“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.” {Gen. 1:1,2}
We see in this primordial account of creation, a stark picture of death. None of the figures of life are present in these opening verses of the Bible. Yet it is from this cold,... dark, formless emptiness, that The Spirit of God begins His transformative work to produce life in its fullness. This is always God’s modus operandi, first Death, then Life. We are inclined to think the opposite order is true, Life begets Death. But as we study the Scriptures, we are confronted with the inescapable principle that Life proceeds out of Death. Death is not the end, but the beginning of God’s ways. As a matter of fact, Death is the essential element in order for Life to emerge! It is impossible to enter the realm of Life, without first having passed through the corridor of Death. Death is God’s mandated pathway that is dark and fearful indeed, the result of Adam’s sin, but by faith we can be assured that it leads to a better and higher resurrected Life.
This is seen in figures of the everyday world around us. It is from the end of the individual lives of both sperm and egg when united, that a new life emerges from both in the form of a fetus. From the dark “grave” of the womb, the fetus evolves into a more complex and higher form to prepare it for the new and better world it must enter at the end of the appointed stay in darkness.
A caterpillar enters the sarcophagus it builds for itself, and must “die” there in order to be resurrected as a new creature, to soar to new heights in the heavens. As an annual reminder of The Creator’s way, the stark and barren tree of winter without a sign of life, transforms into the lush and thriving shade tree of summer. The dry and shriveled corn seed, lying buried in the cold, dark earth, when the appointed season beckons, bursts forth in newness of life, rising high above the soil which held it, and bearing no resemblance of its former self.
Our Savior used this very example to express the certainty of His resurrection from Death to Life:
“Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, 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. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates (loves less) their life in this world will keep it for eternal (eonian) LIFE.” {John 12:23-25}
There is a great truth in this passage for those that have eyes to see, and ears to hear. The death of an individual life brings life to many. While this is preeminently true of our wonderful Lord’s death and resurrection, there is truth here applicable to all. None of us “lives or dies to himself”, but we who have received Christ’s Spirit through faith in Him, are all vessels of blessing and life to others. It is when we die to self, that as members of His Body, we, by His Spirit, become channels of life to many!
Even that which we call ‘Life’ is really ‘Death’ in its various stages. We are born into this world dying, our bodies producing new cells to replace those that have reached their terminus. Even the replacement cells are themselves dying, and will need to be replaced if the body is to remain ‘Living’. If this process would stop at any point, our real state would become quickly apparent to all!
We are all existing in the realm of Death, which will finally claim each of us, some sooner, some later. Thankfully, The Son of God entered into our Death in order to impart His Life to us! Through faith, we enter into His Death and resurrected Life, believing that His death delivered mankind from a bondage we could never break free from ourselves, we receive His Spirit of grace, and are transformed incrementally into His likeness, as we focus on Him. We receive His Life BEFORE we finally die! In this way we are united to Him in spirit and need not fear our coming death, knowing that we will be resurrected by Christ’s power over Death to live with Him always and bask in His Love and Grace!
“Now if we DIED with Christ, we believe that we will also LIVE with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin ONCE FOR ALL; but the life he lives, he lives to God.11 In the same way, count yourselves DEAD to sin but ALIVE to God in Christ Jesus.” {Rom. 6:8-11}
“For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord.” {Rom. 6:23}
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For YOU DIED, and your LIFE is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, WHO IS YOUR LIFE, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” {Col. 3:1-4}
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as IN ADAM ALL DIE, so IN CHRIST ALL WILL BE MADE ALIVE. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” {1 Cor. 15:20-23}
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who SLEEP IN DEATH, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus DIED and ROSE again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have FALLEN ASLEEP in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have FALLEN ASLEEP. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and THE DEAD in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still ALIVE AND ARE LEFT will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” {1 Thes. 4:13-18}
We see in this primordial account of creation, a stark picture of death. None of the figures of life are present in these opening verses of the Bible. Yet it is from this cold,... dark, formless emptiness, that The Spirit of God begins His transformative work to produce life in its fullness. This is always God’s modus operandi, first Death, then Life. We are inclined to think the opposite order is true, Life begets Death. But as we study the Scriptures, we are confronted with the inescapable principle that Life proceeds out of Death. Death is not the end, but the beginning of God’s ways. As a matter of fact, Death is the essential element in order for Life to emerge! It is impossible to enter the realm of Life, without first having passed through the corridor of Death. Death is God’s mandated pathway that is dark and fearful indeed, the result of Adam’s sin, but by faith we can be assured that it leads to a better and higher resurrected Life.
This is seen in figures of the everyday world around us. It is from the end of the individual lives of both sperm and egg when united, that a new life emerges from both in the form of a fetus. From the dark “grave” of the womb, the fetus evolves into a more complex and higher form to prepare it for the new and better world it must enter at the end of the appointed stay in darkness.
A caterpillar enters the sarcophagus it builds for itself, and must “die” there in order to be resurrected as a new creature, to soar to new heights in the heavens. As an annual reminder of The Creator’s way, the stark and barren tree of winter without a sign of life, transforms into the lush and thriving shade tree of summer. The dry and shriveled corn seed, lying buried in the cold, dark earth, when the appointed season beckons, bursts forth in newness of life, rising high above the soil which held it, and bearing no resemblance of its former self.
Our Savior used this very example to express the certainty of His resurrection from Death to Life:
“Jesus replied, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. 24 Very truly I tell you, 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. 25 Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates (loves less) their life in this world will keep it for eternal (eonian) LIFE.” {John 12:23-25}
There is a great truth in this passage for those that have eyes to see, and ears to hear. The death of an individual life brings life to many. While this is preeminently true of our wonderful Lord’s death and resurrection, there is truth here applicable to all. None of us “lives or dies to himself”, but we who have received Christ’s Spirit through faith in Him, are all vessels of blessing and life to others. It is when we die to self, that as members of His Body, we, by His Spirit, become channels of life to many!
Even that which we call ‘Life’ is really ‘Death’ in its various stages. We are born into this world dying, our bodies producing new cells to replace those that have reached their terminus. Even the replacement cells are themselves dying, and will need to be replaced if the body is to remain ‘Living’. If this process would stop at any point, our real state would become quickly apparent to all!
We are all existing in the realm of Death, which will finally claim each of us, some sooner, some later. Thankfully, The Son of God entered into our Death in order to impart His Life to us! Through faith, we enter into His Death and resurrected Life, believing that His death delivered mankind from a bondage we could never break free from ourselves, we receive His Spirit of grace, and are transformed incrementally into His likeness, as we focus on Him. We receive His Life BEFORE we finally die! In this way we are united to Him in spirit and need not fear our coming death, knowing that we will be resurrected by Christ’s power over Death to live with Him always and bask in His Love and Grace!
“Now if we DIED with Christ, we believe that we will also LIVE with him. 9 For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. 10 The death he died, he died to sin ONCE FOR ALL; but the life he lives, he lives to God.11 In the same way, count yourselves DEAD to sin but ALIVE to God in Christ Jesus.” {Rom. 6:8-11}
“For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is eternal LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord.” {Rom. 6:23}
“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For YOU DIED, and your LIFE is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, WHO IS YOUR LIFE, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.” {Col. 3:1-4}
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as IN ADAM ALL DIE, so IN CHRIST ALL WILL BE MADE ALIVE. 23 But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.” {1 Cor. 15:20-23}
“Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who SLEEP IN DEATH, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus DIED and ROSE again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have FALLEN ASLEEP in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have FALLEN ASLEEP. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and THE DEAD in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still ALIVE AND ARE LEFT will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” {1 Thes. 4:13-18}
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