Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. The apostle Paul
That verse comes from the 6th chapter of Romans. The whole chapter is inspiring and worth taking a moment to read.
As a pastors daughter I've attended a lot of funerals. I get death. I understand it enough to know that I don't need to buy a birthday present for the deceased next year. This Christmas, I should take them off my Christmas card mailing list. And maybe, if I've been sending them a fruit of the month, I should cancel that subscription.
If I see a book in the store that the deceased had long since been looking for, it's probably a bad idea to pick it up for them, since they're not around to appreciate it. And, I wouldn't stop at their familiar hangouts, hoping to see them.
Sounds simple right? Sounds like normal, common sense things to do right?
Then why don't I follow common sense rules for my dead self?
Why do I still say things like the dead person would say them? Why do I still think things that the dead person would think? Why do I still laugh at the dead mans sense of humor? Why do I keep my dead mans magazine subscriptions, pay 30 bucks each month for his favorite TV channels, and why do I record his favorite shows for him?
Maybe the answer as simple as this: Because he isn't really dead.
5 comments:
Excellent! A little edgy but that's just what the doctor ordered for the subject matter. The crescendo building series of questions was very effective-- makes me wish I had come up with it so I could preach it some day!
I love that 6th chapter of Romans too! To me, it is a challenge in that it is dependent on faith rather than sight. If the old man physically died and the new man was recreated in his place (as in the resurrection) everything would be hunky-dory, but the new man within has to drag the old man's dead carcass around everywhere he goes (kinda like "Weekend at Bernie's", huh?). Only by faith can we discount (put off) the old man's habits and tastes, until at last the trumpet sounds and we’re changed in the twinkling of an eye.
Okay, so the reason I am reminded is because of the old me that I am dragging around?
Then there has to be reason behind God leaving us with such a reminder.
I think it just might be so we do not forget where we came from. Good Times or bad times, they are better times than the dead me ever saw.
@onesided,
I guess it does have a way of keeping us humble.
I discovered one thing.... I like to be called edgy. It brought a crazy smirk to my face and I laughed and called myself edgy all day long. It's a good thing I still live alone right now. :)
One sided, I guess I'd prefer to wake up, murder the old man and then go about my day as the new man. And, should the old man catch up with me during the day, I wish I were ruthlessly committed to destroying him every time he reared his ugly head.
My problem is, when he shows up, instead of killing him, I tend to play hostess and entertain.
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