If we have died with Christ through faith and baptism, we’ve already died the one death that really matters. Our lives are joined with Jesus’ life, so we can be confident that we will share in the Lord’s glory when he returns (Colossians 3:1-4). Even death cannot separate us from Jesus’ presence in our lives (Romans 8:35-39) because we have been given the victory over death through Christ Jesus our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:55-57). We do not have to fear the future judgment or the second death because we have already passed over from death into life (John 5:24). As Paul so confidently states, “We will certainly also be united with [Jesus] in his resurrection”!

Paul exclaimed with a prayer we can repeat: “Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God — through Jesus Christ our Lord!” Thanks be to God for this gift too wonderful for words to describe or our mortal lives to limit! Amen, and hallelujah! (Romans 7:24-25)