Can you imagine going to a wake at a funeral parlor and going up to look in the coffin only to see your own reflection in a mirror at the bottom of the casket. Try picturing that in your mind. What thoughts would be going through your mind right now? Is this some cruel twisted practical joke? What could it mean?
Romans 6:6-7; Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Are you dead to sin or are you dead in sin? Either way you look at it you are still dead. If you are dead to sin then it means that you are alive in Christ. If you are dead in sin you are under the curse of the law which is still in effect for those that have not accepted Christ. The grace of God kicks in through faith when you make a profession of faith. You can’t be dead to sin and be dead in sin at the same time. Its either one or the other. Look in the coffin again. Which reflection are you seeing?
John 6:63; It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
Its the Spirit that gives life. If you don’t have the Holy Ghost you are no better off than a frozen pork chop. Even if you defrost the pork chop it is still just dead meat. It has no spirit. There is no life. The Spirit is in the word of God. You want to stoke a fire? Fan the flames with the word of God! Now that you’ve got a good fire going don’t let it go out. Remove the ashes and add some more wood. Fast and pray; read and study your bible; witness and testify; do the word of God by living it and by doing good deeds. Look in the coffin again, what do you see? Are you dead to sin yet? Or are you still a corpse?
Matthew 8:22; But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.
There’s a lot of corpses burying dead people nowadays. They bury people with their lies and garbage. People walk into hospital rooms with shovels in their hands. Instead of bringing words of encouragement or of comfort and faith or demonstrating healing power they are burying the sick before they expire. There are people that will call you on the hell-phone to speak death into your ears. Hang up the phone! Instead of LIVING rooms people have funeral parlors in their homes and there is a stink of death. There are people that will sit next to you in church that are agents of Satan that are sent to put your fire out. Get away from them or you will be twice the child of hell that they are. Take another look in the coffin, what do you see? Are you dead to sin yet?
Luke 24:5; And as they were afraid, and bowed down [their] faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?
You are not going to find Jesus among the dead. Why do you keep looking for something that is not there? What are you still doing going to the clubs? Do you think you are going to find Jesus among all those corpses? Jesus is not in the liquor store or at the drug spot. You are more likely to get tempted and fall back into addictive patterns of behavior. He is definitely not with you when you sneak around doing your sexcercise and committing sexcapades. If you are huffing and puffing and blowing steam out of your ears Jesus is not with you. Anger is not an attribute of the Spirit-filled life. It is a work of the flesh. Sowing to the flesh produces death. Put that cigarette out! The Surgeon General’s warning on that pack of cigarettes tells you that smoking can kill you. The Bible tells me that if you are in the flesh you are already dead. What about that drug store in your cupboards? So many pills for so many ailments and you are still not better. Keep taking those pills, the doctor needs to send his children to college and his wife needs a new BMW. Look in the coffin again, what do you see?
Mark 12:27; He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.
You are making a big mistake if you think God is with the dead. God is not the God of the dead but of the living. He is the living God. If you are still dead then he is not your God. You are barking up the wrong tree. You are going up the creek without a paddle; you are spinning your tires in the mud. You need life, but first you need to die to sin. Then you need to die to self. Then you need to crucify your flesh daily. If you want to have it your way you better go to the Burger King, but if you are going to do it His way then you have to surrender to the King of Kings! Look in the coffin one last time. Take the mirror out and lay the old man in there. Then say good bye and then turn around and walk away. Don’t you dare look back! Now you are ready to live for him! Shalom
Romans 8:36; As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
