Unless otherwise stated, all scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible® (NASB), Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
Used by permission. www.Lockman.org
Death transmits itself through sin. Therefore wherever there is sin, there will definitely be death. Sin is actually the manifestation of death. It is the sign that death is present. 1 Corinthians 15:56 clearly says “The sting of death is sin.” That means whenever anyone sins, such a person has just been stung by death, that is, death has passed its venom which is death itself into the person. And immediately, the process of death begins.
Prior to the time of the restoration of the earth and the creation of man, the devil had already sinned. And when he sinned, death was immediately initiated. After the earth was restored and man was created, there was neither sin nor death in the new world of man. But for death to enter into the new world of man, the enemy, the devil lured Adam into sin. And immediately Adam was lured into sin, death instantly found expression in his world. Now, at any time you allow yourself to be lured into sin by the devil, you automatically welcome death into your world; there is no other result. And since Adam was in charge of the whole earth, death spread through him to the whole world. The world with everything in it became dead, and everything that subsequently enters into it also becomes dead. The Bible says in Romans 5:12:
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”
(Emphasis added).
Adam was the channel through which sin entered into the world. And sin was the channel through which death entered into the world. The same way it works even till now. Whoever sins will definitely experience death, because the door is already opened for death to come in. When the Lord says in Ezekiel 18:20 that “the person who sins will die,” He is not really giving a punishment to the sinner, but only stating the direct consequence of sin, which is death. The Lord clearly told Adam in Genesis 2:17:
“But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
(Emphasis added).
The Lord knew eating from that tree would automatically result in death. And that exactly was what happened when Adam disobeyed. He sinned, allowed death enter the world, and being the head, sin and death passed to everything under him. The whole world sank into darkness and death.
But thank God that was not the end. The Bible says in John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.”
Even while the entire world and its inhabitants were in darkness and experiencing death, the all loving God, Who is Light and Life, would not, because of His everlasting mercy, forsake them. He rather sent His only begotten Son into such a dark and dead world to shine His light in it and enliven all its inhabitants. He gave His Son to death that life might come into the world. He did not send His Son to condemn sinners but to save them through His Son. God knew there was no way for man to have life because there was nothing living again in the world. The whole creation was subjected to futility and corruption. And the only way was Christ.
Now, if that singular act of Adam could make the whole world dead and those that enter into it to become sinners, and consequently partakers of death, how much more will the work of Jesus Christ make whoever believes in Him righteous and experience life. The Bible says in Romans 5:15,17
“For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.”
If the sin; something so negative, of Adam; an ordinary man, could lead to the death of countless number of people, how much more will the grace of God, a very positive thing, transmit to many through Jesus Christ, who is the Maker of all men.
He had been sent to this dead world because only Him has life. John 1:4 says “In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.” And since death has entered into the world, darkness and all forms of confusion also had their place in it. So He also came into the world with light in Him. Whoever comes into Him, “will no longer walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12).
Darkness is covering the earth, and it will grow thicker as prophesied by the prophet. He said in Isaiah 60:2
“For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people”
Do you want to have life and experience light? The way is Christ. The prophet continued with a word of hope and said:
“But the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.” (KJV).
There is no any other solution to the death ravaging the world. Nothing else can supply life because they all have already been plagued by death. But Jesus has “come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10).
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