Death is a tragic thing. The death of a loved one has such a deep and lasting effect – in fact it is actually hard to believe just how much it can affect someone. The closer you were to the person, the harder it can be. The more open you are and connect emotionally, the more painful it is. The regrets can be crushing, leaving people to try to cope in many different ways.
Through all the pain and tears, regrets, hopes and grappling with my brother in laws recent death, there is one thing that was never tempting:
I haven’t had the thought or the urge to follow him or his life as a religion or dogma. Even if he had the best set of values, outstanding advice and prophetic insight to life’s events while alive – I still wouldn’t ‘follow him’ now. Why? Simply because he is dead. He is no more – a simple fact that has been monumentally difficult to try to come to terms with.
Unfortunately he shares the reality of a huge number of people: in fact, around another 200 people have died since you started reading this!
Of the millions who have died over the course of history, some have had many followers. And for a handful, people continue to follow them after their death. And that is one thing that they all have in common: are all dead.
Well, all except One:
- Mohammed? – He’s dead.
- Confucius? – He’s dead.
- Ellen G White? – She’s dead.
- Buddha? – Dead.
- Joseph Smith? – Dead.
- Russel Tazel? – Dead.
- Charles Darwin? – Dead.
- Krishna? – Dead.
- Socrates? – Dead.
- Sigmund Freud – Dead
- Jesus? He. Is. Alive!
The person I chose to follow is alive. And not just alive – alive after being dead! It gives you a fair bit of credit when you can die & come back to life! Jesus did amazing and crazy things while alive – (including bringing others back to life) but none were as powerful or meaningful as coming back to life Himself! Imagine what power He has and what He knows?! We love to hear from people who have been ‘dead’ for a few minutes on the operating table – but He was dead for days…what did He see? What does He know?
Coming back to life validates the claims He made while alive too – and there were many. He claimed to come from God, exist forever and create everything. Just think on that. The huge force you intrinsically know made everything you see and experience (including the stars and physical laws) is embodied in this man! The mastermind behind the mysteries and intricacies of every marvel is contained somehow in that head!
Why not ask Him if He is real? There is stacks of evidence 1Check out one mans quest here, email us or visit CALM.org with questions Why not test out His claims? Why not follow Him? Why not worship Him willingly? You’ll do it one day – whether you want to or not.
We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.
Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to sinful desires. Do not let any part of your body become an instrument of evil to serve sin. Instead, give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God. Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace.
Freed from Sin’s Power to Serve Righteousness
Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realise that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.
Romans 6:9-18 (NLT)
Conclusion: We need God
PRAYER: Lord, help us to understand that Your Son is actually alive! Give us the inner knowledge and experience of His living power, His complete grace and unconditional love.
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