“We don't want you in the dark, friends, about how hard it was when all this came down on us in Asia province. It was so bad we didn't think we were going to make it. We felt like we'd been sent to death row; that it was all over for us. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally — not a bad idea since he's the God who raises the dead!” 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 (The Message)
Apostle Paul shared a story of how things were so difficult for the disciples that they feared for their very lives; Paul said, “in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.” But they learned to not rely on themselves but on “God, who raises the dead.” These disciples of Jesus had, in dire circumstances, discovered the importance of the promise, hope, and peace that is in Christ Jesus.
The disciples turned their deepest fear of life’s battles into peace by embracing the assurance one has in Christ. I have no desire to die, I like living. God created us in his image, which includes living eternally—death is not a God thing, it is not his desire for you, or me. We have a promise of eternal life. It boils down to one question by Jesus (John 11:25-26). Paul believed it and I believe it, but, what is your response to this question by Jesus, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
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