I felt it only natural to follow my blog on zombie voting with one about death. Not that I’m an expert, no one on earth is. I’ll just contribute some thoughts on the subject. Death isn’t a bad thing for the Christian, except that your loved ones are left behind. We get caught up in the “time thing” and forget that the timeline, that is life here, is only here. Jesus said in John chapter 8, “before Abraham was, I am”. That is a difficult concept for our human minds because the march of time is all we know. Jesus was alive before Abraham, who had been dead for hundreds of years. Jesus entered our timeline and his “God in the flesh” time, when he was born to Mary. God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. Time is irrelevant with God,except as it relates to our current predicament. Picture time like a novel. You can turn to any page and start reading the story, and be in the correct moment in the story. However, when God, as the author says our part in the story is over, it’s over! Death is real.
When we die, we are removed from this earth and our slavery to time. I wonder how it all works myself, but I’m confident that the Bible is true on the subject. We are born here, we live here, we die here, but then we go elsewhere. Our life in this place, is simply the refining process the Creator of the universe uses to mold and test us. 1 Peter 1:7 says, These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold–though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor… At times, the test is more difficult, necessitating the need to move closer to the Teacher, Jesus Christ. We may need to ask for answers, strength, forgiveness, or courage. Regardless, we go through that test and get another, and another, and another… The end result, is that we are ready for service in the place where God is and where we will spend eternity.
We know that the afterlife exists because the Bible tells us that people have been raised from the dead. It is a pretty long list; the widow of Zarephat’s son (1Ki 17:17-24), Shunamite’s son (2Ki 4:20-37), Man tossed into Elisha’s tome (2Ki 13:21), Widow of Nain’s son (Lk 7:11-16), Jairus daughter (Mk 5:35-43), Lazarus (Jn 11:1-44), Tabitha (Acts 9:36-41), Eutychus (Acts 20:7-12), many bodies (Mt 27:51-53). Sadly, all these had to die physically one more time. At Jesus’ resurrection, He defeated death for good. Romans chapter 6 explains how we benefit from Jesus victory over death. We will enjoy eternal life too, as a reward for our belief and faith in Him.
I believe that the Bible also teaches some people are taken from this earth because of His will. An interesting reference outside of the Canon of scripture is the Wisdom of Solomon, chapter 4:10-15. There, it says, ““There were some who pleased God and were loved by Him, and while living among sinners were taken up. They were caught up so that evil might not change their understanding, or guile deceive their souls. For the fascination of wickedness obscures what is good, and roving desire perverts the innocent mind. Being perfected in a short time, they fulfilled long years; for their souls were pleasing to the Lord, therefore He took them quickly from the midst of wickedness. Yet the people saw and did not understand, to take such a thing to heart, that God’s grace and mercy are with His elect, and that He watches over His Holy ones.“ And before you say, “that isn’t in the Bible,” you might read Isiah 57:1-2, it is the same thought. Remember that God is good, all the time. Be good yourself, and you might just get a speed pass to the afterlife.
I wonder what God will do with time itself. Will it just be ended and gone? Will it be in a heavenly museum for everyone to visit and look over its pages. Could we be standing there, looking back at this moment in time, and saying, “Wow, what an awesome God”. Yeah, I think so!
Originally published March 4, 2012 at Thechestnutburr.com
No comments:
Post a Comment