74.THE SECOND DEATH

74.THE SECOND DEATH

Revelation 2:11. "He who conquers shall not be hurt by the second death."

The idea of a second death is shocking because we ordinarily think of death as the final event. The fact that there is a possibility of a second death indicates that the first death was not total. The second death is the death of the mortal body, which, for the saint, is merely a change of garment.  We are changed from the mortal to the immortal, and therefore death is swallowed up in victory, (1Corinthians 15:54-56).

The old Greek adage "Physician, heal thyself," was a taunt that challenged the physicians of that time to take their own remedies and medicines before giving them to others. This same idea lay behind the taunt hurled at Jesus on the cross. They said: "He saved others. Himself he cannot save," Matthew 27:42. They did not know how true their words were, for He indeed was deliberately sacrificing Himself, refusing to come down from the cross. In order to save the world He would not save Himself from death.

Yet, he was able to turn the words around because He and He only could sacrifice Himself, yet save Himself by rising from the dead. In the resurrection, the Great Physician did indeed heal Himself as well as the entire world. In the resurrection, the whole world was healed of Death. By His stripes we were healed. Not merely from this or that disease or infirmity, but the very source of all disease and infirmity, the principle of Death itself, working in our bodies because of Adam's sin. In the resurrection, Christ reversed the curse of death upon the human race.

 "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord," Romans 6:23. This verse is merely a summary of the whole concept of Life and Death as described in the Book of Romans. To receive the full revelation of it, read the whole Book. It describes the condition of the human race from Adam to Christ and shows where we stand now because of Christ's death and resurrection. 
When we accept and participate in His death and resurrection, we receive the eternal Life of the Spirit, even as Adam received the Breath/Spirit of God in his creation. We are to live the Life of the Spirit by continuing to crucify, mortify, the deeds of the Flesh, in order that we not again be slain by sin, Galatians 2:20; 5:16-24; 6:14. 
In Christ, the "second death," has no power, it is merely a transition from mortality to immortality, which has already been accomplished in those who have been crucified with Christ and raised from the death of sin.
 This lesson is an edited excerpt from my book Revelation In Context. My Book is available at the Living Word Bookstore in Shawnee, Oklahoma and is also available online at www.amazon.com or www.xulonpress.com. Free downloads are available at www.revelationincontext.sermon.net.