Opus 2026-001: Three D Vision

There are three realities, at least, that are totally beyond my control, and yet are waiting to transform my life.  Actually, I think they have already transformed my life, but they still remain beyond my control or ability to influence.

The first, of course would be grace.  I define grace as God’s love in action.  It is not something that we can control in any way shape or form.  It is the act of God.  That is the glory of,

(Eph 2:8 KJV)  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Grace is the beginning of our hope.  It is believing that God is willing to extend His omnipotent power toward our salvation and eternal destiny.  I cannot pressure Him.  I cannot force Him.  He extends it, purely by His choice.

The second reality goes by a different names, but let’s just say the blood.  You can reference the substitutional atonement.  I’m sure there are many other names for it.  The point is that our salvation, even allowing for grace, is based upon the fact that Jesus died on the cross as the perfect Lamb of God making the perfect sacrifice to wipe out the blot of sin on our lives.  Because of the character of God and the fact that He is a just God, He can’t just wave His celestial wand and say, “It’s good.  Go in peace.”  Sin requires death.  We can’t pay that debt by our death.  Therefore God sent His son to pay the price.  Again, there are many ways of defining it and explaining it, but the reality is still there.

The third reality that totally transforms even that assurance is the resurrection of Jesus.  I’m talking here about a physical resurrection, not just some kind of spiritual fantasy.  Jesus rose from the dead.  He conquered death.  That conquest is a promise to us that we have any internal hope.  Paul explains how vital this is,

(1Co 15:17 KJV)  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

People in different theological persuasions may interpret these a bit differently, I think they would put them together in a different way, they might even insist on adding some other elements.  Good for them as long as they accept these three is being essential.

As far as I’m concerned, the first two have already been applied to my life and I live in expectation of the third.

What a way to enter a new year.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-460: Always More Questions

My King James Only friend sent me three passages of scripture.  He has sent them to me many times before and I guess he expects me to suddenly have an epiphany and agree with his interpretations.  That would certainly make my life easier but would not make me anymore secure in my intellectual honesty, let alone my spiritual condition.

In looking at the verses he sent, having received them many times before, and knowing where he’s coming from, I focused on the word “mystery”.  That was the key to what he was talking about.  I took this as an opportunity to think and meditate on the concept of mystery in relation to God and what he has done for us and what he’s going to do for us.  It promises to be an interesting journey, even if not the one which he thought he sent me a ticket for.

And thinking about mystery and God I thought about how terms that we think we know can be described as mysteries.  For instance, in first Corinthians 15, we find Paul stating,

(1Co 15:51 KJV)  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

I thought I knew what the resurrection meant.  Paul is saying there’s a mystery involved.  He may have partially explained it there, but it set my mind to thinking about eternity and about being in the presence of God and how many things there will be to investigate and think about and meditate on.  That of course turned me to thinking about God.  Can we ever reach the edge of who God is, what He’s thinking, what He’s doing?

Since I believe that God is not a static substance, but is the living God, I think of our understanding of living is being something that is growing and changing and interacting with its environment.  Those are ideas that don’t go along with our traditional ideas of God and who He is.  We think of Him being immutable and unchanging, and yet if that’s the case, how can He have conversations with us in real time if we are free beings?  You see my problem?

My mind just blows out thinking about infinity and how infinity times infinity equals infinity.  It doesn’t make sense in our finite minds.  Is there an edge to infinity?  Is it continuing on or has it already reached an end?  These are concepts that are impossible for us as human beings to even begin to grasp.  I question whether we will even be able to deal with them in our glorified bodies, with our glorified minds, with eternity to contemplate on and God to answer our questions.  We are simply limited to our vocabulary words and an eternity we will have the words of all vocabulary plus the language of angels.  I’m wondering, if even then we will be able to explain who God is.

That is why terms like “glory” and “majesty” which are used in the Bible are indications, not descriptions.  They are declarations of our limitations, not descriptions of His reality.  I am good with that because it gives me an indication of how awesome, in the real sense of awesome, eternity is going to be.

Hope to see you there.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-281: Death Watch

I just lost my younger brother.  I myself am pushing 80.  At church I’m surrounded by a growing number of people experiencing what could very well be their last turn of the wheel.  Death is very real.  And yet it is a time of joy and celebration.  As Christians, we are kind of odd balls in the game of life because we march to a tune the pagan world cannot wrap its arms around.

To us death is a door.  It is a door that stands before all of us, but unlike the pagan world we know what’s on the other side and we know that as much as we enjoy life here and now, the other side of that door is going to be much better. That’s why I the questions from a certain passage of scripture highlight our awareness,

1 Corinthians 15:55 (KJV) O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Through the door for us is the resurrection.  It will be a resurrection into new bodies new minds, new spirits, and a resurrection into life eternal.

So death comes to mind frequently in my days now.  I’m not trying to hurry it along.  I have grandchildren to contribute to and the church family to support.  I have the daily joy of the Lord.  At the same time it’s coming.

When I think of the sting of death, I think it is more in the sting of a tetanus shot as opposed to the sting of a wasp.

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-060: Dependent Clause

One of the devices that has made its appearance in the church is the formula, “He is risen.  He is risen indeed.”  It is what we celebrate on the day that has come to be called Easter.  It is the core of the hope that Christians have.  For the most powerful statement on this you should read I Corinthians 15 starting in verse 12.  There are many key verses you could pick out, depending on your need for the day.  Let me lift out this one,

(1Co 15:14 KJV)  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

What Paul is saying is that if Jesus did not rise from the dead then all of your doctrines and beliefs are empty nonsense.  If Jesus did not rise, you are not saved because that means He was a fraud.  It is also key, read further down, that you understand that this was a physical resurrection.  It was not just a spiritual event.  Although Paul talks about the new type of body we will have it is still a physical body.  We will not spend eternity as spirits floating around in the ether.

I am officially old.  Okay.  Got it.  So what?  I will enjoy my grandchildren as long as God lets me do so in this life.  Once I am gone, and I hope they notice, I will look forward to all the joys of eternity in the presence of God.  I assume that will include my grandchildren but that will depend on whether they come to faith.

So rejoice.  

He is Risen!

He is Risen, indeed!

We who believe will also be risen.  I hope to see you there.

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-057: Tired of the sunrise

As I sit here enjoying the morning, I begin to wonder how much more glorious it will be in eternity.  I wonder if I will ever get tired of watching the sunrise.  It will be more glorious, more colorful, more of everything.

With that in mind, it occurred to me that I am not tired of watching the sunrise now.  The earliest I can remember really getting overwhelmed by a sunrise was the morning I was coming down the grapevine to an awesome panorama of California’s central valley.  I was probably around 18.  So using that as a possible beginning, I figure it is been over 58 years since I began enjoying sunrises and I still love them.

I don’t think I will ever run out of sunrises to enjoy, or the excitement of watching them develop.

In eternity, assuming that sunrises are still available, I might be able to choose the location of my sunrise.  I might be able to watch the sun come up from the top of Mount Everest.  I can certainly go back to the beach of Maui, and revisit the meadow in the mountains.  There are vistas everywhere that I can see.

Maybe I will be able to witness some of the creative acts of God.

I could title this death thoughts.  You certainly have a different perspective on death and eternity when you are coming from a position of a believer in Jesus Christ.  It brings to mind Paul’s statements about death.  

(1Co 15:55 KJV)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Great thoughts as we approach the celebration of the Resurrection.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-286: The Eternal Warrantee

A lot cartoon images portray popular misconceptions about eternity, often by people who do not really believe:  playing harps in bathrobes while sitting on clouds, a long line leading to some pearly gates, Saint Peter cracking jokes behind a podium, etc.  It is good fun in memes and the comedy clubs but a problem if you want to get serious about what happens after we die.

A physical resurrection is necessary for the Christian faith.  

(1Co 15:16-17 KJV)  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:   And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

The clearest statement of this event is in Thessalonians.  Our resurrection is tied to the return of Christ.

(1Th 4:16-17 KJV)  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

There is another reference to resurrection in the book of Revelation but that is more tied in with the final judgement.  

What got me off on this was speculating on how beautiful the sunrise would be in my resurrected body.  I believe we will have a new type of body.  It will be free of any of the handicaps of sin and natural flaws.  That means I will see things I have never enjoyed before.

One reason for the need for a new body is to contain the joy.  Have you ever been so happy you thought you were going to burst?  Picture being in the presence of the source of joy.  We need an overhaul before we can attempt it.  I can’t picture enjoying a million years sitting around saying “Hallelujah!”  In reality it will be so glorious that our present bodies would short circuit from the glory.  I don’t expect to understand it now but I will experience it then.

I hope you join me.  I will be glad to save a seat for you.

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-104: Afterflow 1, The Central Point

On Easter Sunday one of the things I did was read through the accounts of the resurrection in all four gospels.  I wonder how long it has been since I did that.  I would recommend it.  It was startling how each account differed in a lot of details.  That is mostly easy to explain because each was written by different persons to different audiences.  Imagine if everyone at dinner had written an account of that meal and all the different viewpoints that would emerge.

One thing they all agreed on with no compromise:  Jesus had risen from the dead.  They went out of their way to emphasize that is was not just a spiritual awakening but a physical resurrection.  It brings to mind Paul’s ringing statement,

(1Co 15:55 KJV)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

Something to keep in mind as we live on in troubling times.  

homo unius libri

Opus 2023-081: Dark Thoughts: Comprehending the Uncomprehensible

As I sit in the dark thinking about God my mind rebels at the concept of eternity.  I cannot comprehend it, but that is the nature of a temporal creature trying to grasp the eternal.  It brings to mind concepts like infinity, holiness and all the omni words.

God is eternal, He is outside of time.  I don’t think we are designed to understand what that would be like.  Is that part of what we lost when Adam and Eve rebelled against God?  Will we ever enter that mode or will time be kept for our benefit?  How deep will our understanding be of what God is like?  Will learning be part of the adventure?  There are so many questions I don’t have answers to.

My understanding of eastern religions is that existence is an eternal wheel, thus the Buddhist idea of the Wheel of Life.  It is eternal because you go through eternal cycles.  One example would be the idea of reincarnation.  The ultimate goal is a mindless state in Nirvana.  The human mind can grasp those concepts.  That is one indication that those religions do not have a clue to the eternal.

The Christian understanding is that existence is linear and eternal, or spacial in the sense that it would extend in all directions.  It does not rinse and repeat.  That is a concept that is a bit harder to grasp.  In fact, I am of the mind that it cannot be grasped, at least in our current perishable existence.  Perhaps that is why Paul said this,

(1Co 15:53 KJV)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

In the resurrection Christians believe we enter into a new level of existence.  There will be enough of the old that our individual beings do not cease to exist.  When Jesus came back they were able to recognize who He was and He ate food to demonstrate He was real.  At the same time he walked through walls.  

Or a little earlier in his discussion of the meaning of love he writes this,

(1Co 13:12 KJV)  For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.

I cannot wrap my mind the God of the Bible.  I can, however, wrap my arms around Him as I have learned through knowing Jesus.  I am looking forward to the adventure of eternity and all of the colors, smells, concepts and depths of reality that will be revealed to explore.

I hope to see you there.

homo unius libri

Opus 2022-126: Grave Concerns

I am getting old.  I can feel it.  At times it is because I can’t feel it.  My reflexes are slower.  My grip is on vacation, either that or they are putting the pickle jar lids on tighter.  There are a lot of great words out there but I can’t remember what they are.  I am starting to think highly of slip on shoes.

What a great time to be alive and it gets even better if you stop and think about what Easter is all about.  Let me give you a clue, it isn’t bunnies.  Need another one?  It isn’t about new clothes or egg hunts.  It is about an empty grave and why it was empty.

I see so much to be depressed about in the world around me.  I was born in California and have a weekly zoom call with guys who have not escaped yet.  I look at the judicial system that is letting violent criminals out with little or no bail while locking up first time misdemeanor “criminals” for a year with no trial.  You know the litany.  You live it every day.  I hear and see it.  Why bother getting up?  Well, at my age it is to go to the bathroom.  What is your excuse?

I see much to be depressed about, true, but I am not depressed.  When I walk in the morning I am grateful for the creation that surrounds me.  I have a sore finger.  I have nine more that are just fine.  My time on earth is limited but I have a lack of what you could call “grave concerns.”  My pacemaker is working fine but in a very real sense it doesn’t matter because even if it fails I know there will be another chapter.  As the Apostle Paul said,

(1Co 15:55 KJV)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

I trust you can join me and take a momentary break from the pity party and rejoice in the assurance of the resurrection.  Maybe you are one of those who still thinks of it as “the hope”.  Well and good but if that means you are hoping in desperation then you need to get on board and trade your hope in for assurance.  

Read the end of the book.  Find out who wins if you don’t know already.  Today we celebrate.  Victory is already established.

homo unius libri

Opus 2019-065: Why Are People Smiling?

It is Palm Sunday, the beginning of Holy Week.  Have you ever asked yourself, “Why do we have spring break in schools?”  It isn’t because the kids need a break.  It was because they needed to be involved in the events leading up to Easter.

For the general pagan population Easter is about bunny rabbits, chicks and all things chocolate.  It is about new clothes and Easter egg hunts.  It is about being out of school.  For the general population that considers themselves Christian is means all of that but also one of the two Sundays of the year that everyone goes to church.  The other is Christmas Sunday.  It might also mean you are familiar with the term “Good Friday”.

Historically Holy Week actually starts on Wednesday with something called Tenebrae.  This isn’t celebrated much any more.  Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper.  Good Friday remembers the day Jesus was crucified and of course Easter Sunday celebrates the resurrection.  This is from the Western Church’s perspective. 

Although Christmas has caught the imagination of the world, Easter is at the heart of Christianity.  Some don’t like the term “Easter”.  They claim is has pagan roots.  Okay.  Call it Resurrection Sunday.  It is the most important belief that Christians have.  As the Bible summaries,

(1Co 15:14 KJV) And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

So if you are a believer, Happy Holy week.  Rejoice.  If you are not a believer then you know why I am smiling.

homo unius libri

Opus 2018-083: The Sting

I think there was a movie of that title.  I didn’t see it, and that is par for my course, but I know it had to do with a couple of con men setting up someone for a fall.  It was based on deceit and quick thinking.  Today we celebrate what is called Easter.  It is the day that Christians in the West celebrate the joke that Jesus played on death.  Paul points out the joke on death.

(1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

But this is not based on deceit.  God was very open about the role that Jesus would play.  One of the prophecies that we find in the OT is what Paul is quoting.

(Hosea 13:14 KJV)  I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death: O death, I will be thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction: repentance shall be hid from mine eyes.

Some people don’t like the name Easter.  They claim it has a pagan derivation.  Fair enough.  As long as they only reject the name but still celebrate the resurrection I will sit in the same pew with them.  As Christians we not only believe that Jesus died for our sins but conquered death so it has no fear for us.

Now if He would only do something about taxes.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-417: Zombie Theology: The Resurrection

Zombies.  Everywhere.  All the time.  Halloween is gone, zombies remain.

One of the popular heresies being perpetuated in the “Christian” church is that Jesus was not really physically resurrected.  They teach that it was a spiritual resurrection only.  To them it was only His spirit that came back.  It was kind of a Star Wars, Obi Wan Kenobi, moment.  Like Obi Wan, Jesus after saying what need to be said, just faded away.

It makes a fun plot line but makes the Christianity these people celebrate a sick joke.  Actually it is not even a new idea.  The Star Wars theme was around in the early church.  It was what Paul was responding to when he wrote,

(1 Corinthians 15:14 KJV)  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Old heresy revisited.

Modern pagans have approached the idea of resurrection from the other vector.  In the ancient heresy Jesus was supposed to have only had His spirit resurrected.  In the modern pagan version the dead are resurrected only physically.  Instead of becoming saints they become zombies.

A zombie is a body without a soul.  It isn’t always lacking a mind.  I have only seen one zombie movie but I understand in some threads of the meme there are zombies with the ability to think and talk.  What they lack is the soul.  Cool, if you are a pagan.

Zombie evangelism involves eating brains.  One of the differences with Christian evangelism is that the zombie approach seems to be 100% effective and require no consent from the target.  In both forms of evangelism the targets usually run away.  I am not sure why people run from zombies.  They seem to like the idea.  They dress up like them.  They walk like them.  They take drugs and alcohol to make themselves temporarily brain dead.  Maybe on the inside they realize it isn’t a good option.

Feel free to make your own choice. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-87: Easter, Smeaster

No, I don’t feel that way but if you are not a believer in Jesus Christ, you might.

You might also not know why the day is important to Christians.

Easter is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  (Actually we celebrate it every Sunday.  This is just the emphasis.  It is like loving your wife and Valentines Day.)  We believe that He was executed by the Romans at the request of the Jews.  We call that day Good Friday.  Then He came back to life, conquering death.  It is required to believe this if you are a Christian.  It is not required to be a nice person, a good neighbor or a loving parent.  It is required to call yourself a Christian.

(1 Corinthians 15:14 NAS77)  and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

Why is that so important?  Because Jesus rose from the dead we believe that we shall also be resurrected.  Christians do not fear death.

That makes for a glorious day.  I hope you can share it with me.

homo unius libri

Opus 2014-97: He Is Risen

(1Co 15:14-17 KJV)  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.  Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.  For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
homo unius libri

Opus 2013-167: Anticipate the Sugar Smacks

I was again thinking about eternal life and the resurrection.  Most of the ideas we have are more imagination than they are accurate.  For instance, the idea of heaven.  We will not be floating around on clouds playing harps.  That is a cartoon creation not a Biblical revelation.  True there are times when it mentions joining the angels in singing praise to God but there are other pictures too.

Eternal life will center on the new Earth and the New Jerusalem.  On the new Earth we have pictures of lions and lambs together in peace.  In the city we have jewels and gold that no one will try to steal.  These are snapshots not final statements. 

It is very hard to understand these projections.  God is trying to give us a flavor, a nuance, a taste of the glory that is to come.  How do you describe eternal?  How long does it take to count the infinite?  At this stage in our existence we cannot begin to understand.  We are not capable.  Get this down, if we were able to comprehend what it will be like it would not be from God.  If it won’t be better than we can understand then it probably would not be divine.  Not only will our bodies be changed at the resurrection but our minds will be expanded.

(1 Corinthians 15:52 KJV)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Since we live in corrupted bodies with corrupted minds we cannot understand what it means to be uncorrupted.  Accept it.  Glory in it.

Think of an infant eating Cheerios and having the time of his life.  He chases them around the tray in front of him.  He watches them fall to the floor.  He sees how far he can throw them.  Eventually he puts one in him mouth and has a revelation.  His world has expanded.  He discovers there is something beyond pureed apple sauce and milk.  He never knew.

That is just the beginning.  He doesn’t even think about Sugar Smacks being in the future and has no comprehension of what that will be like.  Once he has tasted the Smacks there is no going back.  Of course with maturity I can now enjoy Cheerios again but that is after steak, Stroganoff, pizza, tacos and countless other things I could not imagine.  What is waiting down the road in all the ethnic restaurants opening down the road?

Eternal life will be like that.  There is no way we can beginning to comprehend it except with what we know like gold and jewels. 

It will be much better than that or it will be boring and believe me, eternity will not be boring.  Just think of all the computer games that an eternal, omnipotent, all knowing God could come up with.

homo unius libri

Opus 2013-114: He Is Risen!

He is risen, indeed!

Christmas is the most popular Christian holiday with the world.  It may also be the most popular among believers, but it is not the most important.  That distinction is reserved for Easter, or Resurrection Day.

Christmas is an important commemoration.  It is vital not because of the gifts and traditions but because it celebrates the incarnation.   It reminds us that God became man, that God sent His son.  What is important about that is the reason the Son was sent.

That is what Easter is about.  Easter is about the resurrection.  The resurrection of Jesus is the central truth of Christianity that is vital above all others.  Jesus rose from the dead.  It that important?  Here is what the apostle Paul said,

(1 Corinthians 15:17 KJV)  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.

If the resurrection did not happen then the Christian faith is a joke.  In Paul’s words, it is vain.

The resurrection tells us that death has no real sting.  The grave has no victory.  Believers will be resurrected to life eternal.  There is some debate about what that will be like but you must accept it as our great hope.

I have lost both parents and a brother.  Someday my body will cease to function.  The separation is very real but so is the hope.

So Happy Resurrection Day!

My desire is that you would believe and thus know the hope that the day brings.  Not bunnies and chocolate eggs, as much fun as those are, but eternal life in glory.

Rejoice!  He is Risen!

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-82, Key Scriptures: I Corinthians 15

Today Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  The Orthodox churches may pick a different date, I am not sure, but they will still celebrate it.  I have already written at length on this under Basic Beliefs:  The Resurrection.  Here I want to point out the importance of the teachings of I Corinthians 15. 

I Corinthians 13 is the Love Chapter.  Hebrews 11 is the faith chapter.  I Corinthians 15 is where you turn to learn about the hope that is in us.

Paul begins by a discussion of what he has taught them.  As in most of the New Testament letters, he is responding to false teachings.  At this point they may not have been denying the resurrection of Jesus, just the resurrection of believers.  Have you ever heard of the slippery slope?  Have you ever heard of the camel getting its nose under the edge of the tent.  This was the first step.  The others would follow.  Some things never change.

(1 Corinthians 15:12 NAS77)  Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?

Even in that day there were people denying the resurrection.  So Paul gets to the heart of the matter:

(1 Corinthians 15:13-14 NAS77)  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.

It doesn’t matter how much faith you have is Jesus was not resurrected.  It is in vain. 

Follow the logic.

(1 Corinthians 15:16-18 NAS77)  and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

The Bible does not mince words or back off from truth.  I can think of no other place in the Bible where it is so clearly stated that something must be believed.

This points out that the resurrection of Jesus Christ is central to our faith and hope.

Rejoice!  He is risen!

He is risen indeed!

homo unius libri

Opus 2012-49, Key Scriptures: On Death

Death is on my mind today.  It has come at me in a couple of ways.  I find it serious but inspirational.  You see, I am a believing Christian and I take seriously what Paul had to say,

(1 Corinthians 15:55 KJV)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?

I am working through the Confessions of Augustine.  It is slow going.  I have a free download on my Kindle and it is an old, cumbersome translation.  Today I was reading about the time in Augustine’s life when his mother died.  She was not worried about it.  He responded with eternity in mind.  He was very close to his mother, yet he was able to rejoice in the knowledge that she passed on knowing that he would follow her to an eternity with the Lord.

A second fact is that it has now been a year since my older brother died.  He was only 64, which is young by current standards.  He was the biggest, strongest and most robust of the siblings.  Blood cancer brought him down.  It was hard to stand by his bed as he breathed his last.  At the same time there was the joy of knowing that he was a believer who was simply going on to a better life. 

Death is serious.  So is life.  Separation and pain are real.  So is the assurance we have as believers.  We tend to get so focused on the daily grind that we forget the hope that is in us.  It makes a difference.

Do I worry about the Chinese becoming a major nuclear power?  As an American with children, yes.  As a believer, not particularly.  If they launch a missile at my home I will get to read about the follow through in the New Jerusalem Times.  Do I worry about terrorists blowing up an airplane I am on?  Not particularly.  It will simply mean I won’t need to empty the dishwasher when I get home. 

If you are going through a loss, I feel for you.  I am not untouched by our mortality.  I have lost both parents, some wonderful uncles, a brother and friends.  Most of them have died as believers.  I miss them but I try to look at it from their point of view.  For them the good times have begun and they wonder what is taking us so long.  For those who died unrepentant I can do nothing except try to share the hope that is in me with those who still remain.

Remember, from the world’s point of view, death is the end.  They fear it.  From our point of view it is the beginning. 

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-325, Basic Beliefs: The Resurrection

One of the clearest teachings in the Bible involves the idea of the resurrection.  It has two branches.  You must believe both to call yourself a Christian.

The first is the resurrection of Jesus.  The Gospels clearly teach that Jesus died on a cross, was buried and on the third day came back to life.  The death is clear.  The Romans, who knew death when they saw it, pushed a spear up into his side just to make sure.  The return to life is also clear.  It is emphasized that it was a physical resurrection, not just a “spiritual” resurrection.

Jesus went out of His way to reinforce this.

(John 20:27 KJV)  Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing.

And in a longer passage it becomes clear that the gospel is underlining the fact of the physical resurrection.  You see, even the disciples, who were there, had questions.  Jesus answered them two ways.

(Luke 24:39-43 KJV)  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.  And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.  And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?  And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.  And he took it, and did eat before them.

First, He let them examine Him.  He acknowledged their concern and answered it.  And then He ate.  Ghosts don’t eat.  We have all seen the cartoons with Casper the Friendly Ghost taking a bite of cake and having it fall to the floor.

And yet people still try to deny that Jesus was physically resurrected.  They are like fish the don’t want to believe in the existence of water.

The second branch is the resurrection of the dead.  Notice I said “the dead.”  This will involve both believers and non-believers.  Everyone will be resurrected.  Non-believers will be resurrected for the judgement.  Believers will be resurrected to live eternally in the presence of God.

For our purposes I want to underscore the resurrection of believers.  Read through I Corinthians 15, if you have any doubts about it.  Paul starts off talking about the reality of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

(1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV)  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

That seems clear.  Why do people who call themselves Christian still dispute it?  But like most heresy, it is not new.  Even Paul was dealing with this issue.

(1 Corinthians 15:12 KJV)  Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?

And then he makes that statement that brings me to why the resurrection of Jesus is so important:

(1 Corinthians 15:13-14 KJV)  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Everything that involves being a Christian hinges on the physical resurrection of Jesus.  If He was not raised, out faith is “vain.”  That means useless.  Read the rest of the chapter and next time someone tells you some weird story about what happened at the cross don’t even try to be polite.  You can feel free to laugh.  And have pity.  They have no hope.

I trust that you do.

homo unius libri