Sharers

One of my Seminary professors said, "You've been told you are what you eat.  Physiologically, that might be right, but your heart and your soul are driven by what you believe.  You ARE what you believe about God!"

In that light, what do we believe about God that is paramount on this day when we think about and remember those who have gone on to be with the Lord?  Do we believe Jesus lived and that God's only Son walked the earth with people?  Do we believe Jesus was crucified and took the sins of the world to the cross?  Do we believe in the resurrection, and that Christ rose, conquering death and claiming victory over Satan?  If you believe these things, then you should believe what Paul said ... "I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience His resurrection power, be a partner in His suffering, and go all the way with Him to death itself.  If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it! (Philippians 3:10 MSG)"

Paul, in his precise, Spirit-led way, sums up why this day of somber remembrance is also a day of claimed victory and beautiful celebration.  "We have heard the joyful sound, Jesus saves, Jesus saves."  Roman 10:17 says, "Faith comes by hearing, and hearing the word of God!" Let's take Paul's words and see/hear how God speaks to us through this hopeful message!

Paul's wonderful news here is that as we share some temporary, but necessary, things, we also share in things that are eternal:

1. We share with Paul in giving up the inferior stuff.  I wonder if this is where we often get 'stuck.'  We are reluctant to give up inferior things, even when those things hold us back from God.  Paul says, see them as they are ... inferior, temporary, barriers to faith.

2. We share personal knowledge of Jesus and the experience of His resurrection power.  We are not powerless over this world, because the power and person of Jesus lives in us.

3. We share the suffering and death of Jesus, as our earthly tent passes away ... "For we know that if the earthly tent (our earthly body) which is our house is torn down (through death), we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands (2 Corinthians 5:1)."

4. That passage from 2 Corinthians also reminds us that we share in the 'trading-in' of this earthly tent (perishable) so that we can receive the imperishable and permanent dwelling built by God.  In The Message (Philippians 3:10) Paul says ... "If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it!"

All of the names we will read have "heard the joyful sound, Jesus saves!"  They have shared in the life of Christ as they lived out their faith.  They have shared in the suffering of Jesus, just like He said they would in John 15:20.  They have shared in death, as they gave their faith, hope and earthly tent up, so that they could share in the eternal dwelling God had made for them (Jesus said, "that where I am, there you may be also!" John 14:3). So, as we will sing in Jeremy Camp's song, "Jesus Saves," we will join with heaven's song, to let all the world know that Jesus saves!  

These are the things I believe about God.  So, I hope and pray I become exactly what I believe ... like the Saints that have gone before me!  AMEN!  Randy