Daily Devotional by John Piper- August 02, 2020 Afraid of Death No More
Bible Gateway
Afraid of Death No More
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Hebrews 2:14–15)
How does Christ deliver us from the fear of death and set us free to live with the kind of loving abandon that can "let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also"?
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood…
The term "children" is taken from the previous verse and refers to the spiritual offspring of Christ, the Messiah. These are also the "children of God." In other words, in sending Christ, God has the salvation of his "children" especially in view.
he himself likewise partook of the same [flesh and blood]…
The Son of God, who existed before the incarnation as the eternal Word (John 1:1), took on flesh and blood and clothed his deity with humanity. He became fully man and remained fully God.
that through death…
The reason Christ became human was to die. As preincarnate God, he could not die for sinners. But united to flesh and blood, he could. His aim was to die. Therefore, he had to be born human.
he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil…
In dying, Christ defanged the devil. How? By covering all our sin (Hebrews 10:12). This means that Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God. "Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies" (Romans 8:33). On what grounds does he justify? Through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9:14; Romans 5:9).
Satan's ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. If the death of Jesus takes it away, the chief weapon the devil has is taken out of his hand. In that sense he is rendered powerless.
and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
So we are free from the fear of death. God has justified us. There is only future grace in front of us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. And God means for our ultimate safety to have an immediate effect on our lives. He means for the happy ending to take away the slavery and fear of the present. |
|
|
|
|
|
Bible Gateway Recommendations |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Copyright Information
|
|
This devotional is written by John Piper. For more information about Piper's ministry, writing, and books, visit DesiringGod.org. |
Subscription Information
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This email was sent to
Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog by Bible Gateway, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA. This email is part of a devotional or newsletter that you signed up for on
BibleGateway.com. For information regarding our privacy policy,
click here. If you have questions or comments about this newsletter, please
contact us.
*Manage all Bible Gateway subscriptions — *Opt Out of all Bible Gateway communication
*the blog owner has deleted the hyperlink intentionally
Bible Study Material Free Shipping On Orders of $30 Or More (continental U.S., excludes digital products)
Affiliate marketer links:
Affiliate marketer Rick Livermore with Webmaster220 Bible Study Blog will earn a commission on the Bible Study Material you buy from faith gateway store and alibris.
If you would like to offset my expenses of producing all this free content,
The most important link on this blog is this one about cures to the coronavirus.
Landmark info about the treatment of severe cases of the COVID-19 virus
Also this one about vaccines that immunize people from catching the coronavirus
Then there is this one about copper as a weapon to combat this virus.
This one could save some lives about the Red Cross.
|
No comments:
Post a Comment