When people have no hope or expectation beyond death, they live waiting or expecting to die. In fact, an increasing number of people are accepting death as inevitable and finite. People are becoming so accustomed to pain and sorrow and suffering, that they can’t imagine life any other way. Hello again and welcome to another addition of fine points.
People who believe death is inescapable and the end of everything live expecting to die. But people who believe in God and Jesus Christ Live Expecting To Live. People who live expecting to die don’t look for anything beyond death so their entire life is spent seeking joy and happiness in the here and now. This causes them to take a dim view of life and the people who live in it.
They live trying to escape the misery and sorrow of this life by seeking joy and happiness in anything that can help them forget about their troubles. They look to money and the things money can buy to help them make life worth living. But there are only so many things in this world for sale and none of them can bring lasting joy and happiness and escape from the misery and sorrows of life. At best they provide a temporary break, a respite and then its back to the pain and sorrow of living in this world.
No one can escape aging, no one can escape sickness, can escape pain, can escape sorrow, escape death though they try in vain to do so. Life for those expecting to die is a race against time to seek out all the pleasure and joy possible before they can no longer enjoy anything or die. Christians on the other hand have a different approach and perspective of life.
While acknowledging the misery and sorrow of life, they see an end to it and a world and place where none of it exists. They don’t try to escape or cope with it in the ways people who live expecting to die do, but by trusting God instead to deliver them from it. The God they believe in will delivered them from pain, sorrow and death provided they live a certain way. Therefore, they live as commanded by God because by living this way they expect to live even through death itself.
As a result, it causes them to see and value people and the world we live in much differently than those who expect to die. They don’t view people and resources as objects and things to be used to help them escape and forget about their own misery and sorrow. Instead they see people as themselves in need of love and support of a God who loves them and wants to deliver them.
They see the earth as temporary housing that God has provided and expects them to treat it like they would want someone to treat and take care of something that belonged to them knowing that others live here and need and use it also. As people who live expecting to live it is our duty and calling to help those who live expecting to die to believe and trust in the God who can allow them to live and not die.
Yes, everyday is a challenge and not every day brings personal pain and sorrow. But when it will and does come, Christians take consolation in knowing it won’t be like this always because they believe and have faith that a better day is coming by and by. And this hope causes them to live expecting to live.
Be sure to catch our Sunday School preview that will appearing later on this week. August and September is revival time around here so be encouraged to attend revival services in your area. And as always, remember to fear God and keep His commandments.
Pastor Jordan
