Jesus said: “I came so they can have real and eternal life,

more and better life than they ever dreamed of.”

(John 10:10, MSG)

 I’d like to write about a subject that has been stirring in my heart for some years now, with ever-increasing passion and vigour.

It is a wondrous subject that cascades and overflows with the love of God, but it is deeply challenging to the human mind! 

So, here, right at the start of what will be a series of articles on this website, I bow before the Lord and pray for the spirit of wisdom and revelation to teach and enlighten us.

The apostle Paul reminds us that “the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14).

And Paul goes on to say: “’Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.’ But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit” (2. Cor. 9-10).

It is striking that this is spoken in the past tense – “God has revealed them to us …” – and therefore it not just referring to something still to come.

The subject I would like to write about is that Scripture reveals that Jesus abolished death from the earth. And that a time will come on earth when believers will experience this truth and walk in it.

This has always been in the Bible – in the same way that the truth of justification by faith was always in the Bible. But it was only in the era of Martin Luther that people began to awaken to it, and then allow it to make a huge difference to the life and effectiveness of the Church.

The abolition of death from the earth is one of the utterly wondrous consequences of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf.

When Jesus went to the cross, he took upon Himself, and destroyed, everything that was the opposite of God’s loving will for humanity – ie our separation from God, our death (spiritual and physical), the process of decay, our sinful nature and our sins.

Hitherto, the Church has taken death in this context to refer exclusively to spiritual death. But I believe there is a growing momentum among believers across the world who are seeing something else … who are seeing the radiant message of Life rising from Scriptures that have been straight-jacketed in death by us for centuries! 

At the outset, I want to stress that I am very sensitive to readers’ own situations regarding death and loss, and I never, ever seek to minimise the harrowing pain of death and loss. I myself have suffered the trauma of bereavement and tragedy on several occasions, and it is piercing beyond words. 

It’s also important to add that there should never be any condemnation or fear. Even if we all die a natural death, we are always enwrapped in the love of God, without any hint of separation or failure. Look at this most beautiful passage from Romans: “For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come … shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Rom. 8:38-39).

I feel compelled to write on the subject of overcoming physical death, though, because throughout all the decades, and despite the trauma and pain, Something has been resounding deep within me, gently and lovingly painting a very different canvas: one of wonder and inexplicable Joy.

One verse, in particular, has been gripping my heart and mind with wonder and joy for many years. It is: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Rom. 8:2).

I have seen, and experienced, the power of this verse with regards to healing, and would love to go deeper still into its less-visited depths.

There are layers and layers of meaning in the Word of God, aren’t there? We can choose to keep penetrating down through the strata of Divine Gold, discovering precious vein after precious vein. Finding endless, inexhaustible Treasure.

We can choose to plunge ever more deeply into the truth of our union with God – into ever closer intimacy with Him. Because experiencing union with God is our heart’s goal. Union is our ultimate, heavenly fulfilment – and not immortal life per se. Immortality is one of the glorious fruits of that union.

I hope you’ll stay with me over the next series of articles, as I start to explore Romans 8:2 together with some of the many other Scriptures that speak of the abundant, immortal Life that Jesus has purchased for us all. 

I believe that He passionately desires for us to enter into the depths and heights of His Word in a way we might never have done before!

Father, we trust Your Holy Spirit to lead us lovingly into the whole truth, according to Your promise in John 16:13. And we praise You, Lord!!

By Ann Shakespeare   13 October 2021