Under the Jacket

When a doctor in Jerusalem knelt down and ripped open the jacket of a critically wounded man from a homicide bombing to begin emergency treatment, he didn’t find gushing blood. He instead found an explosive belt. The wounded man was a would-be suicide bomber who was knocked out by the force of the initial blast, before he was able to detonate his own explosive belt. The physician, who had rushed to the scene along with nurses from a nearby medical clinic, ran away as the second bomber began waving his arms. An Israeli policeman then shot the bomber and killed him.

This is the experience of every Christian. Outwardly, we looked innocent, but when the Holy Spirit pulled back the garb of self righteousness, we were found to be rebels against all that is good and just. So, what did God do? He executed us on the spot. God “reckoned” me dead, the moment I surrendered to the Savior. I was legally executed with Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul spoke of this amazing fact, when he said, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). It has been well-said that if we are born once, we will die twice (the first and the second death), but if we are born twice, we will only die once. See John Chapter 3 for further details.