If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. Ezekiel 3:18

It’s a given, we are all under the penalty of death. And everyone knows it. The only thing everyone doesn’t necessarily know is why. Many people don’t know that death is a penalty. They just assume it is a part of reality. Everybody dies; that’s the way it goes. Maybe one of these days we’ll figure this out and we will become immortal but that seems like a long way off.

But the “Why” is important. It’s important because it can lead to something beyond death. We need to listen to the prophet.

The prophet reveals why we die. It’s not because our cells can only replenish themselves for so long. It’s not because death is built into our DNA. It’s not because the universe is winding down (although all of these are true). No, it’s very clear the real reason why we die. The prophet says we die “in our sins.”

We are under the penalty of death because we have sinned and the penalty for sin is death. Blame Adam and Eve if you want, but God said that if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die. Well, they did, and they did. I haven’t run into either one of them lately, have you? And we are all their descendants and we all bear the same penalty of death that they bore. We were born with it. We were born dead, and the only reason we are alive for a relative short time is to give us a chance to establish a relationship with our Creator.

And here comes the Catch (pun intended): “For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:22) Death is not the final act. Death is not the end. This is why we let people know they are under the penalty of death, not to scare them, but to let them know the rest of the story.

Yes, we are all living under the penalty of death, but you and I as believers possess the knowledge that will free people from that penalty. It’s a gift. And what are we doing with that gift? Sitting on it? Hopefully not. Looking for opportunities to give it away? Indeed. We have been given something to give away. Life itself. Eternal life. Here … take it. It’s for you and it’s free.

Under penalty of death? We all are. In possession of life eternal? We all can be. And that goes for everyone, everywhere.

Introducing our new podcast, Between the Answers 

“Between the Answers” podcast will look back to the pioneers of a historical phenomenon: the Jesus Movement, examine why it transformed into a broader social and political force over time, and ask questions about the Movement’s original message and its transformative power today. Our premise lies in the questions we need to ask between the answers. 

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