July 23, 2024 Daily Dose of Discernment

Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. (Romans 14:8)

Some Christians proclaim that Jesus is Lord and has conquered death, hell and the grave when He died and rose again. At the same time, they make Him subject to the power of death in that they believe He cannot save sinners after they die. That's schizophrenic.

It is the love of God in Christ that saves us from sin and death. Paul says nothing can separate us from that love and enumerates things people wrongly think can. The first on that list is death (Romans 8:38). Then in the scripture above, he declares that whether we live or die (that is, succumb to death because of sin), we are the Lord's. Nothing, not even death, can judge us, His servants because to Him, our Master, we stand or fall. And we will stand because He is able to make us stand (Romans 14:4). This shouldn't make us think it's okay to live in sin. It should make us give thanks to Him and show it not only with our lips but in our lives, by serving and obeying Him.