Long Life Your Heritage by David O. Oyedepo

The Origin of Death
This book sets out to show one thing: that long life is the heritage of the
born again. It sets out to teach that the believer has a choice in the matter of his departure from his earthly tabernacle.
The believer can claim victory over untimely death. It is one of his covenant rights. I am, of course, aware that this subject is not well known in the circle of believers. Yet, knowledge of it will wipe tears from many eyes.
For very long, people have been conditioned to believe that death resides with God. Many actually believe that God is the destroyer and that, somehow, the devil has been given a bad name! You only have to listen to some people talk. Hebrews 9:27 is one of the quoted Scripture. This Scripture reads,
And it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.
It is said, from this, that God determines the death of people. As God wishes, so people depart this earth. But, that is not what this or any other Scripture teaches at all.
Listen to Paul talk about his own physical death, in Philippians 1:23-24,
For I am in a strait between two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ: which is far better: nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you.
This is exciting. Paul is here demonstrating the believer’s mastery, or authority, over physical death. Paul doesn’t say God is going to decide for him. And, notice, he isn’t giving the devil credit for it. Paul himself is deciding the when. He calls the shots!
This makes two things abundantly clear. First, God is not responsible (Hebrews 2:14), and secondly Satan cannot lord it over the believer who lives in the consciousness of this fact.
To understand these things, we have to go back to the beginning of it all. You have to understand that when God created Adam and Eve, it was so that He might have expression for His love in fellowship with them. They were created with His own nature, which is eternal life, in them. Man was not therefore, originally designed for death. Death was never God’s plan for man. Man was a partaker of His divine nature.
From this exalted position, man fell. With his fall went everything else also, including his divine nature. Death replaced life. Death is a consequence of sin. Therefore, with the coming of sin, death came. Romans 5:12 puts the point this way:
Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin: and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
Death passed upon all men because of Adam’s sin. Sin brought death and, since sin is of universal effect, death has universal effect, too. From Adam, all men derive their being. Adam was the sole representative of the whole human race. He did not act as a single person but as the whole race.
The good news is that sin has been taken care of. Romans 5:15-21 makes that very clear. Verse 17 says,
For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.
This conclusion is simple, yet profound. Man is free from sin. Therefore, he is also free from the lordship of death. The new birth frees a person from the power of death, also. This explains the title of the book - Long Life, Your Heritage.
It takes knowledge to place you in the reality of this. That is the purpose of this book.