Hell Has Been Defeated

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. 

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” (Ephesians 1:1-10 ESV)

The apostle Paul wrote this to the saints who were in Ephesus, but these truths apply to all of us who are the Lord’s saints, his holy ones, i.e. to those of us who have died with Christ to sin, and who have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin, but as slaves to God and to his righteousness. We are his called out ones, and we are to be living our lives separate (unlike, different) from the world because we are being made to be like Jesus in character, in mind, in heart, and in practice.

We are to be his faithful ones who offer our bodies to Christ as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to him, no longer conformed to the ways of this sinful world, but transformed in heart and mind away from sin to now doing the will of God, by his grace and in his power. So we are no longer to live like we did before we believed in Jesus Christ. Sin is no longer to have mastery over our lives to where we obey its desires, for if sin is what we obey, and not obedience to God, we will die in our sins, not have eternal life with God.

[Romans 6:1-23; Romans 12:1-2; Ephesians 1:3-4; 1 Thessalonians 4:7; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; 1 Peter 1:13-16; 1 Peter 2:4-5; 2 Peter 3:10-12]

We are the chosen of God, even before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before our Lord, by his grace, and in his power, as we die with him to sin and live to him and to his righteousness. We, then, are those whom God has blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. We are his children, according to the purpose of his will, which is that we live holy lives pleasing to him and that we die daily to sin and walk in obedience to his commands.

In him we have redemption through his blood. For via Jesus’ blood shed for us on that cross, Jesus bought us back for God (he redeemed us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now honor him with our bodies, and so that we will no longer walk in sin and live for self, but so that we will now serve Jesus Christ with our lives in walks of obedience to his commands and in surrender of our wills to his will and purpose for our lives. For he died that we might die to sin and live for him and to his righteousness (1 Peter 2:24).

So, Jesus did not die that painful death on that cross in taking upon himself the sins of the entire world just to pardon our sins and just so that we can go to heaven when we die, and not to hell. For he died to deliver us out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we will now serve him with our lives, and so that we will now obey him, and so that we will no longer walk in sin, making sin our practice, but so that righteousness and obedience to our Lord will be what we practice, instead.

And God’s grace to us is not forgiveness of sins with the free invitation to keep on sinning, only now without feeling guilty about our sin. God’s grace, which is bringing us salvation, is training us to renounce (say “No!” to) ungodliness and worldly passions and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives while we wait for our Lord’s soon return. For Jesus Christ gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (see Titus 2:11-14; Ephesians 2:8-10)

So, if you are professing faith in Jesus Christ, convinced that all your sins are forgiven and that heaven is your eternal destiny, and that it can’t be taken away from you, but while you are still walking (in conduct, in practice) in sin, and while obedience to God and to his New Covenant commandments is not your daily practice, please know that the Scriptures teach that you are not in fellowship with God, you do not know God, you are not born of God, and you will not inherit eternal life with God unless you turn from your sins and you now walk in obedience to our Lord and to his commands, in practice.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 12:1-2; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 10:1-22; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-17; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; 1 Pet 2:24] 

So, don’t let sin and death and hell defeat you and end up being your eternal destiny. Surrender your lives to Jesus Christ, die with him to sin, and now live for him in walks of obedience and in holy living, in his power and strength and wisdom, because of what Jesus did for us on that cross, and because of God’s grace to us. Don’t let sin defeat you! But let God empower you to now walk in victory over sin and over death and in holy living – all for his praise and glory, and all in his power and wisdom and strength.

Arise My Love 

By Eddie Carswell

Not a word was heard at the tomb that day.

Just shuffling of soldiers feet as they guarded the grave.

One day, two days, three days had past.

Could it be that Jesus breathed His last?

Could it be that His Father had forsaken Him?

Turned His back on His Son, despising our sin.

All hell seemed to whisper "Just forget Him, He's dead."

Then the Father looked down to His Son and He said..

Arise, My love. Arise, My love.

The grave no longer has a hold on you

No more death's sting; No more suffering

Arise....Arise....Arise

Sin, where are your shackles?

Death, where is your sting?

Hell has been defeated. 

The grave could not hold the king…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMHyGh0RgCA

Caution: This link may contain ads