A Time To Live

“The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 15:57

Dear Ones:

It was said of the missionaries that went to be with the Lord, at the end of their work with the Mino Mission in Japan, that “…they died well.” Why was this such a wonderful testimony of the grace and love of God? The answer lies in the assurance, and peace, that Christ gives, based upon His finished work on Calvary, and the ministry of the Spirit to the heart.

In the letter to the Hebrews, we find written, on the subject of death: “…He (Christ) also Himself likewise took part of the same, that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” (2:14-15) One of the great blessings of being saved, and knowing Christ, is the revelation of what He did on Calvary with regard to the enemy of death. Just as the day of our birth is a specific reality, so is the day of our death. That which the Lord Jesus did in regard to death was first and foremost to identify with us who are subject to death. He took upon Himself flesh, dwelt among us, identified Himself with us in every way, only without sin. He also willingly, and decisively, chose to lay down His life for us, “…tasting death for every man.” That which Christ did, which delivers the believer from the fear of death, is to counter death’s sentence because of sin, and its power to claim the sinner. He did this by the Eternal Spirit, by the power of God the Father. Christ was raised from the dead by a power and certainty that was greater than the power of death to hold Him captive. This victory has been given to the believer in Christ, so that, spiritually speaking, though these bodies will die, yet the saved soul will live forever with Him…set free from the power, and effects of death, to reign with Christ. Christ accomplished a perfect victory over death by overcoming it totally, and dealing the defeating blow to Satan who uses the fear of death to dominate, and control the unbeliever. The believer, with the knowledge of Christ’s victory, and his union with Christ, is presented by God with the reality that death has no victory over him. The believer is therefore called upon to lay hold upon the truth of this victory, and believe God to strengthen his heart to live in this extraordinary reality by faith. God has given to men the victory over death by the death, and resurrection of Christ. However, only the believer will know the reality of this truth, and the power of the Spirit to live it. They who “die well,” are those who know the peace of God because they trust whole-heartedly in Christ alone.

What about what Scripture calls, “…the sting of death?” What is meant by this? When Moses was called upon by God to go to the summit of Mt. Nebo, there to behold the land of Canaan, but also to die, there is no doubt that he was conscious of his sinfulness. The Lord brought to his mind the reason for which he could not go into the promised land, and it was because of an act by which Moses did not honor God before the people of Israel. However, the sins of Moses, his failures and need as a sinner, were nothing compared with the glory which he knew, and what was to come. In the presence of the One who had the power over death, we find this “servant of God” most certainly occupied with the Rock Of All Ages, Life Eternal. The death which was evident, was eclipsed by the glory that would be revealed.

Jesus said to Lazarus’ sister Martha: “Said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?” (Jn. 11:40)

Dear Father, Show us Thy glory, even through death. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Love, Dad

Addendum: As to the “sting of death,” it is referenced by Paul as such relating to the Law. We know that the “sting” is a sharp pain, a manner of suffering, but very suffering. With regard to the Law of God, that pain of culpability, hopelessness, lack of assurance, fear and anxiety, only increases as the knowledge of the demands of the Law condemn the unbeliever for not obeying it. Thus, there is no hope in death, only the uncertainty, fear, and apprehension that something is coming, and it is not good. It can be said that there is a certain physical suffering in death because of sin. Sometimes that suffering, though it is never proportionate to sin, yet it can increase by the gravity and enormity of the sin. For the believer, I believe that there can be a certain “sting of death,” though nothing like that of the unbeliever. It is not a “sting” because of lostness, or hopelessness, but of regret, and lost opportunity. The more one knows the love of Christ, the more acutely he or she is with regard to the blessings in Christ, but also, of one’s faults, sins, and falling short of His glory in our experience. Paul never forgot that he persecuted the Christians, and this followed him. He learned to put it behind him, but I’m sure that there was a certain “pain” of regret and remorse with regard to his failings. However, the glory of Christ, the “much more” of His grace and mercy, would eclipse and dominate his vision. The “sting” would be neutralized by the goodness of God. I think that this was the case for Moses also, who lived to bring the people into the promised land, but in the end was not allowed to, because of his sin of presenting to the people a false idea of God. God would clearly deny him this blessing. I believe there was a certain pain in that, at the point of his death, but again, it was eclipsed by the glory of the Lord Jesus, His presence and power. And let us not forget, that though one day He shall wipe the tears from every believer’s eyes, the promise of His glory and eternal blessing, will eclipse all else. It must finally be noted that though there was a certain pain of suffering, because of his error, Moses was later called upon by God the Father, to be on the Mount of Transfiguration with the Lord Jesus. The regret, and pain, of the past, was certainly lost in the blessing of the glory of God.

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