DAILY DEVOTIONAL – March 15, 2021
“Now, Then”
Prayer: Jesus, You are our victorious King. You have conquered the grave and died our death and risen to give us new life. Lord, strengthen our faith and keep us forever mindful of the short time we have here, of the incredible opportunity we have to live this life in Your forgiveness and mercy. Amen.
Scripture: 1 Corinthians 13:12
“For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”
Devotional – “Now, Then.”
Most major newspapers have an obituary section where deaths from the immediate surrounding community are reported by local mortuaries. The other day I came across a very unusual obituary section in one such newspaper. It was unusual for two reasons. The first unusual thing about this particular obituary section is that it was not labeled as an obituary section. Instead of being titled as “Obituaries”, the section was entitled “Deaths.” The second and most unusual thing about this newspaper’s obituary or “deaths” section, was that there were no obituaries or deaths listed. Instead of leaving the section blank, the newspaper put in the following ominous 3 words: “Deaths are coming.”
It’s not very often that you find a truly objective article in any media publication anymore, however when it comes to the reality of death, no political agenda or slant is going to mitigate the cold hard facts. Death is no respecter of persons or preference. Everyone dies. Deaths are coming. Our own death is coming.
At the end of the day, there are only 3 ways to respond to the reality that deaths are coming. You can live like a nihilist and turn life into an all-out grab fest, trying to satisfy every desire and living with pleasure as your god and idol. You can be more fatalistic and live willfully ignorant to the conscience that has been put in all of our hearts, believing that it’s all about the survival of the fittest and that death is just a natural part of life and that this life is all there is. Or, we can listen to our God-given conscience, that voice that tells us that death isn’t right, that we shouldn’t have to die, that there is more than just this broken life and a purpose bigger than this fleeing earthly existence. We can seek out our Creator God and receive the Good News of the salvation from death He has provided for us in Christ Jesus.
God promised from the very beginning that death would be the consequence of sin. We have all sinned against God. We will all die. Our only hope is in the death and resurrection of Jesus, who died as the perfect Son of God in our place, and who rose again from the dead to conquer the grave and give us new life, eternal life. By grace through faith in Christ, death is no longer an end but an eternal beginning; a passage way from this finite and sinful world into the eternal and perfect presence of God Himself.
Without Christ, there is much to be afraid of. Not only death in this life, but a second spiritual death and condemnation. But there is no need to be afraid. There is no need to fear when you know and receive the love of God in Christ Jesus that has provided forgiveness and salvation. 1 John 4:15-18 says, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts our fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.”
We have no need to fear death, because the truth is, for all who have been baptized into Christ, we have already died and already been raised to new life! As it says in Romans 6:4-5, “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 now, until that final day comes when all who have been called by God have been saved and Christ returns in judgement and salvation, we do not yet see with our eyes the new life we have already been given by faith in Christ. For now, in this world as we await our Lord’s return, we still see and suffer death. However, that final day is drawing ever closer – that wonderful day when we will behold our victorious Lord Jesus, when we will behold the glory of God, and when we see and know in full the salvation we know that we have even now in Christ. As Paul says in our text for today in 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
Thanks for spending time with me again in the Word of God. Remember that God has forgiven yesterday, is with you today and has already taken care of tomorrow. Amen.
