Category Archives: Death

Martyrs singing hymns in the Coliseum
Bible, Death, Eternity, Freedom, Grace, Hebrews, Scripture

DYING GRACE ON DYING DAYS

HEBREWS 2:15

“and free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”

My late brother-in-law, Dr. Wayne Barber, used to employ those words at funerals. As a pastor, he quite often was with Christians as they prepared to give up this earthly vessel. He would comment on the peace these believers had at the very doors of death and would say they received the grace they needed on that day, thus, dying grace on dying days.

The writer of Hebrews continues to alleviate the fears of death for us as believers at the prospect of dying physically. Barnes says it well in his commentary on this verse. “The dread of death may be removed by the work of Christ, and they who had been subject to constant alarms on account of it may be brought to look on it with calmness and peace; and ultimately they will be brought to a world where it will be wholly unknown…Death conducts them to heaven. A Christian has nothing to fear in death; nothing beyond the grave. In no part of the universe has he anything to dread, for God is his friend, and he will be his Protector everywhere. On the dying bed; in the grave; on the way up to the judgment; at the solemn tribunal; and in the eternal world, he is under the eye and the protection of his Saviour – and of what should he be afraid?” That pretty much sums it up, don’t you think?

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

May I suggest that there is a Command to Obey here? While it may not be spelled out that abruptly in the text, I believe we are told here, “Do Not Fear!” Oh, don’t those words stir up verses in your head? In Joshua 1:9, the Lord told Joshua, “‘Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not be terrified nor dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.’” That still applies to us today, even on the deathbed. The Lord will accompany you in those final breaths.

The reference to “slavery” in our text has to do with the way many feared death. They were in bondage to the fear surrounding it. Remember, many of these believers were under constant threat of persecution or even death. But I have a picture in my mind of the early martyrs who huddled together and sang hymns while they were in the Coliseum waiting to be killed by lions. That is truly dying grace on dying days.

We are all mortal. We will all succumb to death at some point unless the Lord returns. We, however, as followers of Christ are free from the shackles of death. We embrace it knowing we will see Jesus face to face. Do not fear, beloved, the Lord is with you.

Words cannot express the peace that is ours when we embrace death as a follower of Christ.

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Plate of green peas seasoned with herbs on a rustic wooden table
Bible, Death, Glory, Hebrews, Honor, Sacrifice, Scripture, Tasting

TASTING

HEBREWS 2:9

“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of His suffering death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.”

For several years I was one of the judges for our church’s chili contest when we lived in Chattanooga. Now, I love a good chili. So, I looked forward to tasting some of the best chili recipes in the church. However,…there were some chilis that were not so good. Some even were horrible. That sounds bad, doesn’t it? Fortunately, I can’t remember whose chili they were so I can’t name names, lol. Let’s just say it took a minute for my taste buds to get over those bad ones.

The analogy the writer uses here for Jesus’ sacrificial death is one that is employed by other writers in Scripture. We see these same words used by our Savior in the gospels (Matthew 16:28; Mark 9:1; Luke 9:27) where He says, “‘Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.’” This expression was a familiar “Hebraism” back then. As Barnes explains, “Death seems to be represented as something bitter and unpalatable – something unpleasant – as an object may be to the taste.”

ASK QUESTIONS (Command to Obey, Promise to claim, Sin to avoid, Application to make, Something new about God)

Let’s call this an Application to make. As believers, our taste buds have been changed toward death. When I was a little boy, my mama used to cook LeSeur English peas all the time. You know, those little green, round peas in a can. I hated the smell and the taste of those peas. Now, I love those peas. I even like them cold in a salad. Call me strange, but my English pea taste buds have changed.

That applies to our view of death as followers of Christ. Why is that? Because our taste buds have changed spiritually. The Topical Lexicon says this about the verb “taste” used in our verse today. “The New Testament consistently employs this verb to connect bodily sensation with spiritual reality. It invites every reader to move from observation to participation—personally to taste, and thereby to know, that the Lord is indeed good.” We see that spelled out clearly in the following verse. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!” (Psalm 34:8)

Now that we have new taste buds related to death, we don’t fear tasting it. I am not saying death is a pleasant thing, but it should not hold a bitter taste in our mouth. For the follower of Christ, death is just a portal from this world to our heavenly home. What is bitter about that? We will never taste a spiritual death as children of God. That’s the bitter death. Let’s do all we can to help people change their taste buds.

Lord, thank You for changing my taste buds. I have tasted and can say that You are good.

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Wooden cross on a hill with sunset behind and a valley with hills and river
Bible, Death, Life, Lord, Resurrection, Romans, Sacrifice, Scripture

DEAD OR ALIVE

ROMANS 14:9

“For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.”

It is always important to know the reason something is done if you are going to do it. When workers can see the finished product, they are more likely to take interest in their work. If all they see are the piece they assemble time and time again, they will never see the overall purpose of their work. The big picture helps, doesn’t it?

Christ saw the big picture. Nothing escaped His view. He knew exactly why He came to earth. He knew His mission and faithfully carried it out. Paul tells us in today’s verse what that mission was – to become our Lord here and in eternity. What a glorious promise. When we choose to follow the Lord and accept His free gift of salvation, He becomes our Lord and Savior for now and forever. Nothing can change that.

APPLICATION

I immediately thought of Paul’s words back in chapter 8, verses 38-39. “38 For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” To borrow a phrase from an old friend, “That’s shouting ground, folks!”

Jesus lived to be our Lord. Every day He walked this earth, He was Lord. When He laid down His life as a sacrifice for mankind, He was Lord. And when He rose from the grave, He was Lord. He was, is and always will be Lord. Hallelujah! C.S. Lewis’ famous apologetic “Lord, Liar or Lunatic” says it all. He knew who He was, therefore, He could claim it.

The question is do you know Him as Lord? We know that one day every knee will bow and profess Him as Lord. To those of us who have already made that decision, it will be a moment of celebration and praise. But for those who die without Christ, their profession will be too late. They will suffer the pain of eternity separated from a holy God. If you don’t know Jesus as Lord, don’t waste another second. Get on your knees right now and confess your sins and choose to follow Him as your Lord. He is waiting.

Thank You for being my Lord and Savior. I rest in the knowledge of Your Lordship which is over everything and everyone.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Jesus rising from an open stone tomb while Roman soldiers lie on the ground.
Bible, Death, Life, Resurrection, Romans, Salvation, Scripture

THE CONDITIONS FOR SALVATION

ROMANS 10:9

“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;”

Most all important decisions we make in our lives are marked with conditions. Some are placed upon us by others while some come from us. For instance, accepting a new job can have both. The employer has conditions for hiring you, expectations from you once you are onboard. You have conditions such as salary and benefits to provide for your family. Conditions are important, as long as they are good conditions and achievable.

In today’s verse (and tomorrow’s verse) we have the blueprint for salvation. These two verses are part of what has been called the Roman Road (3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 10:9-10, 13) which lays out the path for salvation. In today’s verse Paul shows us clearly what the conditions are for salvation – confession and belief. Let’s spend some time looking at these two conditions.

APPLICATION

You know I have to throw out a little Albert Barnes here. Regarding the verb “confess” he say, “confession or profession expresses our ‘agreement or concord with what God holds to be true, and what he declares to be true.’” We confess or profess that Jesus is truly Lord. We agree with God that this is true. We acknowledge with our tongue that Jesus is Lord and gave His life for our sins. That’s not hard, is it? Then why are so many people unwilling to confess that? The forces of darkness do not want us to confess that. That’s why!

Then Paul gives us the second condition for salvation. You must believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. What?! You mean just saying you believe is not enough? Nope! You have to truly believe. There are a lot of “Christians” in name only. They say they believe, but their actions speak differently. Going back to Barnes, he says this belief means you “shalt sincerely and truly believe this, so that the external profession shall correspond with the real, internal feelings.” 

As we approach Easter Sunday, this belief in His resurrection is before us more so than most weeks. Why is this belief so important? Matthew Poole says, “This article of the resurrection of Christ presupposeth all the rest, and fasteneth together, as by a link, all the antecedents and consequents of it; his ascension, session at the right hand of God, and intercession, which followed after.” So, believe in your heart and confess with your lips. Then what happens? Paul says, “you will be saved;” Amen! Praise the Lord!

I am so very thankful for the assurance of my salvation based on the fact that I believe in His resurrection and have confessed Him as Lord.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Death, Holy Spirit, Life, Romans, Scripture

YOU WILL LIVE

ROMANS 8:13

“for if you are living in accord with the flesh, you are going to die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”

Learning to live life to the fullest is something so many of us miss. We try to fill our life with stuff like careers, money, pleasures and the like. I have known so many people who were successful in the world’s eyes yet were miserable. You probably know someone like that. They work and work to find fulfillment in their lives only to come up empty in the end. It’s a sad story that is lived out far too often.

Paul is a master of contrasts in his letters. Today’s verse is no exception. He contrasts the futility of “living in accord with the flesh” with living “by the Spirit.” The first leads to death while the other to life. The Greek word Paul uses for “you will live” is the Future Indicative Middle of zaó which is a prominent verb used throughout the New Testament. It is used in some form over 120 times. This verb describes the life that is only truly available through God, specifically His Son Jesus.

APPLICATION

The Topical Lexicon’s concluding statement on zaó says this, “Zaó saturates the New Testament with the theme that true life, in all its dimensions, flows from and points back to the living God revealed in Jesus Christ. The church’s proclamation, practice, and hope are therefore inseparable from the vibrant pulse of zaó. Our life should always point back to the Life-giver.

This life permeates every aspect of our life – even in our giving. Look at 1 Timothy 6:18-19. “18 Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, 19 storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” Only by giving can we truly gain this life. I am not referring solely to money, although that is part of it. When we stop focusing on ourselves, we can experience this life Paul is talking about.

In our verse today, zaó is in the Middle voice. Why is that important? Because the Middle voice implies that it is you doing the living. Technically, it is Christ in you. But He doesn’t make us into mind numbed robots. We have a choice to make each and every day whether or not we will live like Him. What is your choice today? Are you allowing Him to live through you? It is really the only sure way to live.

Father, today I choose to yield myself to You so that You can live through me.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Death, Eternal Life, Life, Peace, Scripture

LIFE AND PEACE

ROMANS 8:6

“For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,”

If you had to choose between death and life, what would you choose? Is that a dumb question? For most people, the answer is simple. They would choose life. I’m at the age now that if I had a choice, I might choose to go on and live eternally with my Master. That’s because I don’t fear death. It’s just a portal through which I travel from this earthly life to my eternal life.

Paul is talking, however, about a spiritual death. This is a death you should fear. Everything we have been told about eternal death should cause us to run directly into the arms of Jesus. But there are people who will choose the flesh and the consequence of it. Paul contrasts this spiritual death with spiritual life and peace. Look at what one source said about this. “This (by analogy with the view of ‘death’ just above in 8:5) means a state of acceptance, in its aspect (a) of pardon and consequent glory; and (b) of secure and loving intercourse with God, with all its attendant blessings.” (Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges)

APPLICATION

I don’t think I need to go into some deep diatribe about what this “life” is, do I? This is the same word used in John 3:16 when Jesus said we would have eternal life. It’s the same word used when John wrote in John 1:4 that Jesus was the “life.” This “life” is true life, the essence of life. It is God’s self-existent life that gives us life. Who doesn’t want that?

And then Paul adds “peace.” Peace isn’t just the absence of conflicts and wars. It’s the calmness in the midst of them. It’s that picture of a bird perched calmly on a ledge as a cascading waterfall is all around them. We can rest in any trial with that kind of peace if we have His life within us and have made peace with Him.

Life and peace are made available to all who set their minds of the Spirit. That doesn’t mean you have to walk around all the time quoting Scripture (even though you should be making in a large part of your life). You don’t have to perform some great spiritual act to receive it. Simply place your trust in Him and allow the Spirit to govern your thoughts and actions. The end result will be life and peace. Praise Jesus!

O Lord, I give You praise for the promise of life and peace as I place my mind and heart on Your Spirit.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Commands, Death, Good, Law, Scripture, Sin

SIN IS UTTERLY SINFUL

ROMANS 7:13

“Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? Far from it! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by bringing about my death through that which is good, so that through the commandment sin would become utterly sinful.”

If you want to read a really good commentary on Romans 7:7-13, I urge you to look up Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary on these verses. You may need to read it two or three times to grasp all he says there, but it’s worth the read. Towards the end of his words on these verses he writes, “The same heat that softens wax, hardens clay. Food or medicine when taken wrong, may cause death, though its nature is to nourish or to heal. The law may cause death through man’s depravity, but sin is the poison that brings death. Not the law, but sin discovered by the law, was made death to the apostle. The ruinous nature of sin, and the sinfulness of the human heart, are here clearly shown.” Hmmm, food for thought.

Paul continues his diatribe on the Law and sin in today’s verse. But he is pointing directly at sin as the culprit of our downfall, not the Law. I love how he ends this verse by saying, “sin would become utterly sinful.” My first thought was Well, duh! But then I decided I should not read that phrase so lightly. Let’s take a look at the word used here for “utterly.”

APPLICATION

Huperbolé occurs seven other times in the New Testament (1 Corinthians 12:31; 2 Corinthians 1:8; 4:7, 17 (2x); 12:7; Galatians 1:13). I encourage you to look at each of those verses to see how the word is used by Paul. It refers to “an extraordinary degree, or a surpassing quality. Whether it modifies power, suffering, sin, gifts, or glory, it stresses an intensity that cannot be explained by normal human categories.” (Topical Lexicon)

This word is used to express something that goes past the ordinary to the extraordinary. It is used to show the depth of sin, the power of grace, the weight of suffering, the excellence of love and the magnitude of the glory of God. We simply cannot put the divine expressions down adequately. Some things just won’t be understood this side of eternity.

But we can all agree that sin is utterly sinful. It is extraordinarily sinful. It exceeds our wildest imaginations and will lead us to an eternal death from which there is no escape unless…we turn to Jesus and confess those sins which the Law so adequately points out in our life. Make things right today with Jesus, if you haven’t already and flee from all appearances of sin in your life.

Oh, the greatness of Your love and grace and glory far exceeds the greatness of sin.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Commands, Death, Law, Life, Result, Scripture

WRONG RESULT

ROMANS 7:10

and this commandment, which was to result in life, proved to result in death for me;”

Have you ever spent time and energy trying to cook something only to have it flop? Suppose you are trying to bake a cake. You have all the ingredients except one. You’re missing the baking powder which aids in the rising of the cake batter when cooked. But you think What’s one missing ingredient? I have all the rest. It’ll be alright. So, you mix it all up, pour it into the cake pan and pop it in the oven. Result? A flat cake that did not rise and did not meet expectations.

That’s probably a poor analogy for today’s verse, but you can get an idea. Paul says the “ingredients” of the law were there with the expected result of life. If only man had lived a holy, obedient life, the result could have been life. But because of one little sin in the garden of Eden, the end is death. No one has the ability to live perfectly so no one could measure up to the demands of the law. No one until Christ, that is.

APPLICATION

Let me ask you something. What do you want the end result of your life to be? Where do you want to spend eternity? I know where I want to be. I want to be in heaven with my Lord. Seeing all my loved ones and friends who have preceded me will only be icing on the cake. The real thrill will be seeing my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

But you can’t hope to get that result unless you have done what is necessary to get there. And that’s not complicated. Paul will tell us later in Romans 10:9-10, “9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”

The end result of life, of eternal life, only comes through faith in Christ Jesus. Don’t spend time trying to keep a list of commandments to earn your way there. It will only end in death, not life. Place your trust in Him, and He will guide you every step of the way. If you want to bake a cake, use all the ingredients. If you want to get to heaven, place your faith in Jesus, the Savior of all mankind.

O Father, I am thankful my end result is confirmed because of my faith in Your Son.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Death, Law, Life, Resurrection, Scripture

GOOD LIFE AND BAD LIFE

ROMANS 7:9

“I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin came to life, and I died;”

There are some habits that we have that we want to keep. For instance, I have a habit of trying to walk each morning. I know it is good for me, and I actually enjoy it. But some mornings I want to break that habit and sleep in. Other habits that are not so good for me (overeating, too much tv, etc.) I need to break. I don’t want to give them life by repeating them. Those need to die on the vine.

Paul gets autobiographical in today’s verse and describes his own struggle with sin. What?! Paul sinned? Of course, he did. He points out in today’s verse how the Law exposed his rebellious heart and how sin took that opportunity (look back at the previous verse) to come to life in him. That rebirth of sin in his life could only lead to death. Sin lives – I die. Sin dies – I live. It’s that simple.

APPLICATION

Paul uses a Greek word in today’s verse that only occurs one other time in the New Testament (Luke 15:24). Here it is used to describe sin’s revived life. In Luke it describes the prodigal son by the father. The word is anazaó and means “to live again.” (NAS Exhaustive Concordance). We give sin new life, we revive it when we yield to its influence in our lives. When we expose ourselves to these bad choices, sin is ready to jump right in.

In Luke 15:24 Jesus is telling the story of the prodigal son. The awaiting father says this when his son comes home, “‘for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.” That is a good sense of anazaó. Something the father thought was dead and gone had been made alive to him again. He regained his son.

The Topical Lexicon describes the use of anazaó this way. “In the New Testament it surfaces only twice, yet those two texts—Luke 15:24 and Romans 7:9—span the full spectrum of life’s restoration: from joyful renewal of a lost son to the startling resurgence of sin in the human heart. The verb thus becomes a lens through which Scripture illustrates both gracious revival and grievous reanimation.” Your choice, beloved. Allow sin to live or allow Christ to live through you. Choose wisely.

O Lord, You are faithful to show me my sins so I can confess those and live in You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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Bible, Death, Fruit, Law, Purpose, Scripture

A REASON FOR GETTING UP

ROMANS 7:4

“Therefore, my brothers and sisters, you also were put to death in regard to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might belong to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”

We all need a reason for getting out of bed in the morning, don’t we? If you don’t have some motivation, you might be like the son who refused to get out of bed and go to school even after his mother kept calling and calling him. Finally, his mother went to his bedroom, opened the door and demanded he get up right then. The son replied, “Give me one good reason why I should go to school today.” To that his mother said, “Because you’re the principal.” We all need a reason for getting up.

You may not see it at first glance in this verse, but Paul tells us why we should get up. It’s in the last phrase – “in order that we might bear fruit for God.” Isn’t that a good enough reason to get up and get going each day? Our physical resurrection from sleep should put us right into the vineyard with God. We “were put to death in regard to the Law” so that we can be fruit producers in God’s kingdom.

APPLICATION

Barnes says this about that last phrase of the verse. “That we should live a holy life. This is the point and scope of all this illustration. The new connection is such as will make us holy. It is also implied that the tendency of the Law was only to bring forth fruit unto death Romans 7:5, and that the tendency of the gospel is to make man holy and pure; compare Galatians 5:22-23.”

Look at those verses in Galatians. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” This is our destiny as followers of Christ. We are to live out this fruit of the Spirit every day. I have to admit I miss some of these some days. But I have the obligation to shake that off and go after it again.

God has saved you and delivered you from the bonds of sin, from the chains of the law to serve Him freely. He will produce the fruit as you yield yourself to Him. Take a look at John 15. See how the fruit is the result of the branch (that’s us) abiding in the vine (that’s God). Now, get up and go produce that fruit!

I am simply a branch You have chosen to produce Your fruit as I give myself over to You.

If the Lord should lead you to support our ministry, check out our ministry page at Trans World Radio (www.twr.org/carl-willis). 

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