…..was a man of faith, I would like to share a message about the hope that …… had in God.
In Saint Paul’s letter to the Romans, Chapter 14 verse 8. The verse reads “If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord, So, whether we live or we die we belong to the Lord.”
The verse is part of a chapter in which Paul is talking with the Roman believers about their lifestyles. Why? Well at the time the Roman Christians had a judgmental view of one another. They were judging one another and being critical of one another’s behaviour.
But Paul who had interestingly been a member of the Pharisee sect, possibly the most judgemental of Jewish religious orders before his conversion to Christ, was pointing out to the Roman Christians that instead of being critical and judging one another they should replace these things with tolerance and understanding. That they should accept one another as Jesus had accepted them. (Romans 15:7) That they all belonged to the Lord.
He was pointing out that as believers we answer ultimately not to one another, but to God.
So, where Saint Paul is going with this is that while we live, we take into account our own interests, but in doing so we know and acknowledge that we are brought by the blood of Jesus our Saviour. That being saved by grace through faith in him, we are to extend grace to others, not judging them but loving them.
This verse is one that should also challenge our thinking beyond the here and now. Let me be quite open here, there are a few mysteries about what heaven will be like, but think about those words “So whether we live or die we belong to the Lord.” We who have encountered through Christ, the Spirit of God and God the Father understand the reality of Saint Paul's words. …… knew this and had God’s witness the Holy Spirit as his comforter, helper, guide and friend. Paul in letter to the church in Ephesus chapter 1:13-14 says it this way: ”And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” So, Saint Paul tells us, The Holy Spirit is the deposit of eternal life. We live in the sure and certain hope of the resurrection to eternal life. The Holy Spirit with us is the guarantee of our eternal life. This sure and certain hope that we hear about at funerals often is not the English meaning of hope, like, I hope that the day is not too windy or I hope that there is a cuppa after this service. This hope in its meaning; is sure and certain, this comes with grace, of forgiveness of sins and the ability of those who believe to enter the presence of God through Jesus broken body. As the scriptures tell us Jesus has defeated sin and death.
Jesus tells us in chapter John’s gospel 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He/she does not come into judgment but has passed from death to life.”
We know that …… health in the past years was not good, that he was physically and cognitively failing. But now we can celebrate his life and that …… suffering is over. The scriptures tell us that not only is he not suffering but that he will, be clothed with a heavenly dwelling. Saint Paul says this, “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling.” (2 Corinthians 5:1).
I like the word picture of our current bodies being a tent here on earth. The truth is that some days, maybe for some of us every day, we groan, there’s a few rips in our fabric, the ropes of these tents are fraying a little. These bodies of ours are a temporary accommodation, a tent, but the picture that Paul uses of our coming heavenly dwelling is not of a flimsy tent but of a building from God, an eternal house in heaven. (2 Corinthians 5:1-2) In verses 4 and 5. Paul again says that this is our purpose that this is why we are here, “so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life, Now it is God who made us for this purpose and has given us his Holy Spirit as the deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”
A couple of verses that I am very keen on, were written by Jesus’ brother Jude (verses 24&25) and he says this in the first of these two verses; “To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy.” He is talking of how as believers we will be in the presence of Jesus, perfected no more suffering, no more disease, no more struggling with our mortal bodies our minds and their limitations. I think of the joy that …… will have in the presence of Jesus, with his new body, without fault as Jude says with exceeding joy.
This does not remove our natural grief at having lost …… presence with us. He was a loved brother to……. and ……. and a friend to many. Also, I understand that Manchester United and Rafiel Nadal have lost a great fan with ……… passing.
But today’s message is that we are currently living metaphorically in a tent and that there is a building a new body awaiting us in heaven, provided by God himself. That God has something better for us outside of this earthly existence.
…….. knew this, he was a man of faith and was a regular attender at The ..... Corps of The Salvation Army before his health began to fail.
Are you sure and certain? In this life there are so many conflicting ideas and voices. But for those who have been saved through faith in Jesus and encountered/anointed by The Holy Spirit, we are sure. ……. was sure and is now with God, with his mother and other loved ones in heaven.
For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.” Again, If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord, So, whether we live or we die we belong to the Lord.”
We hold onto those words as we think of …….. today. We know that he is with his Lord, in Glory perfected in his presence with great joy!.
Today as we celebrate ……. life, a life well lived, we can also celebrate that …… is with his Lord. Today we hold onto that promise of Jesus’ and in years to come, we too will see God’s eternal promises fulfilled.
