May 4 Daily Devotional

Bible Reading

1 Corinthians 15:20–26

Devotional

Death is an enemy of God the Holy Spirit. Nothing is more closely connected than God’s Spirit and life. For this reason death must be destroyed, for the Spirit will never forsake the works of His hands. Life, given through the Spirit, will never die.

When man falls into sin, death gains the upper hand and causes fear and sorrow in his life. How necessary it is for a child of God to beg with David, “Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” For if the life of the Spirit is gone then he is left alone with this last enemy. To be separated from God is terrible to him. This last enemy will certainly be destroyed, because the final enemy of God’s child is also God’s enemy.

God, in His wisdom, determines to keep this last gate open for His child. God has reserved this enemy for him, so that his coming death will draw him to be united to the triune God. In this way the grace of life is not separated from the grace of death. God gives His child the grace to live well and die well. He can do both as unto the Lord.

Do not fear for life’s last enemy. Do not be fearful of sicknesses that can kill the body. But fear much more Him who can destroy your soul. Be fearful for your spiritual death, and long to be with Christ.

Then you will learn to die to self while you yet live and you will learn to live when you die. The forgiven sinner learns to look beyond this last enemy. He will see that the footsteps of death are the footsteps of Him who is coming to take His church with Him to rest forever in God. In the struggles of life, man’s enemies are able to draw God’s child closer to the Lord. That is also what the last enemy will do, but it will draw him to God forever.

 

From The Everlasting Word by Frans Bakker, compiled and translated by Gerald R. Procee. Reformation Heritage Books and Free Reformed Publications, 2007. Used by permission. For further information, click here.