“Over my dead body”, was a phase that I heard many times while I was growing up in the fifties and sixties. But today it takes on a greater significance than it has ever held with me before. Today the one using these words is Jesus Himself and the one He is talking to is you.
The only way any of us will go to Hell is by stepping over the dead body of Jesus. Jesus not only died so we could have life and have it more abundantly, He places His crucified body in our path day after day to prevent us from going to Hell and suffering for all of eternity.
God has given us warnings concerning Hell. If any of us end up in Hell, it is because we choose to ignore the warnings of God. Let’s take a look at those warnings and how we can make sure we do not end up in Hell.
First, God issues His warnings about Hell in His Holy Word. Most of us have read or heard these words. We must ask ourselves if we believe that there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile us to God and people. We must ask ourselves if we believe that Jesus is that Mediator and that He gave His life to purchase freedom for everyone.
Paul tells us that this is the message that God gave at the proper time and that he was chosen to be a preacher and an apostle to teach the Gentiles about faith and truth. Paul was compelled to search out those who were lost and bring them the Good News about Jesus Christ. But, Paul himself said that He preached but one message and that was “Christ and Him crucified.” Many of us do not want to read or hear that message, but we have no choice, if we go to Hell it is because we stepped over the dead body of Jesus.
Second, God uses His disciples to share their testimonies as to who He is and what He has given them through prayer, study, circumstances and other believers. All of this is used for the purpose of salvation. You see, we who are saved were saved to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That Gospel tells us that before we can have the forgiveness of sin, Jesus had to die. When we go out of our churches and share Jesus, we must tell them about the death of Jesus. We must let them know that the only way they will go to Hell is by stepping over the dead body of Jesus.
Finally, God has put within each of us His nature; we have all been given a conscience. God has given us the knowledge of good and evil. God has made it known to us that He is good and that the Devil is evil. God has also made it known to us that we must turn from evil and turn to good. A lot of people are shopping for God today; they are looking for the best deal they can find. There are others selling different gods today, anything that will bring them power, money or fame. But, God put His image inside of us. We know who He is, and we know that we need Him. And we know that if we refuse Him, we have to step over the dead body of Jesus to go to Hell.
I believe that there is no greater time in all of history than now to become a Christian. And, once we become a Christian we must learn all we can about Jesus. Then we must go the extra mile to be soul-winners. I too had to step over the dead body of Jesus, but I am not going to Hell, I am going to see Jesus. I have seen His crucified body, I have humbled myself and have confessed my sins, I have been accepted by God because of the sacrifice of Jesus, and have been granted salvation, thank you Jesus! My name has been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and I am Heaven bound, thank you Jesus! Where is your name written today? If you leave here today without Jesus as your Savior, then it is because you have stepped over His dead body, won’t you come to Jesus today?
