"About That!" - Too

 "And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:" (Hebrews 7:23 KJV)

  ""Now my soul is deeply troubled. Should I pray, 'Father, save me from this hour'? But this is the very reason I came! Father, bring glory to your name." Then a voice spoke from heaven, saying, "I have already brought glory to my name, and I will do so again." When the crowd heard the voice, some thought it was thunder, while others declared an angel had spoken to him. Then Jesus told them, "The voice was for your benefit, not mine. The time for judging this world has come, when Satan, the ruler of this world, will be cast out. And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." He said this to indicate how he was going to die." (John 12:27-33 NLT)

 Keeping this in context to the reason, it is death that has the grip on those who do not have life! Whether you believe or don't believe is what separates life or death; regardless of your sins, once you have been saved, you have eternal life! That eternal life you have been given, really doesn't start when you die, it is amazingly right now, because you technically were crucified with Christ, the moment you first believed!  

 I really hope we understand that, because the Scripture that says, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55 NLT), makes this quite real and present. Oh, this shell will surely pass, but we will live on with a soul that does not ever die; however, that might be, it will be a glorious time, (no pun intended). 

 When Jesus died on that cross, His death changed everything for all eternity. Even in His death, there was life; for He was ministering to the saints in Paradise, the moment He breathed His final death. And guess what: The thief on the cross went with Him, just as He promised, saying, "I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:43 NLT)

 Marvel in this, because it is certain! I had breakfast yesterday next to a Pastor friend of mine who was showing off his new tattoo; and he looked down at mine and said I should change it, because it says, "Death Is Certain." While I was beginning to say something about that, we were distracted by another brother that had to say hello, so I never got a chance to say it...

"Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more of his wonderful grace? Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives. Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised to life as he was. We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves of sin. For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin. And since we died with Christ, we know we will also live with him. We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus." (Romans 6:1-11 NLT)