“Of course, your former friends are surprised when you no longer plunge into the flood of wild and destructive things they do. So they slander you. But remember that they will have to face God, who stands ready to judge everyone, both the living and the dead. That is why the Good News was preached to those who are now dead—so although they were destined to die like all people, they now live forever with God in the Spirit.”
Anybody out there have some “former friends” that are surprised you don’t live a wild life anymore? In yesterday’s post, we talked about suffering. On the surface it may seem like you are suffering when you abstain from sin. But those who live destructive lives are the ones who are actually suffering. When they see that you are living a different kind of life with Jesus, they may talk about you and try to smear your reputation. That’s okay — it’s not a reputation you wanted to keep anyway.
These verses get a little confusing venturing into the words “the living” and “the dead.” Those who are “living” are those who have been saved by Jesus, now living a new life in the Spirit. Remember when we talked about the idea of being “born again”? We are living our eternal lives starting now. The “dead” are the ones who are not living this free life. They are still chained to sin and are destined to die. These “dead” people are the very ones who still need to hear the good news of Jesus — and it is a matter of some urgency.
Here’s your freedom for today: you are on an eternal life journey. If you have been born into the kingdom of God through the Holy Spirit, your life keeps going. Not only that, you keep growing and deepening into your union with God. We will never reach the end of the depths of God, even as we dwell in him for eternity. Don’t wait until you get to heaven to start really living. You are free right now to dwell in the Holy Spirit and let him consume your life.