A L M A C I A S

A SECOND CHANCE TO LIVE

It is indeed sad thing to hear of some who have become very ill because some of their organs are no longer functioning properly. Unless these individuals receive an organ from someone else, they will die. Some are in need of a kidney; some are in need of a liver; or, in other cases, some are in need of a heart. Finding organs that will match with their blood type, as well as with other criteria, is very difficult. Finally, there are cases where some are able to find the appropriate donor and are given a second chance at life. I do not have to tell you what a great blessing this is for those people who have run out of time and yet find hope in an almost hopeless situation. Such is also the case in the spiritual realm. There are a lot of people who are walking and talking today who are in great need of a second chance to live, that is to live spiritually. You think of the population of this world, and then you think of how many of those people are actually alive in Christ. This world is composed of about six billion people, and yet how many of that number have obeyed the pure Gospel of Christ? My question is not how many of that number think they are Christians, rather how many actually are Christians?

In the letter to the Ephesians, the apostle Paul reminded the brethren of some of the spiritual blessings found in Christ. One of these blessings was that though they were dead at one time, they had been made alive through the obedience of the Gospel of Christ. We read in Ephesians 2:1-2: "And you did he make alive, when ye were dead through your trespasses and sins, wherein ye once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the sons of disobedience." The apostle Paul, in this passage of Scripture, tells the brethren, as well as us, how we have all been made alive through the obedience of the Gospel. What should all of this mean to us? To better appreciate the spiritual state that we have in Christ, we must think of all of those people who are alive physically, but are still dead in their sins and trespasses. When it comes time for all of these people to leave this world and enter eternity, they will have to suffer another death, because they were never alive in Christ while they were here. This second death which they will suffer will be their separation from the presence of God throughout eternity. In this same passage of Scripture, we also read of the reason we were once dead in our sins and trespasses ­ because we walked according to the course of this world and according to the prince of the air, which is Satan.

It is a misconception among many to think that it is possible for one to be alive in Christ and yet be walking according to the course of this world. This is only a misconception. Either we are walking according to the commandments of God, or we are walking according to the course of this world. We read in Hebrews 2:1, "Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." The danger of falling back to the life of sin is always before us. Therefore, we need to decide who we are going to follow. If we want to be alive in Christ, we cannot follow the course of this world; for if we do, then we will be dead again in our sins and trespasses. Let us forever be grateful for the second chance we have all been given to live again through the obedience of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.