April 6, 2007

A seemingly ever-present companion, the specter of death haunts the halls of humanity so perniciously that there is no refuge on planet earth that can shield us from its clinging claws. Clear skies and sunshiny days can only briefly cloak its grim reality as it, sooner or later, swings into our lives like a swooping hawk.

Of course, death comes in many forms other than in merely the termination of our physical forms, though hearts may continue to beat and lungs continue to ventilate oxygen into our frail and fragile forms. How so? In countless ways. Death batters us when our lives are emptied of value, and our dreams come to nothing. Death comes in the form of abuse, be it verbal, physical, or sexual. Death comes in broken trust as lies and deceit glean the bitter fruits of betrayal and separation of loved ones. Death comes in the grotesque visage of greed and selfishness, as it drowns out kindness and love. It comes as an ogre of pride beating down hope and smothering joy. It comes as a phantom of fear, fear for the future of our earthly days, but also fear for the hereafter. “Is the grave the end?” we wonder. “Is this all,” our hearts cry out, “that we really live for?”

We live with death perching on our shoulders, a constant presence on the edge of all we are and all we hope for. It is our constant companion though we often fail to see it until we’re facing the loss of someone dear to us or our own life is ebbing away.

But such is the way of the world since the first rebellion of man against his Creator. In choosing to exert his will above the will of God (a.k.a. “sin”), humanity chose to forgo the blessings of fellowship with his creator (namely, life).

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned…. For the wages of sin is death….” (Romans 5:12, 6:23 NIV).

But herein lies the awesome power of Easter, which is the real message of the faith that Christians profess! For in Easter we have the grand and glorious signal that the bondage imposed upon us by the tyranny of death has been broken. “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and He will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him” (Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV).

And what power does death really have anyway for the one who is “waiting for Him?” None. With a hope in His ability to fill up our eternity, how can we be afraid of the day we shed this temporary shell we call the human body?

“Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.” (2 Corinthians 5:1-5 NIV).

And just for the record, the actual resurrection of Jesus Christ’s physical body is a very real and literal event. In demonstrating the Father’s sovereign power over the boundaries of life and death, He provides us the immutable hope that He can truly give eternal life to those whose hearts yield in faith to Him. And because of this we may then rest assured that our worship of Him to the point of total abandonment is not in vain. Given the faithfulness of God, if I spend even my blood in proclaiming God’s goodness and faithfulness, how can it not then be returned to me?

“If we have been united with Him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin – because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, He cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over Him. The death He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life He lives, He lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (Romans 9:5-11 NIV).

It is the Easter story, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, that opens the door for us each to experience the “otherworldliness” of the life of faith on a day-to-day basis. Because of the resurrection, I can be brave because I really have nothing to lose. Because of the resurrection, I can have joy: all my struggles and pains come to nothing in the end except a sweet victory celebration over loss, grief, and brokenness. Because of the resurrection, I know my place in the universe and find that I have an incalculable worth: when He paid for life, as a ransom against the power of my sin, He was making an investment that would yield Him dividends for all eternity. And so it is with you if you will yield your life and will and love to Him, turning in faith to the work He wrought on the cross for you and in submitting yourself to living your life in Godliness.

“In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace” (Romans 6:11-14 NIV).

Through the power of the resurrection, God can change your world. Let the reality of His power (as well as His desire to do it) change your heart and perspective, filling you with the hope and surety that only can only be provided by the faithfulness of God.

(Thom Mollohan and his family have ministered in southern Ohio the past eleven years.  He is the pastor of Pathway Community Church, which meets on Sunday mornings at the Ariel Theatre.  He may be reached for comments or questions by email at pastorthom@pathwaygallipolis.com).