"Death's Forbearance Too"

"He asked life of Thee, and Thou gavest it him, even length of days for ever and ever." (Psalms 21:4) When God had planned to redeem mankind unto Himself, do you think that He forgot any little detail of something that was going to cost Him so much? I am sure that had figured into His majestic plan the mocking, the suffering, the total humiliation that Jesus would have to endure, all for that which was done to redeem us from the curse of sin and to give us everlasting life with Him. It had to be so; every little detail of suffering that Jesus had to endure; every strip upon His body; every bruise upon His flesh; all the holes in His hands, feet and side, were all counted upon as the sign of His suffering, and the price to be paid for every sort of transgression that might be known unto man. Don't ever think that your sin is too much for His blood to wash away, because there is no sin known unto man that Jesus did not suffer and die for; none that He has not already forgiven us for having committed, or for having caused Him to be crucified for; because what Jesus did, He did willingly, and with great love for every sinner that He should suffer for. And, as for something that I mentioned yesterday, that eternal life begins with death; well, I may need to rephrase that by saying, Eternal life begins as soon as we accept Jesus Christ into our heart! And in that frame of mind, there really is no sting of death, because eternal life has already begun in me; therefore, it makes this life here that much more enduring, because it is actually a part of my eternal existence in Christ. This life that we have here is meant to be abundant life in Christ Jesus, not just because of that which we look forward to have in heaven, but also because what we have been blessed to be, do, or have in this life also. Although this tent in which I currently move around in will soon perish, I will continue to live: that is the promise of everlasting life. There is no sting of death, because Jesus took that sting upon Himself, with each and every strip and bruise and hole that was caused upon His flesh, He suffered that we would not endure death's sting any longer. Do you understand what I am talking about? John 3:16 is the verse most quoted by many, and yet, the meaning of "shall not perish" gets glanced over between the "love" and the "everlasting life". That "shall not perish" means that our abundant life in Christ begins now...