The Sentence of Death
“And our hope of you is stedfast, knowing, that as ye are partakers of the sufferings, so shall ye be also of the consolation. For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:” (2 Corinthians 1:7-9)
Today’s Morsel: If you will notice Paul’s letters to the churches, they are often written from his time in prison, or while he is facing some form of hardship or sentence. Many were out to kill Paul. Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees, religious leaders, and business owners, such as those who made the shrine of the goddess Diana, for sale, and even Satan, wanted to see Paul dead. Paul had a sentence of death on his life for his faith, belief, and his preaching and teaching about Jesus Christ. Paul knew that there was often one step between himself and death. But Paul had received a charge to preach the gospel. And he felt obligated to do so, no matter what may come his way. He did not put his trust in himself and in others for his safety. He put his trust in God who raised the dead. Even though he had a sentence of death upon his life, he told the church at Corinth: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” (2 Corinthians 5:1) The same way that Satan desired the kill Paul, he desires to kill the church as well. We who are born-again have a sentence of death upon us. Therefore, we must not trust in ourselves. We must trust in Him who is able to raise us from the dead. And that is our Lord Jesus Christ.
Sing: I trust in God, wherever I may be, upon the land or on the raging seas. For come what may, from day to day, my Heavenly Father, watches over, over, me.
I trust in God, I know He cares for me, upon the land, or on the stormy seas; For come what may, from day to day, my heavenly Father watches over, over, me.
Thought For Today: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21)
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