The Apostle Peter delivered God's Words powerfully when he wrote,
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 1 Peter 1:3-9 (ESV)
This is what I read to my grandfather on Friday morning when we had some quiet moments together. I clued into the passage because of the phrase 'living hope', but was stunned when I began to read through the promises of the Christian's inheritance. By the power of the resurrection, the Christian's inheritance is imperishable, undefiled and unfading. And, it is being kept for them by the power of God.
Often we think of the inheritance as what we leave behind, not what is to come. But God sees things differently. What a revolutionary idea! The inheritance left behind perishes, is never perfect and always fades away. So, of these two inheritances, which do you want? Who is the true benefactor?
As I read this passage I couldn't help but be excited for him. I couldn't help but be excited for me. There is a mystery that surrounds death and this mystery causes fear and anxiety, but the hope of what occurs in the very next breath showing bring joy that overshadows this fear for the Christian. This wonderful inheritance, secured by God Himself, is one breath away for the follower of Jesus.
Oh the joy that will be known by the Christian when they fully receive the salvation bought by Christ's great love. May this coming joy fill us with hope even now. I hope it encouraged Pop as he now lives in the reality of cancer. I know this truth (and Pop's longing for it) encouraged me.
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label death. Show all posts
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Monday, January 18, 2010
Relief May Not Look Like What You Think
I was listening to radio news recently as I drove home from one of our Worship Services. It was the most intense radio report I had ever heard. The reporter was deeply concerned about a group of babies that were in an orphanage. He believed they would die if aid didn’t come to them immediately. In anger he declared that there were several aid agencies and government forces that knew their specific location, but had not shown up to deliver any supplies that were desperately needed. As he talked his intensity increased and he finally said plainly, “If aid doesn’t arrive these children are going to die.” Needless to say there were numerous thoughts rushing through my mind.
What Can I Do?
In an instant I began wondering if there was anything I could do. The disaster area was thousands of miles away from me and I couldn’t get there any time soon in my car. I began to think of anyone that I might know that could do something. I couldn’t think of anyone except God that could direct aid to them. Then I had a thought that many of you might find strange. What if they die? Is that the worst thing that could happen to them? For a number of reasons I believe that infants go to Heaven when they die. I’m not going to write a theological treatise on that here, but I do believe the Bible supports the idea. What if they die? If what I believe the Bible teaches is correct, they would take their next breath in Heaven. They would have escaped the disaster and God would have provided relief to them. No, it’s not what we would think of as relief. It’s probably not what the reporter had in mind. He was begging for baby formula, clean water and diapers. Those are necessary supplies, but there is more than one type of relief that God can offer.
Raised in Power
Make sure you understand that I don’t believe that everyone instantly goes to Heaven when they die. The Bible is very clear. Jesus says in John 14:6 that no one comes to Father except he places his faith in Jesus. People of account who don’t repent of their sins, seek Jesus’ forgiveness and follow Him will have no access to God according to the Bible. But for those that will trust and love Jesus there is great hope. In fact, there is no greater hope. The Bible says, “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-43, ESV) That sounds like relief to me.
So Live Generously
In addition to the relief of resurrection, I believe a person’s love for Christ ought to drive them to be even more charitable. The cited passage plainly tells us of our weakness. Therefore, we ought to aid our fellow citizens of Earth with the greatest of effort. So, I hope you will give and serve generously when others are in need, but don’t forget relief comes in many ways.
What Can I Do?
In an instant I began wondering if there was anything I could do. The disaster area was thousands of miles away from me and I couldn’t get there any time soon in my car. I began to think of anyone that I might know that could do something. I couldn’t think of anyone except God that could direct aid to them. Then I had a thought that many of you might find strange. What if they die? Is that the worst thing that could happen to them? For a number of reasons I believe that infants go to Heaven when they die. I’m not going to write a theological treatise on that here, but I do believe the Bible supports the idea. What if they die? If what I believe the Bible teaches is correct, they would take their next breath in Heaven. They would have escaped the disaster and God would have provided relief to them. No, it’s not what we would think of as relief. It’s probably not what the reporter had in mind. He was begging for baby formula, clean water and diapers. Those are necessary supplies, but there is more than one type of relief that God can offer.
Raised in Power
Make sure you understand that I don’t believe that everyone instantly goes to Heaven when they die. The Bible is very clear. Jesus says in John 14:6 that no one comes to Father except he places his faith in Jesus. People of account who don’t repent of their sins, seek Jesus’ forgiveness and follow Him will have no access to God according to the Bible. But for those that will trust and love Jesus there is great hope. In fact, there is no greater hope. The Bible says, “So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power.” (1 Corinthians 15:42-43, ESV) That sounds like relief to me.
So Live Generously
In addition to the relief of resurrection, I believe a person’s love for Christ ought to drive them to be even more charitable. The cited passage plainly tells us of our weakness. Therefore, we ought to aid our fellow citizens of Earth with the greatest of effort. So, I hope you will give and serve generously when others are in need, but don’t forget relief comes in many ways.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Learning to Grieve
Grieving is hard work. If you are not prepared for this work most likely it will be even worse than you can imagine. I don’t think I’ve ever served a grieving family and heard them say, “This is much easier than we thought it was going to be.” I am convinced that if you are going to grieve well, and you should grieve, you must be as prepared as you can be.
When grief comes you will not be able to function in it with exact and meticulous detail because every situation will be different in severity, depth and intensity. However, I believe the Bible clearly lays out a foundation for us to stand on in our times of grief. One place we can learn this pattern is Psalm 102.
A Pattern for Suffering
In Psalm 102 we see David grieve deeply. We’re not exactly sure why, but whatever he is going through is intense. Along with several normal characteristics of grief it would appear that we seem him lose his appetite, suffer from sleeplessness, and even face depression. Yet, in this passage we see him deal with his grief well and God helps us learn how to deal with our own grief as we observe David.
A pattern seems to emerge that helps David move through the grief process in verses 13-22. We’re not sure how long it takes for him to move through this pattern, but it does seem to be consistent both times. The pattern seems to go something like this:
1. David cries out to God declaring His sovereignty and eternal control of life.
2. God hears David and has pity on him.
3. David remembers God’s promises to him and His people.
4. David looks forward to how God will use the current grief to bring good in the future.
Though we don’t actually see these elements lived out in this psalm, in other places we have the opportunity to see God working these things out. Know that God was faithful in keeping the promises He made to David and God did use David’s times of grief to bring about good.
Learning to Grieve Well
How can you apply this pattern? Well, every time I go to the funeral home I am reminded of how feeble I am. My life, just like every life on this planet, will end in death. God is the only one that has the power to conquer death. The redeemed of Christ only receive eternal life with God when it is given to them by Christ. Death should humble us. It should make us realize that God is everlasting and sovereign, and we are not. Not only should we realize it, but it should drive us to worship God as the Supreme Creator of all things. Facing grief should drive us to remember God’s control and to worship Him for it. In addition, focusing on God’s strength should help align true perspective. Often our problems and hurts fall out of perspective. They become bigger than us and even bigger than God. That is a distorted perspective and one that is never true. Death should remind us that we are small and God is big. When viewed correctly, this truth should bring comfort and rest.
The other steps of this pattern strengthen this perspective. By remembering God’s promises we remember His goodness and His holiness. We remember that He has promised His people that He will love them, be near at the time of death and deliver them through death. We find such promises from Jesus in John 14, from God Himself in Psalm 116:15 and in other places such as 1 Thessalonians 4. At the same time we hear of the separation from God that comes when the unrepentant person dies. Jesus’ teaching of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 reinforces this idea and passages like Hebrews 9:27 remind us that just as death is appointed, judgment is as well. In grief we should focus on the promises of God.
Find Joy In a Time of Grief
The believer should find comfort and joy in these promises as they have witnessed God’s faithful work not only in Scripture, but in their own lives as well. It is from God’s faithful work in the past that we also have hope that He will repeat that work in the future. Though the believer cannot be sure how God will use their pain for good, they believe He will. This brings hope. It fuels perseverance and endurance during grief. Psalm 102 teaches us that this hope should even lead to joy as the believer knows God will not waste their pain, but will use it for good in their life and the lives of others.
Grieving is hard work. But hope can be found in it. Grieving will be different for everyone and it can be unpredictable in its effects on a person. However, we can use the basic pattern here and by applying to it our broken hearts find hope in God. What will your perspective be when it is your time to grieve?
When grief comes you will not be able to function in it with exact and meticulous detail because every situation will be different in severity, depth and intensity. However, I believe the Bible clearly lays out a foundation for us to stand on in our times of grief. One place we can learn this pattern is Psalm 102.
A Pattern for Suffering
In Psalm 102 we see David grieve deeply. We’re not exactly sure why, but whatever he is going through is intense. Along with several normal characteristics of grief it would appear that we seem him lose his appetite, suffer from sleeplessness, and even face depression. Yet, in this passage we see him deal with his grief well and God helps us learn how to deal with our own grief as we observe David.
A pattern seems to emerge that helps David move through the grief process in verses 13-22. We’re not sure how long it takes for him to move through this pattern, but it does seem to be consistent both times. The pattern seems to go something like this:
1. David cries out to God declaring His sovereignty and eternal control of life.
2. God hears David and has pity on him.
3. David remembers God’s promises to him and His people.
4. David looks forward to how God will use the current grief to bring good in the future.
Though we don’t actually see these elements lived out in this psalm, in other places we have the opportunity to see God working these things out. Know that God was faithful in keeping the promises He made to David and God did use David’s times of grief to bring about good.
Learning to Grieve Well
How can you apply this pattern? Well, every time I go to the funeral home I am reminded of how feeble I am. My life, just like every life on this planet, will end in death. God is the only one that has the power to conquer death. The redeemed of Christ only receive eternal life with God when it is given to them by Christ. Death should humble us. It should make us realize that God is everlasting and sovereign, and we are not. Not only should we realize it, but it should drive us to worship God as the Supreme Creator of all things. Facing grief should drive us to remember God’s control and to worship Him for it. In addition, focusing on God’s strength should help align true perspective. Often our problems and hurts fall out of perspective. They become bigger than us and even bigger than God. That is a distorted perspective and one that is never true. Death should remind us that we are small and God is big. When viewed correctly, this truth should bring comfort and rest.
The other steps of this pattern strengthen this perspective. By remembering God’s promises we remember His goodness and His holiness. We remember that He has promised His people that He will love them, be near at the time of death and deliver them through death. We find such promises from Jesus in John 14, from God Himself in Psalm 116:15 and in other places such as 1 Thessalonians 4. At the same time we hear of the separation from God that comes when the unrepentant person dies. Jesus’ teaching of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 reinforces this idea and passages like Hebrews 9:27 remind us that just as death is appointed, judgment is as well. In grief we should focus on the promises of God.
Find Joy In a Time of Grief
The believer should find comfort and joy in these promises as they have witnessed God’s faithful work not only in Scripture, but in their own lives as well. It is from God’s faithful work in the past that we also have hope that He will repeat that work in the future. Though the believer cannot be sure how God will use their pain for good, they believe He will. This brings hope. It fuels perseverance and endurance during grief. Psalm 102 teaches us that this hope should even lead to joy as the believer knows God will not waste their pain, but will use it for good in their life and the lives of others.
Grieving is hard work. But hope can be found in it. Grieving will be different for everyone and it can be unpredictable in its effects on a person. However, we can use the basic pattern here and by applying to it our broken hearts find hope in God. What will your perspective be when it is your time to grieve?
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