Life and Death
Recently while waiting to make a visit at the hospital a family was observed outside a door with sad faces. Their mother had lost a battle with cancer. The funeral home had been called and their representative arrived to remove the body. He came with the gurney and waited outside the door. While waiting a young lady passed with a balloon. It was a birthday balloon. She came to celebrate the bringing in of a new life into the world. In that hallway life and death passed each other. Statistics tell us that every 8 seconds a baby is born and every 11 seconds a death occurs. The beginning of life and its end are facts of life. We see each happening often.
Life and death involve a choice. “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deut. 30:19 and 15; Jer. 21:8). God has created man with freewill. We are able to make choices. God wants us to make the right choices. The choices that we make can either be a blessing to us or they can make life miserable.
Life and death involve consequences. “As righteousness tendeth to life: so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death” (Pro. 11:19; 12:28; Rom. 6:23; 8:6). The choices that we make have consequences. These consequences will affect us and others. Paul wrote that we can either be a “savor of life” or “savor of death” (2 Cor. 2:16). Many go through life not caring about consequences. Some because of bad choices will suffer the consequence of physical death. We will be judged by “the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).
Life and death depend upon the Christ. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24; Rom. 5:10; 2 Tim. 1:10). When it comes to spiritual life there is only one source (Acts 4:12). God says that “repentance is unto life” (Acts 11:18). It is in the act of baptism that the old man of sin, that is dead, is buried to be raised to a new life (Rom. 6:3-6). Without Christ there is death. With Christ there is life and an abundant life (John 10:10).
Life and death are seen in commitment. “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life” (Rev. 2:10). The choice to become a Christian involves commitment. It is not enough to start the race (Heb. 12:1). We must have the endurance (patience, KJV) to complete the race. It is to those who are faithful, even in light of death, that the crown of life will be given. Are you faithful? Will you be faithful to the end? Eternal life will be given to those who serve God throughout life (1 Pet. 1:9).
Life begins the dying process. The life that is ours should be used to serve God (Ecc. 12:13). Paul wrote that “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death” (Phil. 1:20). What about life? What about death?
Terry Claunch