By For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:23).
He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life (I John 5:12).
Jesus declared, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.” This statement embodies pure, simple truth.
Satan is the thief who desires to steal our salvation, kill our opportunity to really live and to destroy our souls. Jesus wants us to not only exist- He wants us to thrive. Abundant life can be ours- life worth living here and eternity in Heaven when this life is over.
Notice there is only one source of life. It cannot be found in anyone or anything else. When we allow Jesus into our lives, we have life in us.
Without Jesus, we are like dead men walking. Scripture is clear- the wages of sin is death. While we live in our sins, we spiritually die here and miss out on eternity with God in the future. The following verses attest to this fact:
The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead (Proverbs 21:16).
And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1).
We must see that there is an empty place in our lives that only Jesus can fill.
Without Him, we cannot know what it is to truly live. In 2019, Jeremy Camp released the song- Dead Man Walking. The following words from his song address this issue well:
I was a dead man walking
Until I was a man walking with you.
I was a blind man falling
Until I felt the life you’re calling me to.
Pulling me out of the darkness and
Pulling me out of the lies;
Putting the beat in my heart again;
I was a dead man walking
Until you loved this dead man walking back to life.
Sometimes we become so complicated in our theology that we forget this simple truth- Jesus came that we might have life in us. I Peter 3:18 says He took our place: “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit.”
II Corinthians 5:21 says He took our punishment: “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Then the really good news is that He rose again and is now everything we need to live victoriously. Contemplate the words of I Corinthians 1:30, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”
Our Savior is alive today. He lives to keep us alive in Him. According to Romans 8:34- even now- He is interceding for us: “Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.”
Notice the Apostle Paul said, “It is Christ that died, rather is risen again.” In our terminology we can say, “Jesus was dead, but He is very much alive now.”
Aren’t you glad that, because of Jesus, we have life in us?
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 