Defeating Death in Christ Alone

Revelation 20:4-6 presents a familiar scene in the book of Revelation. There are judges seated. Among the crowd are the saints who have given their lives for the cause of Christ.

This brings attention to a couple important themes.

The first one is that God has full rights to judge everything we do. He created us and set the world in motion. He made the laws that govern human behavior at its best and we only hurt ourselves when we violate His laws.

There are some judges presiding over this scene. The people there are free, really free. They are free because Jesus has absorbed all God’s wrath on their behalf. They aren’t encumbered by sin any longer. They aren’t shackled by what defined them before they knew Christ. Jesus is pleased to use them as He will and because they are free that makes them dangerous…. dangerous to ungodliness, sin, and its wreckage against humanity.

 Only those saints who are so convinced that God loves them and will really keep His promises no matter what would sacrifice their own heads, their own lives, for His sake. The sting of death is taken away in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If we really believe that enough to bank our very lives on that, then we can change the world in ways that will amaze us. It’s the kind of zeal that produced the Great Awakening or any other significant revival in the history of mankind.

When you’ve been judged already and been found wanting, you have little incentive to carry on. But if you begin to understand the gravity of Jesus transferring His own righteousness to your own account, you are then free to say things you never thought you could. You’ll find yourself telling your friends that Jesus really can fix their problems. You’ll believe deep down that God’s grace is sufficient. This is crucial when temptation comes and you’re confronted with the suggestion to throw grace away and live life your own way.

So, if grace really is enough, will any temptation captivate your heart?

The righteousness of Christ applied to you and me who are basing our ultimate hope on Jesus is radically transforming. If it hasn’t been so for you, then you haven’t made the Gospel good enough.

Grace takes the sting from death. Now how will you live?