“WHO SAVED US and called us with a holy calling, not in virtue of our works but in virtue of his own purpose and the grace which he gave us in Christ Jesus ages ago, and now has manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Tim. 1:9–10).
We saw yesterday how there was promise of life in Christ Jesus—it stretches out into the future forever. Here we see that it stretches back ages ago. This redemption in Christ is not an afterthought of God, brought on by man’s sin. Jesus was not heaven’s troubleshooter sent down to get us out of a jam. He was God’s own purpose—the purpose wrought into creation. God knew if He made man free, man would sin, but He decided to create. Jesus was the redemptive answer. He made everything to work in Jesus’ way. That was redemptive. If man still sinned, Jesus would take all the penalties and sins upon Himself at a cross. The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world—the cross was inherent in creation.
Now it has been “manifested through the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ.” In Him we see the purpose of creation. One of His purposes was to abolish death. He “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel”—in Him there is no death. In Him, and in Him alone, there is “life and immortality.” There is no life and there is no immortality apart from Him “who alone has immortality” (1 Tim. 6:16). Therefore, those who are in Him alone have immortality. The immortality of the soul is not a natural endowment; it is a supernatural gift of God in Christ. The grace that does not give immortality to those outside Christ is grace indeed. It is the kindest thing possible, for being outside Christ is hell.
O Jesus, Savior and Redeemer, I am grateful that Thou hast come to abolish death and to bring life and immortality to light. May it not be brought to light merely, but brought to life in me. May I live nothing but life. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: Soul of mine, you are made to work in Christ’s way; if you work in some other way, you work your own ruin.
