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  DEATH IS THE FATE OF ALL SUCH
  by Ignatius of Antioch
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Summary: Our choices determine whether we live a life of obedience to
God or a life of disobedience leading to death.

Topics: "Obedience To God", "Spiritual Warfare"
Scripture References: Deuteronomy 30:19, John 8:44, Ephesians 4:24, 1 John 3:10

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DESCRIPTION
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Ignatius of Antioch emphasizes the importance of choosing between life
through obedience to God's precepts or death through disobedience. He
distinguishes between the truly devout, stamped by God, and the ungodly,
influenced by the devil. Ignatius highlights that human nature remains
the same, but individuals align themselves either with God or the devil
based on their choices, with believers reflecting God's image and
unbelievers reflecting the devil's image.

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CONTENT
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Seeing, then, all things have an end, and there is set before us life
upon our observance [of God's precepts], but death as the result of
disobedience, and every one, according to the choice he makes, shall go
to his own place, let us flee from death, and make choice of life. For I
remark, that two different characters are found among men-the one true
coin, the other spurious. The truly devout man is the right kind of
coin, stamped by God Himself. The ungodly man, again, is false coin,
unlawful, spurious, counterfeit, wrought not by God, but by the devil.

I do not mean to say that there are two different human natures, but
that there is one humanity, sometimes belonging to God, and sometimes to
the devil.

If any one is truly religious, he is a man of God; but if he is
irreligious, he is a man of the devil, made such, not by nature, but by
his own choice. The unbelieving bear the image of the prince of
wickedness. The believing possess the image of their Prince, God the
Father, and Jesus Christ, through whom, if we are not in readiness to
die for the truth into His passion, His life is not in us.

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Source: https://sermonindex.net/speakers/ignatius-of-antioch/death-is-the-fate-of-all-such/
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