1 Corinthians 15:56-57 (NKJV) The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
The law tells us what sin is and if someone were to die in sin without acknowledging Jesus Christ, the sting of death would send him right to hell. This is what is called the “second death” after the physical death and what makes people separated from God forever because there won’t be a second chance. However, the sting of death will lose its power over us when we have Jesus in our hearts because of the imputed righteousness.
2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NJKV) Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Therefore, even though we don’t get to choose when we will die physically, we can decide not to be separated from God spiritually by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour! The decision to be part of God’s family is made when we are on earth after the Gospel has been presented to us, and if we have rejected God when the Gospel was presented to us, or we have not heard the Gospel, the final judgement at the Great White Throne awaits us, and those whose names are not written in the Book of Life will be judged by God and thrown into the eternal fire.
Most people will struggle on their deathbeds unless they are believers in Jesus Christ. Now for those who are religious, death is a question mark (?) because they are uncertain whether they have done enough to be accepted by God. To those who are atheists, death is a full stop (.) because they think life has ceased to exist the moment they experience physical death, but their denial does not mean hell isn’t a reality. However, for Christians, death is an exclamation mark (!) because we get to live with God forever in a place where there are no more tears, sicknesses, sorrow, and pain!
Therefore, as believers, we should not grieve over the deaths of our loved ones for a prolonged period especially when our loved ones belong to Jesus! The most important thing is to ensure that they get to hear the Gospel and be saved.
Sermon Series: God’s Compelling Love
最要紧的事
哥林多前书15:56-57 死 的 毒 钩 就 是 罪 ， 罪 的 权 势 就 是 律 法 。 57感 谢 神 ， 使 我 们 藉 着 我 们 的 主 耶 稣 基 督 得 胜 。
律法告诉我们什么是罪，如果一个人还没认耶稣基督就死在了罪中，那么死的毒钩会把他直接送入地狱。这就是所谓继肉体死亡之后的“第二次死”。这第二次的死让人永远与神隔绝，因为机会只有一次。然而，当我们心中有了耶稣，死亡的毒钩就会失去它的威力，因为我们已被算为公义的了。
哥林多后书5:18-21一切都是出于 神，衪藉着基督使我们与衪和好，又将劝人与衪和好的职分赐给我们。 这就是 神在基督里叫世人与自己和好，不将他们的过犯归到他们身上，并且将这和好的道理托付了我们。所以，我们作基督的使者，就好像 神藉我们劝你们一般。我们替基督求你们与 神和好。神使那无罪的（“无罪”原文作“不知罪”），替我们成为罪，好叫我们在他里面成为 神的义。
因此，即使我们不能选择我们的肉体何时死去，我们却可以通过接受耶稣基督为我们的主和救主来决定我们的灵不与上帝分离！在福音呈现给我们之后，我们是否决定成为上帝家庭的一员，抑或拒绝上帝，或者我们从未听过福音，无论如何，谁都避不开那白色大宝座上的最后审判，那些名字没有写在生命册上的人将被上帝审判并投入那永恒的火湖里去。
大多数人会在临终前挣扎，除非他们是耶稣基督的信徒。现在，对于那些恪守教规的人来说，死亡是一个问号（？），因为他们不确定自己是否做了足够的工作来被上帝接纳。对于那些无神论者来说，死亡是一个句号（。），因为他们认为生命在他们经历肉体死亡的那一刻就不复存在了，但他们的否认并不意味着地狱不是现实。然而，对于基督徒来说，死亡是一个感叹号（！），因为我们终于可以在一个不再有眼泪、疾病、悲伤和痛苦的地方永远与上帝同住！
因此，作为信徒，我们不应该为亲人的死亡而长时间悲伤，尤其是当我们所爱的人属于耶稣时！最重要的事是确保他们能够听到福音并得救。
讲章系列：上帝那令人折服的爱
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