Beginning and End (SA)

Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead . . . 

 - From Revelation 1

Christ's steps out of the tomb signaled the vanquishing of Death. A new Era had dawned . . . an era in which Death would no longer rule us, as it had since Adam and Eve were cursed for their disobedience.

But His work was far from finished. His time with his friends, before His ascension, was like a half-time break in a football game. They received their strategy for the second half. Indeed, Christ has been gone long enough that we may end up with pretty close to two halves of history, divided by his Death, Resurrection, and Ascension.

The Second Half gives us a chance to participate in the emergence of His Kingdom. Now we get to vanquish Death, too.

But we can't vanquish Death if we keep acting like it controls us. Death goes hand in hand with the behaviors that brought about the curse in the first place! We have to disconnect the strings that still tie us to the Law, to Judgment, and to Death.

We have to end sin in our own lives.

Our language betrays us. Stephen Covey, in his book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, discusses the limitations of the phrase "have to." He says "We don't have to do anything." The only thing we may actually have to do is to die, if we live long enough. But anything else we do involves a conscious choice on our part . . . even if some of those choices are habitual, or instinctive. Think about it - You don't have to go to work by a certain time. You don't have to mow the lawn, or buy Christmas gifts. You don't even really have to breathe, if you don't want to.

When we say "I have to . . . " it means we are under the control of other forces. We are not free, liberated, intelligent and dignified beings whom Christ has redeemed. We are still slaves to the old system.

But under grace, we may choose to go to work. We may choose to mow the lawn. We may choose to purchase Christmas presents. We are noble persons that choose to do good things, or necessary things. It's a slight change in attitude that takes us from being paupers, to being God's children living under grace.

We no longer have to gossip about others. When the name of my great-aunt Melissa is brought up (she died in 1980, at just about ninety years of age), those that knew her will reflect that she never said an unkind word about anybody. My niece, Becky Houle, resists conversations that move towards gossip. She will quietly leave the place where it is happening. This is something people have noticed about her, and point out. It's a good thing to notice about somebody.

If you have eternal life . . . if you're really going to live forever (and we will have our own resurrection experience some day), then you are free to comment only on the good things about others . . . all others.  We can put an end to the way we think about others. It's pointless! You're alive! Death is vanquished! Now put an end to our words and thoughts, that Christ said is the same as murder.

(There's that sin and death linkage again!)

Christ launched a new era. Now it's our turn. We can participate in it, too . . . but we have to put to death the things that are keeping us from walking in His shoes of dignity, honor, goodwill, and love.