A Life After Death

In our belief of life after death, we wonder if there is hopeful life offered on this earth after a seeming deathblow in our experiences. The stakes of a bitter heart are high in suffering, but the promise of a new life in God is also great.

In Jesus’ experience, He conquered Death, Death being the last enemy to be conquered. In the same way, after we have endured a “deathblow,” can we hope for a future of all lesser enemies? Scripture seems to bear this out….

Paul realized his commendation as a servant of Christ came with this type of suffering (2 Cor 6:3-10). “Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened…that we might rely on God, who raises the dead” (2 Cor 1:9). He ends this letter saying “we cannot do anything against the truth, but only FOR the truth.” He also ends the letter to the Galatians with “Finally, let no man cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus” (6:17).

Peter furthers this thought of suffering serving as a type of Christ’s crucifixion, “Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because He who suffered in the body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but RATHER FOR the will of God” (1 Pet 4:1).

Gene Edwards concludes, “A crucified one has within his grasp the highest plane of Christian living – life beyond crucifixion. Jesus lives beyond. He lives beyond the worst that can happen. He lives beyond the worst that can happen because the VERY WORST happened to Him. He lives beyond death. Living in resurrection. That is the highest order of Christian living.”

“The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land at that time.”
(Gen 13:7)
 As enemies lurk around, Abram(ham) and Lot are realizing they have a difficulty…it is with each other! Looking back, Lot accompanied Abram’s departure from his homeland without even the call being directed to him. With Abram he had relocated, faced a famine, and endured risks in Egypt. Together they had worshipped God. Thoroughly bonded, Abram expressed “…we are brothers” (Gen 13:6).

Because of inner tension arising among themselves, something must be done. In light of the fact that they were brothers, they would both need to cooperate to preserve the priority of their relationship. Wisely this would mean separation in order to keep honoring one another. They would still defend each other as Abram fulfilled later. In recollection, Gordon MacDonald has said that “separation is better than hatred.” These two brethren believed this to be so.

Were there other considerations to necessitate unity? “The Canaanites and Perizzites were also living in the land.” How could they possibly have a front before the REAL enemy when they were at odds with each other? Inward decay while enemies loomed made it expedient to begin solving their inner conflict.

“Judgment begins in the house of God.” “A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.” Are there ”Canaanites and Perizzites”?

Be quick to say “we are brothers” and find the necessary means of resolution. May it not be said one day that our lives were spent in battle, but never with the real enemy.   
 

“He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son. But to the cowardly…(Rev 21:7-8a)”

Somehow “cowardly” seems out-of-place in the forbidden list that follows. Cowardice seems to be a close cousin of meekness and humility. What then is truly behind being cowardly?

Giants arise in our lives that loom very big and threatening. We cower, hide, and want to run away in fear. This all seems like such a natural response, but a spirit that cowers is not pleasing: “for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind” (2 Tim 1:7). If fear is a spirit, it is not one we want to give any room. On the other hand, the environment of God’s Spirit sends forth love accompanied by power and self-discipline. Healthy love will not flow out, nor be received as healthy, to another out of a timid spirit that cowers before them.

Where we are timid, we should acknowledge before God. “God preserves the faithful…Be strong, and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord” (Ps 31:23). Faithfulness and courage would draw God’s preservation, while cowering and hiding would merely be our own selfmade means of preservation.

Stand tall, for when we take courage, we are trusting God alone to preserve us. Let us put down those defenses of cowardness because our hope is in God. We can then exercise our God-given right to be strong and take heart! (Ps 31:24).