ON TOP OF ALL THE PROBLEMS that embattle each human being is death. Death comes anywhere, anytime. Young and healthy as many people are at this moment, the possibility of dying anytime remains. Every hour and every day, everyone faces the danger of losing his life. Indeed, death is a constant threat over which people by themselves have no power.

Apostle Paul expressed man’s sad plight in the face of this dreaded foe when he said:

“What a miserable man I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death?” (Rom. 7:24 New Century Version)

Not even wealth and wisdom
Even if people arm themselves with all the wealth and wisdom of this world, they still cannot save themselves from dying. Some die in full prosperity, while others hardly having enjoyed anything good in life.

When death comes, the amount of one’s riches or knowledge no longer matters. Rich or poor, learned or ignorant, everyone suffers the same end at the moment of death:

“No one can keep himself from dying or put off the day of his death. That is a battle we cannot escape; we cannot cheat our way out.” (Eccles. 8:8 Good News Bible)

Why death is inevitable
No one can avoid death (Ps. 89:48) because God appointed all sinners to “die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27 Revised Standard Version). The Bible says:

“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned.” (Rom. 5:12 New King James Version)

Sinners are condemned by God to die (Rom. 6:23). Making the matter worse is the fact that there is a second death in the lake of fire which is the full payment for sin:

“Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.” (Rev. 20:14 New International Version)

Just as man’s wealth and wisdom cannot save him from death that is the cessation of breath, these cannot save him as well from the “fire of [God’s] anger” on the Day of Judgment:

“The great day of the LORD is near―very near and coming fast! That day will be bitter, for even the bravest soldiers will cry out in despair! It will be a day of fury, a day of trouble and distress, a day of ruin and destruction, a day of darkness and gloom, a black and cloudy day, a day filled with the sound of war trumpets and the battle cry of soldiers attacking fortified cities and high towers. The LORD says, ‘I will bring such disasters on mankind that everyone will grope about like a blind man. They have sinned against me, and now their blood will be poured out like water, and their dead bodies will lie rotting on the ground.’ On the day when the LORD shows his fury, not even all their silver and gold will save them. The whole earth will be destroyed by the fire of his anger. He will put an end―a sudden end―to everyone who lives on earth.” (Zeph. 1:14-18 GNB)

This is man’s gravest problem. Because of the sin he has committed, he has been condemned to face the day he breathes his last, and worse, the everlasting punishment in the lake of fire. He is considered “spiritually dead” due to sin.

Hence, man needs to find the way to be removed from spiritually dead because of sin so he will no longer be under God’s curse and be able to overcome death―the cessation of breath and the eternal condemnation on the Day of Judgment.