DEATH COMES TO ALL - "But all this I laid to heart, examining it all, how the righteous and the wise and their deeds are in the hand of God. Whether it is love or hate, man does not know; both are before him. It is the same for all, since the same event happens to the righteous and the wicked, to the good and the evil, to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice. As the good one is, so is the sinner, and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath. This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead. But he who is joined with all the living has hope, for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Their love and their hate and their envy have already perished, and forever they have no more share in all that is done under the sun."
No matter who we are, where we live, or what upbringing we've had, the simple truth is that one day we all will suffer the same fate: Death. Solomon continues to build upon his foundation of life's pillars of wisdom throughout Ecclesiastes by reminding us that our time here on earth is limited. No man knows when death will come for him or his loved ones because God holds our lives in the palm of His hand. In His sovereignty, He ordains the hour of our death just as He anoints the moment of our creation. "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well" (Psalm 139:13-14). Therefore, we can rest assured that God is in complete control of our lives whether we acknowledge His deity or not. Death comes to us all, so how should we respond? Similar to Ecclesiastes 8:14-17, our flesh desires to know how much time we have left before we die. Psychologically, we assume knowing how much time is left on our mortality clock will make all the difference and help shape the trajectory of our lives...or will it?
Assuming we knew what day would be our last, how would we choose to live? Would we take more risks? Would we live with purpose? Who or what would we prioritize with our time? Would our lives be marked by foolishness and irresponsibility or wisdom and diligence? No doubt, many would choose to live without abandon and assume they could reconcile their lives with God immediately before the clock runs out. Thus, there would be no need for "early" eternal preparation because we would have complete knowledge regarding our life span. Unfortunately, God does not work that way and we are foolish if we think we can live independent from Him as if we actually did know how much time we had left before we came to repentance. Scripture declares, "Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come" (Mark 13:33). The time Jesus alludes to in this passage concerns the end-times, but we can easily relate to its wisdom concerning the limited time we have to reconcile our salvation. That is why Jesus taught the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25 as a warning that delaying a decision to repent and be born-again is a limited-time offer. The clock will expire and those who procrastinate or assume they do not need God will hear the Lord proclaim in final judgment, "Truly, I say to you, I do not know you" (Matthew 25:12).
Yet in some ways, death is a gift from God just as the birth of a newborn baby is as well. While some may balk at the notion of death being a gift when viewed through the lens of what caused a particular death, we as Christians understand that death symbolizes so much more. Paul reminds us, "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his" (Romans 6:3-5). Death itself plays an integral part in the Gospel message, for Christ had to be crucified and killed on our behalf to pave the way for reconciling man back to God. And similarly, when we die our mortal bodies are left behind and our spirits reunited with Christ in His glory with God the Father in heaven. Therefore, we who have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior can confidently proclaim, "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4). It takes great maturity though to view death as a precious gift from God. For those of us who witness death due to tragedy, illness, or perhaps as a result of heinous evil, accepting this truth is difficult indeed. However, if they who died are followers of Christ or have not reached the age of accountability, we are comforted in knowing that their eternal resting place is not only safe and secure, but the greatest destination we could ever wish for regardless of what caused their death.
Consequently, we who remain here on earth must reconcile our perspective regarding death, both for ourselves, our loved ones, the world at large, and even our enemies; for how we view death reflects whether we are self-centered or kingdom-focused. Self-centeredness views death from the angle of how death affects ME, usually resulting in bitterness, depression, and an incapacity to simply move-on. In contrast, kingdom-focused perspective views death as a celebration for those who accept Christ, creates a passionate desire for Evangelism, and elicits sorrowful mourning for those who choose by their own volition to reject the gift of saving grace God offers. Therefore, we must discern our heart's intent as we reflect upon the deceased to reveal whether our focus remains self-centered and inward, or kingdom-focused and outward. It is no different than what James proclaimed in his warnings against worldliness: "Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you" (James 4:8-10). For when we begin to view life and death from God's perspective, we realize as Solomon did that all is vanity apart from God. Of course, that does not dismiss mourning as irrelevant or wrong. Mourning the loss of a loved one helps purge sorrow and grief from our bodies so that we may heal emotionally, but it cannot become a stronghold in our lives which binds us from moving on. We must view death in its proper context if we are to glean the wisdom Solomon intends.
Bottom-line, we must recognize that death as we typically perceive it is physical. However, death in the spiritual sense is a completely different story. As Christians we believe those who are born-again live for eternity in heaven. The physical body has ceased to exist, but the spiritual body lives on because we have placed our eternal faith in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on our behalf. Therefore, we who have reconciled and applied Ephesians 2:8-9 in our hearts can confidently proclaim, "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" (1 Corinthians 15:55), because "the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Corinthians 15:56-57). Conversely, those who have not accepted Christ physically die just as we do, but their lack of faith and trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior condemns them to their eternal resting place in hell, where there is no end to the continual torment and torture they experience for eternity as well. Therefore, we must be careful to understand and convey to others that spiritual death has no finality whatsoever. We will all spend eternity in heaven or hell based on our own personal decision to accept or reject Biblical truth, which is a never-ending choice.
Keep in mind, Scripture does instruct us to die to our fleshly desires in order to avoid God's judgment, but that instruction is behavioral-focused and not the intent of Solomon's emphasis in Ecclesiastes 9. "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming" (Colossians 3:5-6). Therefore, what we do with our lives is solely our decision, but we will give an account for the eternal choice we make whether we like it or not (and no decision whatsoever is a choice in and of itself for which we will be judged as well.) What we must never forget though is that God extends grace and mercy to those who humble themselves and seek forgiveness and reconciliation for their sins, and we are called to share that Gospel message with others lest anyone suffer for all eternity the consequences of their pride and disbelief. "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite" (Isaiah 57:15). Will we then love our neighbors enough to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with them, or will we shrink back in fear of persecution or discomfort because we're either not comfortable talking about Jesus or worried we will offend their personal beliefs? The choice is ours.
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Sunday, June 5, 2016
Ecclesiastes 8:14-17 (Devotion)
MAN CANNOT KNOW GOD'S WAYS - "There is a vanity that takes place on earth, that there are righteous people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the wicked, and there are wicked people to whom it happens according to the deeds of the righteous. I said that this also is vanity. And I commend joy, for man has nothing better under the sun but to eat and drink and be joyful, for this will go with him in his toil through the days of his life that God has given him under the sun. When I applied my heart to know wisdom, and to see the business that is done on earth, how neither day nor night do one's eyes see sleep, then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out."
There is an infatuation within our culture today that manifests itself by the desire to KNOW. Our flesh longs to have answers to all of life's questions and our culture is overwhelmingly flooded with desperate attempts to educate man with scientific and philosophical knowledge, opinions and perspectives, all the while distancing itself from the absolute truth of Scripture. Why? Truth be told, discontent minds morph into restless hearts, creating a shift from a desire-to-know to a need-to-know. The danger with this pattern of thinking is that it undermines faith entirely. For what purpose does faith and trust exist if not to fill the void of knowledge in our lives? But if we truly delve deeper, is our heart's desire simply to know the answers to life's infinite questions or to KNOW GOD personally? Scripture reminds us, "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:1-2a); and similarly, "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1). In both instances, the writer recognizes that man desires to know his Creator intimately above all else. In other words, life is not complete without a personal relationship with God. Just knowing about God or the possible existence of God from the skeptic's point of view is emotionally, mentally and spiritually insufficient.
As Solomon alludes, man cannot know God's ways for the Lord is omniscient, sovereign and omnipresent. He knows all, reigns over all, and is present everywhere at the same time. Simply wrapping our minds around these aspects of God's identity is difficult enough, causing many people to disregard the notion that God exists altogether. Disregarding truth because we don't understand it though does not justify unbelief that indeed absolute truth exists. We can view creation itself and understand that someone far greater than we can fathom brought everything into existence. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse" (Romans 1:18-20). What Paul conveys is that even those who have never been exposed to the truth of the Gospel message are held accountable on the day of judgment because creation itself points to the almighty Creator, leaving every human being without excuse as to why anyone would dare disbelieve in God. Yet many boastfully presume that Creationism is simply a ridiculous theory comprised by man to satisfy some psychological need for purpose and significance, all the while holding firm to science alone as the source of proof for our entire existence and the creation of the world. How then do we reconcile the great debate between Creationism and Science?
Consider again Paul's words: "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough" (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). When we allow our minds to drift further away from the absolute truth of Scripture, we are tempted to place hope and trust in the things of this world. Theories and philosophies contrary to the Bible take root, post-modernistic thinking consumes the mind, and we begin to doubt whether God truly exists. As Christians, we wholeheartedly embrace and trust in the validity of science, mathematics, anthropology, etc., but we cannot allow our desire for proof in all things to undermine our faith in God who created all things simply by speaking creation into existence. Consider the perspective of Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Christian philosopher, who once said, "Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists." In other words, if you believe in God and find out when you die that He doesn't exist, you ultimately lose nothing. However, if you choose NOT to believe in God and find out when you die that He does exist, you lose everything! From Pascal's reasoning, the gamble or wager is far too great to leave to chance by trusting in created things rather than the Creator Himself. "Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:14-15).
It is sobering to embrace reality that man will never fully comprehend nor understand God's ways. But while God does not promise that our flesh will ever be fully satisfied, He does promise that He will satisfy the heart of every man, woman and child who places faith and trust in Him as their source of salvation. "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory" (2 Corinthians 1:20). Through Christ the promises of God are made complete and proven true, reconciling us to God despite our pride, selfishness, and unrighteousness. Therefore, faith is a decision made possible by God to allow those of us who are born-again to one day spend eternity in His holy presence when we leave this world and reunite with the Lord in heaven, but we must be willing to let go of our fear of persecution and ridicule from those who mock our faith if we are to enter God's eternal kingdom. That is why Jesus affirmed, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:10-12). If we identify ourselves as Christians then we share in His death AND resurrection. Therefore, the persecution He endured for His identity as Son of the living God is our identity as well, even unto death as many martyrs both past and present have come to know. But the glory He revealed in His resurrection is theirs and ours as well to share in, for our inheritance is linked through Jesus to God the Father because of our faith in the atoning sacrifice Christ made on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sin.
What then is our response to those who ridicule our trust in the validity of Scripture and seek to destroy our foundation of faith in God? Jesus said, "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:26-33). As Christians, we take no issue with the assertion that man cannot know God's ways because we know it to be true. What we can take issue of though is that billions of people across this world are destined to spend eternity apart from God because they refuse to reconcile their independence from Him and dependence on themselves. Therefore, we must embrace the Great Commission in spite of our comforts and in lieu of our fears because our Savior instructs us to do so...and that is reason enough! "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).
There is an infatuation within our culture today that manifests itself by the desire to KNOW. Our flesh longs to have answers to all of life's questions and our culture is overwhelmingly flooded with desperate attempts to educate man with scientific and philosophical knowledge, opinions and perspectives, all the while distancing itself from the absolute truth of Scripture. Why? Truth be told, discontent minds morph into restless hearts, creating a shift from a desire-to-know to a need-to-know. The danger with this pattern of thinking is that it undermines faith entirely. For what purpose does faith and trust exist if not to fill the void of knowledge in our lives? But if we truly delve deeper, is our heart's desire simply to know the answers to life's infinite questions or to KNOW GOD personally? Scripture reminds us, "As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God" (Psalm 42:1-2a); and similarly, "O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water" (Psalm 63:1). In both instances, the writer recognizes that man desires to know his Creator intimately above all else. In other words, life is not complete without a personal relationship with God. Just knowing about God or the possible existence of God from the skeptic's point of view is emotionally, mentally and spiritually insufficient.
As Solomon alludes, man cannot know God's ways for the Lord is omniscient, sovereign and omnipresent. He knows all, reigns over all, and is present everywhere at the same time. Simply wrapping our minds around these aspects of God's identity is difficult enough, causing many people to disregard the notion that God exists altogether. Disregarding truth because we don't understand it though does not justify unbelief that indeed absolute truth exists. We can view creation itself and understand that someone far greater than we can fathom brought everything into existence. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse" (Romans 1:18-20). What Paul conveys is that even those who have never been exposed to the truth of the Gospel message are held accountable on the day of judgment because creation itself points to the almighty Creator, leaving every human being without excuse as to why anyone would dare disbelieve in God. Yet many boastfully presume that Creationism is simply a ridiculous theory comprised by man to satisfy some psychological need for purpose and significance, all the while holding firm to science alone as the source of proof for our entire existence and the creation of the world. How then do we reconcile the great debate between Creationism and Science?
Consider again Paul's words: "But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough" (2 Corinthians 11:3-4). When we allow our minds to drift further away from the absolute truth of Scripture, we are tempted to place hope and trust in the things of this world. Theories and philosophies contrary to the Bible take root, post-modernistic thinking consumes the mind, and we begin to doubt whether God truly exists. As Christians, we wholeheartedly embrace and trust in the validity of science, mathematics, anthropology, etc., but we cannot allow our desire for proof in all things to undermine our faith in God who created all things simply by speaking creation into existence. Consider the perspective of Blaise Pascal, French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Christian philosopher, who once said, "Belief is a wise wager. Granted that faith cannot be proved, what harm will come to you if you gamble on its truth and it proves false? If you gain, you gain all; if you lose, you lose nothing. Wager, then, without hesitation, that He exists." In other words, if you believe in God and find out when you die that He doesn't exist, you ultimately lose nothing. However, if you choose NOT to believe in God and find out when you die that He does exist, you lose everything! From Pascal's reasoning, the gamble or wager is far too great to leave to chance by trusting in created things rather than the Creator Himself. "Now therefore fear the LORD and serve him in sincerity and in faithfulness. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. And if it is evil in your eyes to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:14-15).
It is sobering to embrace reality that man will never fully comprehend nor understand God's ways. But while God does not promise that our flesh will ever be fully satisfied, He does promise that He will satisfy the heart of every man, woman and child who places faith and trust in Him as their source of salvation. "For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory" (2 Corinthians 1:20). Through Christ the promises of God are made complete and proven true, reconciling us to God despite our pride, selfishness, and unrighteousness. Therefore, faith is a decision made possible by God to allow those of us who are born-again to one day spend eternity in His holy presence when we leave this world and reunite with the Lord in heaven, but we must be willing to let go of our fear of persecution and ridicule from those who mock our faith if we are to enter God's eternal kingdom. That is why Jesus affirmed, "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you" (Matthew 5:10-12). If we identify ourselves as Christians then we share in His death AND resurrection. Therefore, the persecution He endured for His identity as Son of the living God is our identity as well, even unto death as many martyrs both past and present have come to know. But the glory He revealed in His resurrection is theirs and ours as well to share in, for our inheritance is linked through Jesus to God the Father because of our faith in the atoning sacrifice Christ made on our behalf to pay the penalty for our sin.
What then is our response to those who ridicule our trust in the validity of Scripture and seek to destroy our foundation of faith in God? Jesus said, "So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 10:26-33). As Christians, we take no issue with the assertion that man cannot know God's ways because we know it to be true. What we can take issue of though is that billions of people across this world are destined to spend eternity apart from God because they refuse to reconcile their independence from Him and dependence on themselves. Therefore, we must embrace the Great Commission in spite of our comforts and in lieu of our fears because our Savior instructs us to do so...and that is reason enough! "And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20).
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