Death, the conqueror

Death, the conqueror of all, is set before us in the Word of God in three ways: spiritual death, physical death, and eternal death. We were all born in spiritual death, “dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph. 2:1; Rom. 5:12). Because we are sinners, all must die physically. Physical death is the separation of the soul from the body. “The body without the spirit is dead” (James 2:16). Eternal death is the everlasting separation both of body and soul from God to all eternity. “Fear him, which after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him” (Luke 12:5). But, the Lord Jesus Christ has made his elect conquerors of that great conqueror of men, Death. He has delivered us from spiritual death and from eternal death in hell by putting spiritual life in us by the new birth. He has even delivered us from physical death by making the death of our bodies the avenue by which we enter into the blessed fulness of spiritual life without sin. And, at the last day, he shall even raise our bodies from the dust of mortality into the glory of immortality, transforming our natural bodies into spiritual bodies (1 Cor. 15:42-58). Therefore, he declares, “Whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die” (John 11:26). If I am assured of God my Savior that I shall never die, how absurd, how dishonoring to him it would be to him for me to fear death!