see, he says, he will deliver
them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject
to bondage, delivered from that fear of death. For verily, verse
16, truly, he, the Lord Jesus Christ, our God in flesh, didn't
take on him the nature of angels. He didn't take hold of angels,
but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Oh, not Adam, no, Abraham. He took on him the seed of Abraham. He didn't take on him the angels,
a third of whom fell with Satan. He didn't take on him the seed
of Adam in general, all men and women. in the flesh by nature. No, no. But he took on him the
seed of Abraham. Not the physical descendants,
though it includes some who are Jews, descended from Abraham.
Not them, but spiritual, the spiritual descendants of Abraham.
Again, back in Galatians 3 verse 7, know ye therefore that they
which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
You couldn't have it clearer, could you? It's right there.
It doesn't need any convoluted understanding of complicated
language. They which are of faith, the same faith that Abraham had,
what was his faith in? The Lord Jesus Christ. And what
about the Lord Jesus Christ? The redemption that he would
accomplish by his shed blood as the Lamb of God, as the substitute,
as that which was pictured by him taking his own Isaac, his
only Isaac, and being prepared to sacrifice him in such a graphic
portrayal of that which Christ would do. They, those that have
that faith of Abraham, looking forward to that sacrifice of
the Lord Jesus Christ, they're his children. the children of
Abraham. And verse 16, now to Abraham
and his seed were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds,
as of many, but as of one, unto thy seed. Who was the seed of
Abraham? In the purposes of God, this
is why the genealogies were so important. Why was it so important? Because the seed of Abraham was
Christ. Christ came from Abraham. Read
the first chapter of Matthew. Read Luke chapter four with the
genealogy in there. And then verse 29 at the end
of the chapter. And if ye be Christ's, then are
ye Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. you're Abraham's
seed. If you're Christ's, you're the
seed of Abraham, because you're in union with Christ, who is
the seed of Abraham. This is the multitude redeemed
by the blood of Jesus Christ. And you know that 1 John chapter
one, very early on says, the blood of Jesus Christ, or is
it chapter two, chapter two, the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses
us from all sin, cleanses his people from all sin. By that
blood of Christ, we are fitted for the kingdom of God. These
are those who are in union with Christ from before the foundation
of the world. These are the people of God,
whose God is the Lord. You know, again and again, God
says, they shall be my people, and I will be their God. These
are the people whose God is the Lord. They are what it says in
Romans 8, 16, and 17, the children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God, inheritors
of all that is God's, heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ. Did he not say in Hebrews 1 verse
2 that Christ the Son is made heir of all things? Those who will judge the angels
and the 12 tribes are these people in union with Christ, this multitude,
this elect of God. As he is, it says in 1 John 4,
17, as Christ is, So are we in the world, in the reckoning of
God. God looks upon his children, on his church, on his elect,
as he looks upon Christ, the Son of God. Is it possible, is
it remotely possible, that divine justice will bar the Son of God
in union with Abraham's seed from entry to heaven? It's absolutely
impossible. God has decreed it. God has accomplished
it. God has done everything that
he might be just and justifier of those whose faith is in Christ. And so redemption is accomplished. There's certainty of heaven. for the church, for the body
of Christ, for you, if you're a member of that church. There's
certainty of heaven. This is what it means in Peter's
first epistle, chapter three, verse 15. Be ready always to
give a reason to anyone who asks you. Oh, you're not frightened
of dying. No, I'm not frightened of dying.
No, no. I have a confident hope that I will close my eyes, and
as Christ said to the thief on the cross, the penitent thief
on the cross, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Verily,
verily, I say unto you, this day you shall be with me in paradise. And I close my eyes to go to
sleep, and if God takes me this night, I know I will wake instantly
in paradise. There's a certainty of heaven
for the church, for the body of Christ. Is that your confidence? It's there in verse 12. That's
why we read so much about praise in heaven in Revelation. Is that
your confidence concerning your immortal soul? You say, well,
there's difficulties. because we are physical beings
and we have physical connections and yes, there is an apprehension
about death. You know what Paul said in Philippians
1, 21 to 23, he said that, he's talking about, he's a prisoner
and he knows he's going to be executed soon. And he says, but
I'm living now. And he said, for to me, to live
now is Christ. Life only has any meaning if
I have Christ. You know, think about that. You
claim to be a believer. Is your life's purpose dependent
on things that are all around you in this world, or is it,
as Paul said, for to me, to live is Christ? Well, what about dying,
Paul? To die is gain. But if I live
in the flesh, This is the fruit of my labor. Yet what shall I
choose? He said, he's got a job to do
here because there are people, churches, depending on his ministry. And when he said goodbye to the
elders on the beach at Miletus, they all knelt down and they
wept bitterly that they knew they wouldn't see him again in
this life. But he said, what to choose,
I don't know, I want not. For I'm in a straight betwixt
two, having a desire to depart, because the promise is so clear,
and to be with Christ, which is far better. Straight between
two, a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better,
or to stay here for what looks like the physical needs now.
Of course, as with Paul, Things in this life, things of this
life would seem to hold true believers here. But God, this
is the key point I want you to get, God, our Jehovah Jesus,
think who he is in his care and compassion. He will take perfect
care of all those things when the time comes that he calls
each one of us to their eternal home.