Saturday, September 1, 2012

The Paradox of Death

There is something intriguing about paradoxes. They don't make sense at first, but most of us enjoy the attempt to analyze them and see how the puzzle pieces fit together. Many of the paradoxes introduced by Jesus in Scripture are not only mysterious but are downright confusing. How is it that the last shall be first? Why must you lose your life in order to find it? When did nature start to turn on itself?

Perhaps the most defining of paradoxes we see is the notion that death leads to life; the old becomes new. As a fellow human being having walked the planet for 24 years I can very well attest to the fact that life leads to death. The new eventually turns to old and what is alive eventually dies. The idea of death leading to life and the old becoming new have strong implications for the faith, and they go against the very fabric of our human nature.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
2 Corinthians 5:17

"But because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions." Ephesians 2:4-5

"You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24

"For you died, and your life is now hidden in Christ with God." Colossians 3:3

"I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20

In every area of Scripture that these notions are mentioned there is a formula given explaining how life is attained and how death will be the default if life does not purposely prevail over it. In each of these verses it is very apparent that Christ brings life while the self brings death. In our natural state we are already dead. But Christ offers life even in the midst of that death. This is truly dumbfounding. We all know that once something dies, it is dead. Almost never at a funeral will someone look into the casket with anticipation that the loved one will suddenly open their eyes and rise up again. There is a resignation that comes with death--we understand its finality. As Christians we know we have an eternal hope, but as human beings on planet Earth even this eternal hope does not remove the overwhelming grief and sadness brought on by death. Why is that? Shouldn't we be rejoicing when a believer is taken to Heaven? Parts of us do, but in an overwhelming sense we are held captive by the searing pain of loss.

"He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11

Here is the bottom line--even in our acceptance that death is a part of life, we know deep down in the core of who we are that death was never meant to be. We were made with eternity written upon our hearts. Life was always supposed to triumph. Everything within us, even our most sinful places, resists the sting of death and is devastated by it. We are wired to be drawn towards life and to be repelled by death. And yet death is what is asked of us. If we are to grasp the abundant eternal life offered to us, death is first required, and not just physical death.

Throughout the course of a lifetime a person will die many deaths. There is the initial spiritual death we die when we enter into sin and there is the final death within the flesh that leads to eternity. However, there are many commands to actively die and put to death the flesh. Because of the natural response to death, these are not easy to accept. Death brings loss, pain, heartache, withdrawal, even denial. There is often a ripping and tearing away at the heart that can sometimes even feel physical. But there is always an exposition for why the death is necessary. "...if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live." Romans 8:13-- If, then.

Over and over and over again these paradoxes flood the Scriptures, paving the way toward True Life. The Life that is only reached through Death.

"What you sow does not come to life unless it dies." 1 Corinthians 15:36

Nothing about this can be easily received with the limited, fallen, human brain in each of our heads. There is no rationalization behind it. It calls for a divine humility of trust at the feet of Jesus that our understanding is not to be compared with His. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5; "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,' declares the Lord." Isaiah 55:8

Moving beyond the perplexity of it all and accepting that our finite minds will never grasp this concept in full, it becomes clearer as we choose to trust that each death we die has a reason, a purpose:

"I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." John 12:24-25

In the same way that a single living seed can only remain singular, resisting these necessary deaths will only limit us in the hands of God. "But IF it dies, it produces many seeds." The very act of death ushers in new life; a newness that could never have been found otherwise. A life that is incomparable to the life before that death.

Sometimes this newness of life is a brand new life than the former. Sometimes it is a resurrection of that life, more glorious and beautiful than before. This picture is very clearly painted with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Even Christ Himself died a death that was utterly crucial for true Life to ever be an option for us. He is our ultimate example of the death that must be allowed to die in order for the fullness of life to be a flourishing resurrected reality--involving both the death at spiritual conversion as well as the deaths to sin and the flesh that confront us in the midst of our daily lives that we so often resist and avoid. Whatever His choosing--resurrection or a brand new different giving of life--we will always be more satisfied in the newness of life He brings from that death. For He is that Life.

"...so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life." 1 Timothy 6:19
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life....'" John 14:6

I have yet to face a challenge more daunting than this--to seek the Life that is truly life; to seek the face of God in the midst of my deaths. And to know that no matter the pain of those losses, the gain will always prevail over that loss. This is where the rubber meets the road. This is where the proof exists and we can know who we really serve--ourselves or our Lord Jesus Christ.

"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that One died for all, and therefore all died.  And He died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was raised again." 2 Corinthians 5:14-15

No matter to what degree we are asked to die deaths upon this earth, we can place our hope and security in the One who will one day kill Death himself, once and for all.

"Death has been swallowed up in victory... thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:54,57

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Then He who was seated on the throne said 'Behold, I make all things new.'" Revelation 21:4-5

He does not leave us as we are. O Lord, we praise You!

2 comments:

Donna Cox said...

Great post and very thought provoking! Love the way God is speaking to you... and so blessed to have you leading our worship! :) Love you, dear daughter!

Nicholas M said...

Death to Life.. only in His creative craftsmanship.

"He does not leave us as we are."
Amen for that!