Pastor Leon’s SOAP:  Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
December 03, 2022: SOAP #4748: Romans 13-16

SCRIPTURE:  Romans (NIV) 14:7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. 9 For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.

OBSERVATION:  Why Christ would want to be the Lord of the dead? Because the dead, those who have “gone before,” those who are not “with us” any longer, those who have “passed from this life,” their spirits are fully alive.  Only the physical body left behind is dead!  The best is yet to come!

We who are still living in the flesh have seen people die. We have seen their lifeless physical bodies placed in the grave. To us, they are dead. Yet they have the same Lord in death as they had in life. They have the same Lord as we, the living, have! Their spirit is even more alive now then it was when they were with us. They are absent from the body, but they are present with the Lord!  (2Corinthians 5:8)

The physical body was designed and created to carry the spirit/life of man.  It provides avenues of expression for the spirit of man.  When the spirit/life of man returns to God, the lifeless, spiritless body remains.  Others who are still in their flesh will take care of what remains behind.  But a resurrection day is coming when a transformed body will be united with the spirit!!! (1Corinthians 15:50-57) I can only imagine what we will be able to do then when we will be present with the Lord and with our bodies!!!

APPLICATION: Do I enjoy knowing the Lord Jesus Christ in life? I will enjoy it so much more after passing through the doorway of death. Do I enjoy fellowship with my Lord now? I will enjoy it so much more then. Can I see God’s hand at work around me now? I will see it so much clearer then.

He is my Lord now, but when those around me call me “dead” I will be more alive than I have ever been in life!  Do not let my dead body fool you!

PRAYER:   Lord, thank you that your promises extend through our physical death into eternity! You are my Lord now, and you will be my Lord then!  Amen

Pastor Leon   
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