Samuel Ishaya Ministries - SIM

08/04/2023

06/07/2022

• Although Jesus went about doing good and healing all that were oppressed of the devil during His earthly ministry, HE DIDN’T CALL MEN TO FOLLOW HIM ON THAT BASIS: He didn’t ask them to follow Him for prosperity, healing, miracles, daily bread etc. Jesus Himself rebuked those that followed Him on the basis of provision and deliverance.

 John 6:22-27 NLT: 22 The next day the crowd that had stayed on the far shore saw that the disciples had taken the only boat, and they realized Jesus had not gone with them. 23 Several boats from Tiberias landed near the place where the Lord had blessed the bread and the people had eaten. 24 So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went across to Capernaum to look for him. 25 They found him on the other side of the lake and asked, "Rabbi, when did you get here?" 26 Jesus replied, "I TELL YOU THE TRUTH, YOU WANT TO BE WITH ME BECAUSE I FED YOU, NOT BECAUSE YOU UNDERSTOOD THE MIRACULOUS SIGNS. 27 BUT DON'T BE SO CONCERNED ABOUT PERISHABLE THINGS LIKE FOOD. SPEND YOUR ENERGY SEEKING THE ETERNAL LIFE THAT THE SON OF MAN CAN GIVE YOU. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval."

• If you have been enticed by a preacher to follow Jesus on the bases of provision, miracles, healing, and other mundane things; you will soon be disappointed and begin to question your faith, IN THE FACE OF THE NECESSITY OF DEATH i.e., the crucifixion of the flesh. Your faith can only be as strong as the foundation it is built on.

 Matt 16:24 KJV: 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

 1 Peter 4:1-2 TLB: 1 Since Christ suffered and underwent pain, you must have the same attitude he did; you must be ready to suffer, too. For remember, when your body suffers, sin loses its power, 2 and you won't be spending the rest of your life chasing after evil desires but will be anxious to do the will of God.

• Truth be told, FOLLOWING JESUS IS THE CALL TO DEATH. You must be baptized into His death to be joined to Him.

 Rom 6:3-4 NLT: 3 Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? 4 For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism…

 Gal 2:20 Weymouth: 20 I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I that live, but Christ that lives in me; and the life which I now live in the body I live through faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself up to death on my behalf.

• The baptism into His death is necessary because the way to life is death. When you are included in His death, you will be included also in His resurrection. It is the inclusion in the resurrection that confers His life (eternal life) to the believer. His death must be your death before His resurrection will be your resurrection, and His life, your life.

 Matt 16:25 KJV: 25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

 2 Cor 4:8-12 NLT: 8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. 11 Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. 12 So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.

• It is the manifestation of His life in the believer that brings the joy, peace, freedom, deliverance, fulfilment, prosperity, and all the good things the gospel inherently declares.

• Dear ministry gift, the people are entitled to THE TRUTH; you owe it to them! Acquaint yourself with THE TRUTH, become THE TRUTH, and declare THE TRUTH, intrepidly and unapologetically. Don’t seduce people to follow you in the name of following Jesus; it won’t last! Let the people make informed decisions based on the truth to follow you or Jesus.

• Don’t allow the people to pressure you into telling them what they want to hear; don’t allow the perverted definition of success in ministry to pressure you into telling the people what they want to hear. You must be delivered from the people you are sent to before you can minister to them; you must be delivered from perversion before you can preach THE TRUTH. Remember that crowds and miracles don’t authenticate you and the ministry; THE TRUTH does!

08/05/2022

Above Death 1.0 - Day 2 (15-04-22) Message Excerpts
Rev. Sam Teaching...

• Man’s inclusion in death and life are on the basis of identification. Identification in this context is having relation with the racial head of death and of life. Lucifer is the racial head of death and the Lord Jesus is the racial head of life.

• Man’s relation with Adam, the racial head of man, identified him with Lucifer, the racial head of spiritual death because of Adam’s disobedience. This relation included man in spiritual death and booked an appointment for him with physical and eternal death (Romans 5:19; Hebrews 9:27)

• The Word (Jesus) became flesh, took away, and destroyed sin, the basis of our relation with spiritual death by His death (John 1:14,30; Rom 6:6,7).

• Jesus didn’t have any basis to die because He didn’t have any relation with spiritual death; He was the seed of the woman, not man (Gen 3:15; Gal 4:4-5). Hence, He couldn’t die nor be killed. Jesus was not killed; love made Him to lay down His life. He chose to die by offering up Himself as the sacrifice for man’s sin (John 15:13; Eph 5:2). On the cross, man’s sin was credited to His account and He inherited the wages of sin (2 Cor 5:21; Isa 53:4-6; 1 Peter 2:24). Consequently, He died spiritually and physically (Matt 27:46-50). Because man’s sin was credited to His account, His deaths were man’s deaths. He honoured the appointment with death that man acquired by his relation with Lucifer; it was a substitutionary death. Therefore, man doesn’t have any appointment with any form of death.

• In His resurrection, Jesus established a new race, the new creation race and became the racial head. This race is the collection of people that have returned from spiritual and physical death; the race of life and immortality (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15).

• The good news to man is that he can become a part of this new race of life and immortality in the same way he became a part of death: establish relation by identification. Remember that birth is from and according to racial head.

• In the same way man was identified with spiritual death by birth, he can also be identified with life and immortality by birth. The birth into life and immortality is not by blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor man like the first birth; its being Born of God (John 1:12,13; James 1:18), a phenomenon popularly but inaccurately known as Born Again. If you would take it, Born of God and Born Again are not the same. Read my book on ‘‘Being Born of God’’ for more insight.

• The requirement for Born of God is to receive Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13). To receive Him, one must acknowledge His Lordship by confessing that Jesus is Lord and believe in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9,10).

• When a man meets this requirement, the Holy Spirit recreates his spirit, fuses with the recreated spirit, and immerse the product of the fusion into Christ (1 Cor 6:17; Eph 5:30; Eze 11:19-20; 36:26-27; Eph 2:20). This process is called the Baptism of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:3; 1 Cor 12:13). Thus, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is Born of God and is different from the infilling with the Holy Spirit and water baptism. Also, the Baptism of Jesus is the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, not water baptism (Acts 1:5; John 1:26-33).

• Those that are Baptized by the Holy Spirit have put on Christ (Gal 3:27). Put differently, they now have relation with Christ; Christ is now their racial head. In the same capacity that man inherited spiritual death, the man Baptized by the Holy Spirit has inherited life and immortality (Rom 5:19). The death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Christ are his. To him, it was co-death, co-burial, co-resurrection, co-ascension, and co-glorification. He died with Christ, was buried with Him, rose with Him, ascended into heaven with Him, and is sitting with Him on the Mercy Seat (Eph 2:5-6; Col 2:12-13). The sufferings and the glory of Christ are his sufferings and glory.

• The Baptism of the Holy Spirit was into Christ’s death (Rom 6:3). By this, Christ did not only die for the believer, but the believer died with Him. Because he died with him, the believer should not die again. In the believer’ death with Christ, the body of sin is destroyed; consequently, sin doesn’t have dominion over the believer because anyone that is dead is freed from sin (Roman 6:6,7; Gal 2:20; 5:24). The dead is freed from sin because the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23). Once the sacrifice for sin dies, that sin is paid for. By this, the believer should not be a servant to sin anymore. Consequently, he is above death, because death is as a result of sin (Rom 6:17,18,22).

• The Baptism into Christ’s death also included the believer in His burial and resurrection (Rom 6:4,5; Eph 2:5,6). Thus, the burial and resurrection of Jesus was that of the believer also. The believer is now alive because God raised him together with Christ (Col 2:12-13). His resurrection is not in the last day; it happened together with the resurrection of Christ. That he is risen with Christ and Christ will not die again is the evidence that the believer is above death. Christ is now his life (Col 3:4). Because Christ lives forever, the believer also lives forever; for because Jesus lives the believer lives (Romans 6:8-11; Rev 1:18; John 14:19; 1 John 5:12). The co-resurrection has given the believer the life of God and immortality, i.e., victory over death, on the basis of his baptism into the death of Christ, not works or morality. The believer is included in the resurrection of Jesus Christ by his baptism into His death; he is not going to resurrect again someday. He will either change now and be received by the cloud or sleep to awake and then change at the appearing of Christ.

• The Baptism into Christ’s death also included the believer in Christ’s ascension and glorification (Acts 1:9; Eph 2:5-7; 1:19-23; 4:8-10; Col 2:12; 3:1-2). The believer and Christ ascended together and are seated together at the highest position of authority in all realms and even worlds to come as is typified by Lazarus sitting with Him at a dinner table after his resurrection (John 12:2). Because of this, the believer is not hoping to enter heaven some day; he is from heaven, sitting together with Christ in heaven (Eph 2:6; Philippians 3:20). In this position, the believer is far above principality, power, might, dominion, and everything that has a name in this world and the one to come: all things are under his feet in Christ. The co-ascension and co-glorification have given the believer authority over all things. As long as it has a name, it is under the believer’s feet on the basis of his baptism into the death of Christ, not works or morality.

• Succinctly, the believer’s baptism by Holy Spirit into Christ’s death freed him from sin (Rom 6:6,7) on the basis of his faith in the resurrection and the acknowledgement of the Lordship of Jesus, qualified him to partake of the resurrection (Rom 6:4,5,8); therefore, is above death because of eternal life, and partake of the ascension and glorification of Christ; hence, is in the highest position in all realms and possible worlds (Eph 22:5,6).

• Water baptism is a symbol of our inclusion in the death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and glorification of Christ. It is the physical explanation of the divine experience. That you agreed to be dipped into water means that you have acknowledged that you are dead and should be buried, the dipping into water being the burial. The coming up out of water is the resurrection and the ascension, while the new life you now live is the glorification.

• Since it is appointed unto man once to die and the believer died and rose in his baptism into Christ, the believer CANNOT die again, in the same way Jesus cannot die again (Rom 6:8-10). Really? Emphatically yes! God is the God of the living and not the God of the dead (Matthew 22:32). Jesus said anyone that lives and believes in Him shall NEVER die and even the dead that believes will live (John 11:25-26). The believer has passed from death to life (John 5:24; 1 John 3:14). Jesus said he lives forevermore and the believer lives because He lives (Rev 1:18; John 14:19): He is the believer’s life (Col 3:4). This doesn’t mean that the believer will not die spiritually but will die physically. The believer has already died spiritually and physically, and is back to life. The life he now lives is the resurrected life (Rom 6:4), whether he is awake or asleep; he lives with Christ (1 Thess 5:9-10). Jesus buttressed the fact that physical death is included in His statement when He raised Lazarus from physical death after proclaiming that He is the resurrection and the life. Also, as a proof that He is the resurrection and the life, not a day; the Old Testament saints in Abraham’s bosom cashed their promissory note of salvation and resurrected with Him when He rose on dead (Matt 27:50-53). The resurrection of Lazarus, the Old Testament saints, and the believer with Christ is the evidence that the resurrection is a person and it occurs when a man receives Christ, not on the so-called last day.

• Even at instances when humanly speaking you would say the believer is dead, the Holy Ghost never used that word for a believer; rather, He used sleep (1 Thess 4:14), be present with the Lord (2 Cor 5:8), be with Christ (Phili 1:23), live this earthly tabernacle (2 Peter 1:14), and dissolve earthly tabernacle (2 Cor 5:1) to qualify it. Jesus used sleep to inform His disciples about Lazarus’ death, but because they couldn’t understand Him, He deigned to their level by using the mundane word, death (John 11:11-14). The Spirit does not use death because death and sleep are not the same spiritually and physically. Just as the person that sleeps physically is alive and will wake up, the believer is alive in his sleep and will wake up at the appearing of Christ (1 Thess 5:10). The same cannot be said of someone that is dead: the dead man is not alive physically and spiritually. At the appearing of Christ, he will embrace eternal death (Rev 20:14-15).

• Brother Paul tells us that even the sleep is optional when he said, ‘’we shall not all sleep’’ (1 Cor 15:51). This means that ‘’sleep’’ is not a requirement for being with the Lord. The requirement is change from corruption to incorruption and from mortality to immortality (1 Cor 15:51-57). This change is the victory over death. This change is not an end time event; it can happen at any time depending on one’s Christ consciousness as demonstrated by Jesus on the mount of transfiguration. Jesus simply changed by switching His consciousness from a man to a God (Matthew 17:1-2). Enoch and Elijah didn’t sleep to be with the Lord; they were transformed by walking with God (Gen 5:24; Heb 11:5; 2 Kings 2:11). Although, technically, they didn’t enter heaven at the time of their transition, they are testimonies that physical death for the unbeliever and sleep for the believer are not the requirement for transiting into the dimension of God. The perfect example for us is our racial head, the Lord Jesus, our firstborn, Who entered heaven with a physically transformed body that is incorruptible. Those that sleep now will have to be changed at the appearing of Christ. Hence, change from corruption to incorruption is the requirement to be received by the clouds (1 Thess 4:13-17).

• Brother Paul is an example that sleeping to be with the Lord is a choice. He was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19-28), was bitten by a poisonous viper and was expected to fall down and die (Acts 28:3), but he didn’t sleep on these occasions. However, at a point, he was contemplating whether to go or not (Phili 1:23). When he made up his mind, he dropped a hint by saying that he has fought the good fight, finished the race, and reward awaits him with the Lord (2 Tim 4:7-8) and then he slept.

• Those who slept in the Lord in the scriptures were aware that they will sleep. It didn’t come on them like labour on a pregnant woman. Peter knew he was going to put off this tabernacle (2 Peter 1:14), the patriarchs all knew they would be gathered to their fathers when they slept. In case you decide to sleep because you don’t want to change now, be in charge! You should know that you are about to sleep and sleep peacefully, not in ways that will cost money and cause pain. Don’t sleep and live your loved ones to suffer in pains, debt, and penury. If you sleep to escape problems you have created, you are hurting your love ones.

• Those who want to change from corruption to incorruption, mortality to immortality, must attain unto the resurrection of the dead in their souls and bodies (Phili 3:8-11). This change is not in the spirit because the spirit is already in eternal union with God. It is the soul and body that requires change to catch up with the spirit. This change comes by the spirit exerting himself on the soul and body. Thus, spirituality is in the soul and body; it is revealed in one’s health, soundness of mind, emotional intelligence, and willingness to participate in spiritual activities and do the will of God (1 Cor 15:53). The effect of Spirit life on the body is perfectly demonstrated in the resurrection of Jesus. How Jesus resurrected is the how to the change of the body and soul to incorruption. How did Jesus resurrect? You must understand how He died to appreciate how He resurrected. The way He hung on the cross prevented His heart from pumping blood. Consequently, blood accumulated in His heart and the pressure ruptured the walls of His heart. The blood in His heart settled and separated into its component. When the soldier pierced His side, erythrocytes and plasma poured out, described as blood and water by the people of His days (John 19:34). Thus, when Jesus died, He shed His blood. In contrast, when a man dies, his blood congeals and clot in the body.

• When Jesus completely paid the debt for man’s sin, man was free and He became free Himself (Rom 4:25; 1 Tim 3:16). At this point, He returned from spiritual death by receiving eternal life. When He received eternal life, hell and death could no longer hold Him. Consequently, He returned to the grave to pick up His body. When His Spirit entered the bloodless body, the Holy Spirit gave life to the body and He conquered physical death (Matt 28:6; Rom 8:11). When He appeared to His disciples, they thought He was a ghost, but He asked them to touch Him that He is ‘‘flesh and bone.’’ He said flesh and bones instead of the normal flesh and blood (Luke 24:29). Brother Paul alluded to this when he said that we are members of His body, of His flesh and bones (Eph 5:30). Ezekiel’s prophecy to dry bones is a type of the resurrection where bones and flesh are alive by the Spirit, without blood (Eze 37:1-14). Remember that the life of a natural man is in his blood (Lev 17:14). The resurrected life is Spirit life, not blood life.

• Because Christ is in the believer, his body is dead because of sin, but his spirit is alive because of righteousness. Because the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is in him, the Spirit gives life to his mortal body (Rom 8:10-11 NIV). In the same capacity that the Spirit powers the body of Jesus, He is powering the mortal body of the believer. He is powering mortal bodies so that it will change into immortal bodies. I say this because some people think that this scripture will be fulfilled only at the appearing of Christ. At His appearing, the bodies of those that sleep will not be mortal. The Spirit is to power the believer’s body until it transforms into incorruption, to the point that the cloud will receive him. As the Spirit gives life to the body, natural processes like aging and metabolism are suspended and age becomes only number. As age increases, the believer’s body should be improving like old wine because of the life of the Spirit. Moses benefitted from this because he spent a lot of time with God (Exodus 19:3; 20:21; 24:15-18). At 120 years, his eyes were not dim, neither were his natural forces abated (Deut 34:7).

• Although this is the believer’s heritage, he has to BELIEVE in the resurrection and life (John 11:24-25); KNOW that the Holy Spirit has baptized him into Christ’s death and its implications (Roman 6:4-10); RECKON (consider, contemplate, take into account) himself to be indeed dead to sin and alive unto God through the Lord Jesus (Roman 6:11-19; Gal 2:20), so that sin will not reign anymore in his body; YIELD his members as instrument of righteousness unto holiness (Rom 6:19-23) to change into incorruption. Lack of these is the reason believers sleep. A believer that is not conscious of these doesn’t discern the Lord’s body like the Corinthian brethren. The consequences of not discerning the Lords body are weaknesses, sicknesses, and falling asleep (1 Cor 11:29-30).

25/04/2022

Above Death 1.0 - Day 1 (14/4/22) Message Excerpts

Rev. Sam Teaching...

• You cannot obtain the meaning of a spiritual subject in an English dictionary because the English dictionary isn't a spiritual book; hence, the English dictionary is not a reliable source of information on death, a spiritual subject.

• Contrary to the English Dictionary, death is not the cessation or end of life; the human life does not cease nor end. Cessation of life only occurs in lower animals because they are not a living soul.

• Man is a spirit; therefore, his life does not cease. The death of a spirit is separation from God; not the cessation of life.

• Death is a spiritual force that uses sin to separate man from God and subsequently the human spirit from the human body through sicknesses, diseases, accidents etc. If separation from God is not checked, it can lead to eternal death, a permanent separation from God through physical death.

• Thus, there are three deaths:

. Spiritual Death: separation from God as a result of sin (harmatia), not sins (harmatano). The former is who you are and the latter is what you do because of who you are.

. Physical Death: separation of the human spirit from the human body as a result of damage to the body through sicknesses, diseases, accidents. Possible because of spiritual death and in the case of the believer, unbelief and lack of consciousness in the resurrection and the life.

. Eternal Death (Second Death): eternal separation from God as a result of unbelief. The fate of a spiritually dead person that dies physically.

• Spiritual death is responsible for physical death. If a spiritually dead man dies physically, he is eternally doomed (Rev 20:14-15). Eternal death is the class of the devil.

• God is not the author of death and does not kill. Lucifer through his rebellion authored sin and sin produced death. He is the first to sin and to die spiritually. He has attained the apex of death, eternal death (1 John 3:8; Rev 12:10; Matt 25:41)

• God and sin are not compatible; they cannot coexist in the same way light and darkness cannot coexist (Hab 1:13). Thus, the wages of sin are death (separation from God) (Romans 6:23). Even God’s only begotten Son was separated from Him when he became sin (Matt 27:46; Psalm 22:1)

• Lucifer’s sin and death were outside the domain/dimension of man. Lucifer mastered sin and death, and used sin as a weapon to perpetuate death (1 Cor 15:55-56). He wielded the power of death until his defeat by the Lord Jesus (Heb 2:14).

• Adam fell for Lucifer when he Believed him over God. This opened up a portal for sin to enter man’s domain and then sin brought death (Rom 5:12; Gen 5). Thus, God didn’t bring sin and death to the earth, Adam did through unbelief. Thus, Satan authored sin and death but Adam brought it into our world.

• Fortunately for man, God created him as a race, Adam being the racial head. The racial head is to reproduce after his kind (Gen 1:11; 5:1-3).

• There are only three races in the mind of God (Gal 6:15):

. The Jews (circumcision): the physical descendants of Abraham known as Jews, are spiritually dead because Adam is their head (Rom 3:1-23);

. The Gentiles (uncircumcision): non-descendants of Abraham, the rest of the world apart from Jews, are spiritually dead because Adam is their head (Rom 3:1-23);

. The New Creation: Jews and Gentiles that have acknowledged the Lordship of Jesus and believe in His resurrection. The baptism of the Holy Spirit has made them eternally one with God; hence, are spiritually alive because Jesus Christ is their head (Eph 2:1-6; Rom 3:24-26)

• Human beings are created according to races and everybody is born from and according to the head of the race (Gen 5:1-3). Only Adam reproduced in his image, after his likeness (verse 3). The same is not said of his descendants (Gen 5:4-31). Thus, reproduction is from and according to the racial head.

• Consequently, all of Adam’s descendants inherited his image and likeness: spiritual death passed upon all men (Rom 5:12). Adam’s action passed spiritual death to all men because he was the head of the race.

• Adam died spiritually when he disbelieved God as is typified by his expulsion from Eden, a type of God’s presence (Gen 3:23-24). However, death gradually destroyed the human body over time through sicknesses, diseases, toil, accidents etc., that Adam finally died physically at 930 years. Death became so good at it that it subjected creations to bo***ge (Rom 8:20-22; Gen 3:17-19; Jer 12:4-13) and reduced the lifespan of man over the years that 80 years is now seen as an achievement (Gen 5:3-31; 6:3; Psalm 90:10).

• The human body is man’s legal right to be on the earth. Because spirits don’t have human bodies, they are illegal on the earth. This explains why they need to possess human bodies to operate on the earth.

• Thus, the secret to longevity on the earth is having a healthy body. When the human body is damaged beyond physical repairs, the human spirit separates from the body. Therefore, irreparable damages to the human body is the cause of physical death and spiritual death is responsible for physical death.

• Therefore, everybody born into this world is automatically separated from God because of his identification with Adam, our racial head and has an appointment with physical and eternal death (Heb 9:27).

• It was an act of mercy for all men to receive spiritual death because of the connection everyone has with the racial head. It was an act of mercy because if one man’s disobedience could bring death to all men, then another man's obedience would bring life to all men (Rom 5:19; 2 Cor 5:21; Isa 53:10-12).

• It was because of this connection among the human race (racial headship) that atonement was possible. However, the sacrifice for the atonement must be spotless and without blemish i.e., without sin as is typified by the sacrifice in the old covenant (1 Pet 1:18-19; Exo 12:5).

• Such a sacrifice couldn’t be found in the Adamic race because all of them have sinned (Psalm 49:7-9; Rom 6:23).

• Since it’s the body that gives the legal right to operate on the earth, God exploited the biological fact that the life of a child comes from the father and the body from the mother to produce a seed independent of the man. God proactively provided that seed even before the foundation of the world (1 Pet 1:18-20). Thus, the seed necessary for the atonement of all men had to come through the woman and not man, man’s seed is already corrupted (Gen 3:15; Rom 5:12).

• God had to become a man in the person of Jesus to be the very sacrifice for sin because no man was righteous to qualify for the sacrifice (Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Psalm 49:7-9; Rom 6:23; Matt 20:28; 1 Tim 2:6).

• Jesus had the life of God but the body of a man; so, He was 100 percent God and 100 percent man; the model of the Godman. This qualified Him to be the sacrifice that will atone for man’s sin and represent him in cutting the New Covenant, after He was tempted but didn’t sin (Heb 4:15; 2:17-18). A mediator must have relationship with both parties or else, cannot mediate. In Jesus, a ransom was found (Job 33:24-25).

• When it was time for Jesus to be offered, He was made sin (2 Cor 5:21); consequently, He died spiritually (Matt 27:46; Psalm 22) and then physically as a result of heart rupture and dislocations (Matt 27:50; Psalm 22:14-16). Because Jesus died a sinner’s death, He went to hell where He suffered the punishment for sin, man’s sin (Psalm 88:1-12).

• When the claims of divine justice were met by Jesus, the debt of sin was paid completely and the justice system of the universe was satisfied (Isa 53:11).

• Jesus’ Spirit was recreated; He received eternal life in the region of the dead (Psalm 2:7; Heb 5:5) and death lost its influence over Him. Triumphantly, He rose from the dead (Mark 16:5-7; Rom 8:11; 1 Cor 15:4; Psalm 16:10-11) and became the first begotten from the dead; He was the first to be freed from spiritual death (Rev 1:5; Col 1:18).

• He ascended into the heavens and sat on the Mercy Seat and the Father blessed Him with all the spiritual blessings; this was His glorification. The ascension means that He is above all (Eph 2:5-6; 1:19-23).

• In His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus:

. Triumphed over Satan and obtained the keys or authority of death and hell (Rev 1:18).

. Disarmed Satan and took all his weaponry and captives as spoils. All power now belongs to Jesus; hence, Satan has none (Col 2:15; Eph 4:8; Matt 28:18).

. Abolished death: spiritual, physical and eternal death. By that, He rendered death inactive, inoperative, unemployed, idle. Death is now only a name, a toothless bulldog (2 Tim 1:10); it doesn't have power over the believer.

. Will exterminate the name, ‘‘death’’ i.e., take it out of existence completely that it would no longer be in the vocabulary of the believer (2 Tim 1:10), at His return when the body will be redeemed (Eph 1:14). Hence, death as a name is man’s last enemy to be defeated (1 Cor 15:6).

• Jesus abolished death by taking away sin, the sting of death (1 Peter 2:24; Isa 53:5; 1 Cor 15:56). He took away sin by fulfilling the law, the power of sin (Matt 5:17-18; Rom 10:4; Eph 2:13-18). Since the law was fulfilled and no one is under it, sin doesn’t have power over the believer (Rom 6:14).

• Jesus lived as a Jew under the law and fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the law, so that believers are not under the law. When Jesus said it is finished (John 19:30; Matt 227:50-51), He wasn’t referring to His work, for it just began (Heb 9:24-28); He referred to the end(fulfilment) of law. The rending of the veil in the temple attests to that (Matt 27:51). The rending of the veil symbolized the end of the old covenant. There is no more need of temples made with hands, the Levitical priesthood, altars, or sacrifices.

• The man that is not in Christ is under the law of sin and death; hence, is not capable of knowing life and immortality. The law points him to himself until he comes to the end of himself and accept Christ (Gal 3:24).

• Jesus abolished death and brought life and immortality to our awareness through the Gospel (2 Tim 1:10). Since death is abolished, and life and immortality are now in the light, we can know and experience it.

• The Gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Cor 15:1-4). The revelation of life and immortality is in it – the victory over death and the grave!

• The resurrection is not an event nor a day; it is a person and that person is Jesus. Anywhere Jesus is irrespective of time, it is resurrection something (John 11:25)

• Believing (being fully persuaded) that Jesus is the resurrection and the life is the antidote to physical death (John 11:26).

• Any one that believes that Jesus is the resurrection and the life will never die; however, it only works for those that dare to believe it.

• Any one that hears the Word of God (the Gospel) and believes has eternal life and has crossed from death to life (John 5:24).

• Any dead one/thing that hears the voice of the Son of God will live (John 5:25). Thus, you must be mindful of whose voice you hear. You must hear the voice of the Son of God to live.

• Thus, all forms of death (spiritual, physical, and eternal) are now optional. When you lay down your life through unbelief by listening to the wrong voice, you will die.

• God never made Adam to die; he was meant to live forever. However, he listened to the voice of the devil and he died. Similarly, those that believe and have eternal life can die physically if they listen to the wrong voice.

• The voice of the devil destroys faith and subsequently the bodies of those that listen to it. Ask Eve, Judas and Ananias.

• Satan’s voice is resounding in the system of this world through poverty, sicknesses, diseases, disasters, insecurities, wars, famine, hardship, unemployment etc. Beware of Satan’s voice!!!