Jesus said, “Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word WILL NEVER SEE DEATH.” (John 8:51)
I think the easiest way to understand this is what Jesus said to the thief next to Him on the cross, the man REPENTED and Jesus promised Him, “Truly I tell you, TODAY (sēmeron: this very day) you will be WITH ME in paradise.” (Luke 23:43) He breathed his last breath on earth and his VERY NEXT BREATH in paradise with Jesus!
Paul taught us, “For we know that if the EARTHLY TENT (our human bodies) we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an ETERNAL HOUSE (an eternal body) in heaven, not built by human hands…For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be CLOTHED INSTEAD WITH OUR HEAVENLY DWELLING…” (2 Corinthians 5:1,4) “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what WE WILL BE HAS NOT YET BEEN MADE KNOWN. But we know that when Christ appears, WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM, for we shall see Him AS HE IS.” (1 John 3:2) “For our CITIZENSHIP IS IN HEAVEN (right now! As soon as we are born again) from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will TRANSFORM OUR LOWLY BODY that it may be CONFORMED TO HIS GLORIOUS BODY…” (Philippians 3:20-21)
The word TRANSFORM in English is metamorphoō in Greek it means (to be divinely changed into a Christian form). There is a word in the English zoological term called METAMORPHOSIS. God created a Caterpillar to TEACH US about the process of being “Born Again.” When it’s time the Caterpillar spreads a liquid all over the chrysalis it creates, which becomes hard and shiny. This is camouflaged to be hidden in its surroundings. The caterpillar, now called a pupa, remains protected inside through the cold winter. A MIRACLE TAKES PLACE inside this shiny chrysalis. When it finally opens in spring, a full-grown butterfly comes out, gradually spreads its wings, and flies off with an entirely NEW LIFE.
JUST LIKE US, WE ARE BORN AGAIN AND BECOME A BRAND–NEW CREATION IN CHRIST…
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham