Live life to the fullest
Life is short and death is impending. As we get older, the brevity of life becomes more apparent, and the certainty of death invades our thoughts more and more. With every back ache, tooth ache and headache we are reminded of how our bodies are deteriorating. If that wasn’t enough, we are sobered and humbled as we attend funerals of friends and family within our own generation. When you look at the coffin, and when you go to a cemetery, it dawns on us that soon it will be our turn. As we look at the montage of photos it becomes incredibly apparent that we have so many misplaced concerns. When we see the mourning family, we value our own more than ever.
Nothing can sober a man like the reality of death. It has the power to humble giants. Death does not discriminate against ages or sexes. Death is not racist. Death grants no favours to those in a higher social class. It does not care about your busy circumstance, it’s not interested in the commitments you have made, it is not a respecter of persons. Death shows no partiality. So then, what can we do?
We are told to live ‘life to the fullest.’ We are told to ‘eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die.’ We are told that the way we enjoy our lives is by indulging in all the desires of our flesh. Our culture celebrates Friday nights as the work week is over, we’ve been paid our weeks wages, and there is now nothing better to do than to drown every sober thought in alcohol. There nothing better to listen to then mind-numbing modern music, that even for secular standards has lost all meaning, skill and purpose. There is nothing important to discuss and reason. Our world makes jokes about grave matters and then debates around the trivial. No wonder why so many people are depressed. No wonder why so many who live such a lifestyle consider ending their lives prematurely. Such an existence is hopeless and meaningless. Such an existence is an attempt to suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Rom 1:18). Such a philosophy for life is devilish because it is the enemy of souls who blinds the mind of people to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel and the glory of Christ (2 Cor 4:4).
The only way we can truly live life to the fullest is to go to the Creator of life, the source and hope of life in the next: The Way, Jesus Christ. I am not able to express to you in a million words, what God can impress upon you at that second of justification. That moment when you, by grace, through faith, altogether grasp: a fraction of your sin and see the vastness of His righteousness; the depths of despair and the formidable love of Christ who died for you; the great guilt and debt you owe and the overflowing riches and liberty we inherit through our risen Saviour. Being born again and justified (adopted by the Father, atone for by the Son and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) is truly when life begins. For the one who He has made alive is no longer dead in their trespasses and sins. You cannot live life to the fullest and be apart from Christ, who is the Bread of life. In John 11:25-26, Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he dies, yet shall he live and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” He then asks, “Do you believe this?”
Do you believe that this life is not the be-all and end-all and that we have a hope in heaven because of Christ? Death is strong and unnatural. Yet, it could not keep Him who is all powerful and supernatural. His promise is that if you are in Him and believe in Him, that death will not keep you either and that He who resurrected will raise up all who believe in Him.
O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 15:55-57).
Pastor Joshua
