2020 - 4/29 #22 - Emancipation

Nothing separates the Redeemed in Christ from the rest of the World more than does the doctrine and hope of the Resurrection.

In Christ - the single most fixed reality of life - death, is utterly and completely transformed.

This is the heritage of all those who by faith have cast their sins upon Jesus as their substitute - and received the cloak of His righteousness to make us fit to stand before the Living God.

So we are reminded in one of our texts today: 1 Corinthians 15:50-58. And we read that along with Psalm 84; Mark 7:24-37 and 1 Samuel 4-7.

I’m Reid Ferguson, and this is Through the Word in 2020.

Hebrews 2:15 reminds us that all people apart from Christ, are lifelong slaves to the fear of death.

Fear of - Dying alone. Dying painfully. Dying in their regrets. Dying having accomplished nothing. Dying and leaving all they love behind. Dying and going out into nothingness. Dying and facing judgment.

Only the Christian knows true freedom from this slavish fear.

True, some may work hard at convincing themselves that after life there is just - nothing. Which is also terrifying to others. But in truth, deep down, we all know we will have to give an answer for ourselves, for what we’ve thought, done, or perhaps left undone.

In his work “A Free Man’s Worship and Other Essays”: The famous agnostic/atheist philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote of death this way: “Brief and powerless is man’s life; on him and all his race the slow, sure doom falls pitiless and dark. Blind to good and evil, reckless of destructions omnipotent matter rolls on its relentless way; for man, condemned today to lose his dearest, tomorrow himself to pass through the gates of darkness, it remains only to cherish, ere yet the blow fall, the lofty thoughts that enoble his little day; … to worship at the shrine his own hands have built.”

That dear friend, is slavery.

What a contrast then are the words of John Calvin: “how miserable is the life of those who fear death, as they must feel it to be dreadful, because they look on it apart from Christ; for then nothing but a curse appears in it: for whence is death but from God’s wrath against sin? Hence is that bondage throughout life, even perpetual anxiety, by which unhappy souls are tormented; for through a consciousness of sin the judgment of God is ever presented to the view. From this fear Christ has delivered us, who by undergoing our curse has taken away what is dreadful in death. For though we are not now freed from death, yet in life and in death we have peace and safety, when we have Christ going before us.”

And so, from our Corinthians passage today I write:

O death, where is your victory?

O grave, where is your sting?

Do you think the thoughts of fools,

Of pow’r o’er everything?

This man, for one, tho mortal be

Shall not by fear be swayed

To flee your cold, unyielding hand

Which makes the world afraid

For One has gone before me now

He’s plumbed your icy pit

And rose from out with triumph’s shout

Life’s candle spark re-lit

Come now you dupe of Evil’s mind

Stretch forth your numbing hand

Unnumbered hordes of demon ranks

Cannot my Lord withstand

Sing your final ghoulish song

Chant your hellish phrases

And even in those closing hours

I’ll hear nought but His praises

For you, O death, can only serve

To free me from this shell

And grave, to let this body rest

You’ll serve me very well

O death, where is your victory?

O grave, where is your sting?

For when your dual work’s complete

You’ve but brought me, to my King.

Let that sink into your soul today Christian.

God bless. And God willing, I’ll be back tomorrow.