Linchpin of Faith

On the past weekend, I was privileged to spend several hours with a family at the bedside of a young mother who is, to all appearances, on her final journey. She has fought a valiant battle with cancer, endured many treatments, kept her faith intact, given hope to those who come to comfort her, and now; is in the borderlands of this world and the next. Even for Christians, that frontier is a frightening place where both the living and the dying have to 'let go' and 'take hold' at the same time. There is letting go of all that is known and there is taking hold of the Promise. I cannot begin to imagine the bleakness of the prospect of death for those who have no hope of Eternity!

As I have grieved alongside of this family, I have turned repeatedly to the familiar words of Jesus, "let not your hearts be troubled, ... I go to prepare a place for you and I will come again to take you to be with me." John 14. This morning I meditated on the promise that closes the first letter to the Corinthians. In the 15th chapter, the whole structure of Christian faith is anchored to the declaration - "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive." (1 Corinthians 15:19-22, NKJV) The context of that passage is a lengthy proof of the reality of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, Who is then declared to be the Way for all those who live in Faith.

Having such faith does not make death any prettier! Jesus' own death, in which the Son of God 'in the flesh' identified Himself with those He came to save and serve, was a thing of horror. He dreaded the moment of being wrenched from life to death intensely, asking His Father if there might not be another way to accomplish the plan of Creation's salvation. But, He submitted Himself to death! "He humbled himself and became obedient to death— even death on a cross!" (Philippians 2:8, NIV) And, then He emerged from the grave as the Living Proof that Death, the final enemy of humanity, is defeated!

Believer, do not wait until you reach the frontier which the Bible calls 'the valley of the shadow of death' to secure your hope in the Living Christ. Begin to live in Resurrection Life, right here, right now. This is what those who are 'born again' (TFTD - 3/7/2008) do. They accept the Spirit of God and allow His life to become their life. They set their sights on the Heavenly Kingdom, letting go of the treasures of this world, to own those of God's kingdom. As we live, so we die. If we live in God's grace, we die in grace.

The family that invited me to walk with them on Saturday and Sunday knows great sorrow as they anticipate the years of separation. But they also know hope, the same hope that King David expressed at the time of the loss of his own son when he said, "His servants asked him, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." (2 Samuel 12:21-23, NIV)

I pray that you know this Hope, too. Here's a word from the Word, the same passage quoted above, but from The Message.

"If all we get out of Christ is a little inspiration for a few short years,
we’re a pretty sorry lot.
But the truth is that Christ has been raised up,
the first in a long legacy of those who are going to leave the cemeteries.
There is a nice symmetry in this:
Death initially came by a man, and resurrection from death came by a man.
Everybody dies in Adam; everybody comes alive in Christ."

"Then the saying will come true: Death swallowed by triumphant Life!
Who got the last word, oh, Death?
Oh, Death, who’s afraid of you now?
It was sin that made death so frightening and law-code guilt that gave sin its leverage,
its destructive power.
But now in a single victorious stroke of Life,
all three—sin, guilt, death—are gone, the gift of our Master, Jesus Christ.
Thank God!
With all this going for us, my dear, dear friends, stand your ground.
And don’t hold back.
Throw yourselves into the work of the Master,
confident that nothing you do for him is a waste of time or effort."

(1 Corinthians 15: 19-22 54-58, The Message)
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