Do not think of death as something to be experienced once, sometime down the road of life. Death is present in every person. Those without Jesus are dead in trespasses and sin. They are dead in the lusts of the flesh and dead in bondage to sin. Without Jesus all are dead under the law and dead in rejection of Christ. Your sin separated you from God and brought you under His condemnation and wrath. You had no life in you.

Christ came that you might have life- abundant life and eternal life. Colossians 2:13-14 declares what Christ did to give you life. “And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross.” Christ died so you who were dead in sin could be made alive. Christ died so all your sins could be forgiven. Jesus gives life and forgiveness by taking all of your sin onto Himself and dying as if your sin was His.

When a man was crucified in the Roman Empire a plaque was put over his head telling the crimes he had committed. When Jesus died the plaque over His head had the sins of the world written on it. The handwriting of ordinances against you is your violation of God’s law. Christ died under your sin. He then rose from the dead. Through His death and resurrection Jesus conquered death and sin. He conquered the grave so you could live! What a waste for the Christian to live this incredibly brief life as slaves to sin and servants of the world. God has given you something far better than the passing pleasures of sin.

Nate Saint, Jim Elliott, Roger Youderian, Peter Fleming and Ed McCully died on a beach in Ecuador while still in their early thirties. They traveled to South America to preach the gospel to an unreached tribe and were killed by that tribe. Those five men lived a life far greater than any life lived apart from Christ. Their life was not great because of the impact they had on worldwide missions or their testimony of sacrifice that still speaks to day. Their life was great because they lived abandoned to Jesus. They willingly gave up all this world offers to live for Christ. You may have all the world desires, but if you do not live for Jesus your life will be wasted.

If you live for Christ and die next year you will have done the greatest thing in the world. You will have lived a life of which the world is not worthy. You will have lived a life which will result in eternal reward and great praise from God. Live abandoned for Christ. Live for the eternal rewards. Live for the praise of God, not the pleasures of life.