Over the past couple of weeks my family has experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. Two weeks ago this Friday we welcomed our 3rd child (Ashlyn Grace) into the world, and a week ago this Saturday we lost my father-in-law who went home to be with Jesus. On one hand, we have experienced the joy of new life. On the other hand, we have experienced the sadness and grief of death. And as I have reflected these past few days on these events I a reminded that is precisely what we are seeing taking place all around us. When one studies the narrative of Scripture, two main themes emerge: “new birth” and the “curse of death.”
“Curse of Death”: Since the Fall of humanity, all of mankind has been born in sin and died as a result. After the sin of Adam and Eve God places a curse upon them and the creation (Genesis 3) and the pattern of Scripture after that is we are “born” and then we “die” (Genesis 5). After all the wages of sin is death (Romans 5) and the entire creation has been subjected to futility (Romans 8). The imagery that Paul uses to explain this curse is “birth pains” an experience that is blazed into my mind after two weeks ago. Our first two deliveries went fairly smooth, this one did not. I will spare you the details, but this husband/father got caught up in the intensity of the moment. The anticipation got stronger, the pains of birth (at least for my wife) continued to mount, and I longed for it to be over and see our new gift of life.
Yet I could not help but think that this is exactly what all of God's children are experiencing. Paul writes in Romans 8:22, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth." Jesus said in Matthew 24:8, speaking of the tribulation, "All these are the beginning of birth pains." There is absolutely nothing joyful about the “birthing process” outside of the fact that we know what is coming is “new life.”
So as I watched my wife suffer the pains of childbirth, I also became aware of the birth pains I see all around me. A father-in-law dying of cancer, a church member with an alcoholic family, hurricanes that destroy cities in a matter of moments, a family that holds grudges and refuses to forgive, a body that grows older and older by the day, a father who decides to just walk away from his family, a baby who dies at an early age, nations that rage, and people who think life is all about them...oh how I long for NEW BIRTH!! Not just for a baby, but for a fallen world! As we see numerous birth pains all around us we know that there is nothing joyful about it, other than the fact that you know it’s pointing you to new life, a future resurrection that is kept by the power of God in Christ (1 Peter 1:3-7).
“New Birth”: Most Christians have been taught to believe that the “ultimate” future is heaven. This is not, however, what Scripture teaches. Our future hope is a new creation, a city that comes down rather than us going up (see Rev 21). The separation of the spirit and body is not according to the original design of God (Genesis 1-2) and while to be absent form the body is to be present with the Lord, a future resurrection in a restored creation is the new birth we are all longing for.
Not only is new birth the ultimate future reality for those who are in Christ, the promise of this new life is tasted of through genuine conversion now. The transformation we see in our lives as we come by faith to a resurrected Messiah is a transformation of death to life, of cursed to blessed, of slave to free. This theme is all over the biblical narrative. Ezekiel speaks of a day when we will be washed with water, which Jesus shares with Nicodemus when he tells him you must be “born again” (John 3). Jeremiah speaks of a covenant when we will have a heart of flesh and “know the Lord” (Jer 31). Paul uses this imagery in 2 Corinthians 5:17 when he says that if you are “in Christ” you are a “new creation.” In other words, what we are longing for eternally, namely a new birth, we are able to experience the first fruit of now “in Christ.” After all, the narrative of Scripture boils down to whether or not you are “in Adam” and dead or “in Christ” and alive (see 1 Corinthians 15).
What my family has experienced in a 1 week time frame is the very same experience we are all facing if we will just look around. There are images of new birth and images of death all around us and each one is saying something to us about a future reality and a future hope.
We waited, and the day finally came when our little girl was born into the world. What a wonderful day that was! After all new birth is a beautiful thing.
We waited, for the day when my father-in-law would take his last breath. And as we laid his body to rest today in a grave that will one day be opened with a trumpet shout, I am reminded that we must all wait for a day when the skies will be opened and our Savior will return to make all things new. What a wonderful day that will be! After all new birth is a beautiful thing.
Awaiting the Restoration of all things,
Pastor Wes
“Curse of Death”: Since the Fall of humanity, all of mankind has been born in sin and died as a result. After the sin of Adam and Eve God places a curse upon them and the creation (Genesis 3) and the pattern of Scripture after that is we are “born” and then we “die” (Genesis 5). After all the wages of sin is death (Romans 5) and the entire creation has been subjected to futility (Romans 8). The imagery that Paul uses to explain this curse is “birth pains” an experience that is blazed into my mind after two weeks ago. Our first two deliveries went fairly smooth, this one did not. I will spare you the details, but this husband/father got caught up in the intensity of the moment. The anticipation got stronger, the pains of birth (at least for my wife) continued to mount, and I longed for it to be over and see our new gift of life.
Yet I could not help but think that this is exactly what all of God's children are experiencing. Paul writes in Romans 8:22, "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth." Jesus said in Matthew 24:8, speaking of the tribulation, "All these are the beginning of birth pains." There is absolutely nothing joyful about the “birthing process” outside of the fact that we know what is coming is “new life.”
So as I watched my wife suffer the pains of childbirth, I also became aware of the birth pains I see all around me. A father-in-law dying of cancer, a church member with an alcoholic family, hurricanes that destroy cities in a matter of moments, a family that holds grudges and refuses to forgive, a body that grows older and older by the day, a father who decides to just walk away from his family, a baby who dies at an early age, nations that rage, and people who think life is all about them...oh how I long for NEW BIRTH!! Not just for a baby, but for a fallen world! As we see numerous birth pains all around us we know that there is nothing joyful about it, other than the fact that you know it’s pointing you to new life, a future resurrection that is kept by the power of God in Christ (1 Peter 1:3-7).
“New Birth”: Most Christians have been taught to believe that the “ultimate” future is heaven. This is not, however, what Scripture teaches. Our future hope is a new creation, a city that comes down rather than us going up (see Rev 21). The separation of the spirit and body is not according to the original design of God (Genesis 1-2) and while to be absent form the body is to be present with the Lord, a future resurrection in a restored creation is the new birth we are all longing for.
Not only is new birth the ultimate future reality for those who are in Christ, the promise of this new life is tasted of through genuine conversion now. The transformation we see in our lives as we come by faith to a resurrected Messiah is a transformation of death to life, of cursed to blessed, of slave to free. This theme is all over the biblical narrative. Ezekiel speaks of a day when we will be washed with water, which Jesus shares with Nicodemus when he tells him you must be “born again” (John 3). Jeremiah speaks of a covenant when we will have a heart of flesh and “know the Lord” (Jer 31). Paul uses this imagery in 2 Corinthians 5:17 when he says that if you are “in Christ” you are a “new creation.” In other words, what we are longing for eternally, namely a new birth, we are able to experience the first fruit of now “in Christ.” After all, the narrative of Scripture boils down to whether or not you are “in Adam” and dead or “in Christ” and alive (see 1 Corinthians 15).
What my family has experienced in a 1 week time frame is the very same experience we are all facing if we will just look around. There are images of new birth and images of death all around us and each one is saying something to us about a future reality and a future hope.
We waited, and the day finally came when our little girl was born into the world. What a wonderful day that was! After all new birth is a beautiful thing.
We waited, for the day when my father-in-law would take his last breath. And as we laid his body to rest today in a grave that will one day be opened with a trumpet shout, I am reminded that we must all wait for a day when the skies will be opened and our Savior will return to make all things new. What a wonderful day that will be! After all new birth is a beautiful thing.
Awaiting the Restoration of all things,
Pastor Wes
No comments:
Post a Comment