from Gary Hamrick
... Senior Pastor of Cornerstone Chapel

... Because God is the God of the living, those who are in Christ can rest in the certainty of eternal life

Luke 20:38 NKJV (devotion translation)

Jesus was confronted by men who did not believe in the resurrection, yet He answered them with calm authority and drew their attention to the truth of God’s Word. He did not merely correct their faulty reasoning; He revealed something essential about the character of God. The Lord is “not the God of the dead but of the living.” That means death does not have the final word over those who belong to Him.

When God identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:6, Exodus 3:15), He was speaking of men whose earthly lives had long ended. Yet in God’s presence they were not lost, forgotten, or extinguished. They lived to Him. This is the hope of every believer. Eternal life is not a vague idea or a religious wish. It is grounded in the nature of God Himself. He is faithful to His covenant, and He keeps those who are His.

This also helps us understand that heaven is not simply an improved version of life on earth. The age to come is different. Earthly structures, even good gifts such as marriage, belong to this present order. In the resurrection, the people of God will live in a fullness untouched by death, decay, or separation. What is partial now will then be complete. What is burdened now will then be made whole.

For the believer, this truth steadies the heart. We do not deny the sorrow of death, but we do deny its permanence. Christ has secured life beyond the grave. Therefore, our hope rests not in this world and not in human arrangements, but in the risen Lord who brings His people safely into everlasting life. To belong to Jesus is to belong to the God of the living.

Lord, thank You that in Christ death is not the end, and that all who belong to You will live in Your presence forever. Amen.

• John 11:25-26 - Jesus declares Himself the resurrection and the life, grounding eternal life in His person.
• 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 - Affirms Christ’s resurrection as the guarantee of life for all who belong to Him.
• Romans 6:8-9 - Teaches that those united with Christ will also live with Him beyond death.
• 2 Corinthians 5:1 - Describes the believer’s future eternal dwelling that is not subject to decay.
• Philippians 1:21-23 - Paul expresses confidence that to die is to be with Christ, which is better still.
• Revelation 21:3-4 - Portrays the final state where death and sorrow are removed forever.
• Daniel 12:2 - Prophesies resurrection to everlasting life for God’s people.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:14 - Encourages believers with the assurance that those who die in Christ will rise again.