Skip to main content

Having The Son

              Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (I John 5:12)

                What is life? How do we know when someone is alive? Dead? Medically, someone is generally considered alive if they are breathing, have a heart rate or pulse, are moving, have blood pressure and vital signs (yep), and, though it wasn’t listed, brain activity.  The list is somewhat redundant, and there are always stories of people who appeared to be dead but somehow are revived, often dramatically as the result of medical intervention. As a general rule, however, dead is dead.

                When we shift our perspective from the physical to the spiritual, we sometimes start thinking in magical terms. We assume that spiritual aliveness is eternal or would be if God didn’t step in and take it away from those who don’t live up to His expectations. How could we be dead if we have a heartbeat? How could we be spiritually dead if we are physically alive? How could any of this be anything other than God being arbitrary, cruel, or otherwise unreasonable?

                Generally, we wouldn’t blame a doctor for someone’s death if that person died before they reached the hospital. Dead is dead. It’s true that God can intervene and bring the dead to life. His doing so involves giving His Son to them. As today’s passage says, if someone doesn’t have the Son, one is dead. But those who complain most loudly about God not giving life to them aren’t interested in having the Son. Their issue is parallel to complaining that a doctor should preserve the life of a patient whose heart isn’t beating without replacing the heart or otherwise causing it to beat.  “Skip the heart, Doc, and make him alive!”

                Sometimes, God does give someone life who doesn’t want it, but those who complain about God not giving them life would also be unwilling to live under the conditions that living requires. They want life on their own terms. They don’t want the Son. They don’t want to spend eternity in God’s presence and responding to Him on a moment-by-moment basis, but that’s like demanding that someone be made alive without a heart. It’s not magical; it’s just practical reality. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"Especially to those who belong to the family of believers."

Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers. (Gal 6:10)   “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.   By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)           Joshua grinned when he saw Rex standing by the door, studying something on the ground. "Hey, man! Are we ready to do this thing?"          Rex looked up. "Josh, I can't do it. We're still best buds, but I can't stand your fiancée."           I've met "Rex" many times. I've been Rex. Joshua (Jesus) loves the Church. He's not a fool. He knows the Church is far from perfect, but she is His chosen bride. The Rexes of this world, who think themselves His friend, turn away from her. "You don't need the Church to...
Post a Comment
Read more

Ssssssubmmissssssionnn

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ . (Ephesians 5:21)             "Ssssssubmmisssssssionnn." Can't you just hear the serpent hissing this most horrible of words? If you listen to the serpent or the world, submission means groveling, allowing yourself to be abused, denying yourself your own humanity. Nothing could be worse than submission, could it?             Submission has never been a problem for me, as long as things are going the way I want them to. The rest of the time? Well, let's just say that while I don't know how to fight physically, I don't know how to not fight mentally. One of the fights I've been having with myself for years is about submission.             My first breakthrough took place on a trip to a bookstore. As I walked into the store, my thoughts were very clear. 1) I was goi...
Post a Comment
Read more

Shark Fins, Triple Dog Dares, Heroes, Villains and Sidekicks

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12)            There's a scene in Jaws in which someone sees a shark fin and starts a panic. As   all the swimmers scramble to shore, boats surround the fin, which falls over to reveal two kids. With several guns pointed at them, one of the kids points at the other. The message is clear: it was his idea. In Christmas Story, there's a scene in which one kid "triple dog dares" another to do something stupid. Since it's a triple dog dare, well, what choice does the boy have? There doesn't seem to be any end to the trouble that peer pressure can cause. ...
Post a Comment
Read more