What is your only comfort? (Devotional, of GRPL interest mostly)

Americans know in their heart of hearts they're going to die but they don't like to admit it. It's a mark of our post-Christianity that this culture is so obsessed with youth and beauty. Most folk don't die at home anymore. Many folk have never seen a dead person. We go away to antiseptic hospital rooms to die and are boxed up and delivered to the funeral home and, in many cases, (even the "open casket" seems to be disappearing) never seen again.

It wasn't so in the 16th century. Death as a routine part of life. Life expectancy was rather shorter than it is today. One of the things that tipped me to this fact was a 16th-century sketch of Olevianus as an old man, except at the time of the sketch he wasn't "old." He was 30 years old.

You know, of course, about the "Black Death," which swept through Europe in the middle ages killing as many as 1/3 of the population. Death was a frequent visitor in everyone's house. So, for the catechism to ask about our comfort in "in life and in death," was a good and necessary question then and it remains so now. No matter how much we exercise (and that's a good thing), diet, and preen, should Jesus delay his return, we're going to die. It's hard enough when friends and loved ones disappoint us, but eventually even our body will disappoint us. When all else fails, on what will you depend? On your good works? Be honest, you know that all of your works are tainted. Never in your life have your motives been completely pure about anything. If in the greatest act of self-denial in your life you hoped secretly that someone would notice. Your obedience isn't perfect so it's not trustworthy. If your obedience isn't perfect then your sanctity isn't perfect, so you can't trust it. Your friends aren't perfect. You can't work forever. Your employer or employees or your business partner will let you down when you need them most. Your spouse will disappoint you. Your best friends will fail you.

On what or whom can you trust?

That I, with body and soul, both in life and in death, am not my own, but belong to my faithful Savior Jesus Christ, who with His precious blood has fully satisfied for all my sins, and redeemed me from all the power of the devil; and so preserves me that without the will of my Father in heaven not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, that all things must work together for my salvation. Wherefore, by His Holy Spirit, He also assures me of eternal life, and makes me heartily willing and ready from now on to live unto Him.

Only Jesus never let anyone down. Only Jesus is a faithful Savior. Lot's of people and things promise help, but, at some point they all become liars. Jesus never did. He told his disciples why he came up to Jerusalem. He told them what was going to happen and why. They tried to talk him out of it and even started a gang fight, but Jesus would not be stopped. He knew what had to be done and he did it --every day of his life. God's justice is relentless and had to be satisfied (just ask the folk of Noah's generation!) and Jesus did it. Jesus knew that without his life and death we would always be in the power of death. Because he was faithful, however, we, for whom Jesus has earned the ground of our comfort and and to whom the Spirit has given faith, are free from the tyranny of death.

Whatever the advertisers tell you -- unless Jesus returns first -- you are going to die. If, however, you trust in Jesus it's just a temporary thing. Death can't hold you because it couldn't hold him and you are united to him and the power of his life by faith and by the same Spirit who raised him. As surely as Jesus lives, so will you.

Now that's comfort.

So good it needed to be shared. Part of a continuing series this guy is doing on his blog. --"lnf"

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.