© Thomas B. Cundiff
Micah 6: 6-8
What God Requires
6“With what shall I come before the LORD,
and bow myself before God on high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
7Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
with ten thousands of rivers of oil?
Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?”
8He has told you, O mortal, what is good;
and what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness,
and to walk humbly with your God?
I Corinthians 15: 51-58
Listen, I will tell you a mystery! We will not all die, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For this perishable body must put on imperishability, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When this perishable body puts on imperishability, and this mortal body puts on immortality, then the saying that is written will be fulfilled:
‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
‘Where, O death, is your victory?
Where, O death, is your sting?’
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved, be steadfast, immovable, always excelling in the work of the Lord, because you know that in the Lord your labour is not in vain.
John 3:16
16“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.
I. INTRODUCTION
For as long as I can remember I have promoted what is called the “Ecumenical Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.” This year the ‘Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity of the World Council of Churches’ has come up with this theme:
“We will be Changed by the Victory of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This is a powerful statement. In what ways does God change or transform us by the victory over the death of the physical body of our Lord Jesus Christ? My goal this morning is to dig into this question that points directly to god’s promise of Eternal Life.[i]
II. PAUL AND UNITY THROUGH CHRIST
I Corinthians is prolific when it comes to Paul’s teaching the ‘doctrine of the resurrection from physical death.” If you find yourself wondering what happens after death, read the entire chapter 15 of I Corinthians. What’s important for us to understand is the fact this has always been a difficult concept to understand.
A secondary theme is also developed as we read Paul’ letter to the Corinth
From the outset, Paul appeals to the Corinthians “that all of you be in agreement, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same purpose” (I:10) Paul wants unity and peace in the ranks! Paul writes help followers of Jesus Christ come to a unified understanding of Jesus’ resurrection. The last thing Paul wanted was for people to be divided into factions.
This sounds like some of what is happening in the modern church….progressives fighting with moderates who are disagreeing with conservatives. Clearly one of Paul’s chief purposes in writing this letter is to call this community back to unity in face of their divisions. This is why it is so important for Paul to place an emphasis in the imagery: WE ARE THE ONE UNITED BODY OF CHRIST. We have different gifts but it is the same spirit that unites us. We have different perspectives on issues of the day, but it is the same spirit that brings us together as ONE . Victory known through Jesus’ resurrection from death is the one common and transformative bond that unites us together and makes us ONE .
We are all one in Jesus Christ who lived
and died and rose from death.
Through faith in Jesus Christ, victory over death is achieved!
III. GOD’S TRANSFORMING POWER
It is clear for me in reading Paul’s letter that Jesus’ resurrection isn’t questioned or doubted. The community that saw Jesus suffer and die and rise from death believe in his resurrection. The real and more challenging question these people were asking is whether they too will be raised. This is perhaps our question as well! Will we too be raised from death? Jesus rose from death -- what about me? How am I to believe the promise that God will give me eternal life?
Consider the logic of this thesis described by Dr. Hooke from the Virginia Theological Seminary in writing for the Graymore Institute:
“If death is our final and most potent enemy, then nowhere is God’s power more fully manifest than in the raising of the dead-in the raising of Jesus Christ, as the first fruits of those who have died, and in the raising of all humankind as belonging to him.” [ii]
I like this concept! The purist of all gifts from God ‘s – God’s Grace – is found in death. The resurrection from death to live eternally with God is the definitive, authoritative and unsurpassable promise that unites us together as Christians.
As we know all too well, death is not something we can control. We never know when God is going to call us home. At the same time the one thing we can know for sure, through Jesus’ death and resurrection, is the promise that we too will be raised from death to live eternally with God.
Paul says in :
“Listen, I will tell you a mystery…we will all be changed.”
Paul is pointing toward the ultimate miracle that defines our existence beyond the grave. God has the power to raise us and receive us to himself – eternally – well beyond anything we can anticipate or imagine. Belief in eternal life is something we are called to accept through Jesus’ death and resurrection – through faith that God promises for each of us the same. Death is swallowed up in Jesus’ factory over death.
IV. ETERNAL LIFE IS GOD’S GIFT
Digging deeper into what Paul is saying to us (from Dr. Hooke) two important points for us to consider.
First point, eternal life is a gift – a gift from God. Not our efforts but through the grace of almighty God we receive the promise of eternal life. For example, if sin divides us, then only God can conquer sin. Only God, through Jesus Christ, can give us forgiveness. Every week we affirm this principle in worship following our prayers of confession – from the Book of Common Worship:
1. “May the God of mercy, who forgives you all your sins, strengthen you in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep you in eternal life.”
2. “The saying is sure and worthy of full acceptance, that Christ came into the world to rescue sinners, he himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, that we might be dead to sin, and alive to all that is good. I declare to you in the name of Jesus Christ, you are forgiven.”
3. “Anyone who is in Christ is a new creation, the old life has gone; a new life has begun. Know that you are forgiven and be at peace.”
All of these declarations say simply, (1) In Christ; (2) your sins are forgiven; (3) God will keep us in eternal life. Simply, the promise of God known to us through Jesus’ death and resurrection is a believable promise for each of us who place our lives – our souls – in the hands of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
V. MICAH
The second point or principle found in our text is acting on our profession that victory is ours through Jesus Christ. Eternal life is ours through our professing our faith in Jesus.
This is where I find a good fit with our scripture from the prophet Micah. There are things we need to act on to demonstrate our faithfulness to Jesus Christ. It is one thing to say we profess to believe in Jesus Christ. We must also act upon this profession.
From Micah 6:8 from the Old Testament says:
“What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Briefly, some illustrations on acting on our profession of faith in Jesus Christ:
To do justice. In a world and a nation where the gap is growing daily between the rich and the poor; where war and rumors of a new conflict with Iran is on the horizon -- God expects us as faithful Christians to be doers of justice in prophetically calling for the things that make for justice and peace. We are called to be proactive in making this a better world in which to live.
To love kindness. We need to “talk the talk” in calling for a world of justice and peace, We also need to “walk the walk” as we relate to one another with kindness and compassion. When there are divisions or disagreements we are called to listen, compromise, and look for common ground in working for peace. We are called to treat each other with respect and kindness, even when we disagree. We are called to embrace all that it means to be kind.
The third principle expounded by the prophet Micah is to walk humbly with God. We must recognize we are dependent on Christ who unites us together. United in Christ we are given the strength to live out the God’s call for justice and compassion and peace. We must humbly ask for what only Christ can give us through his death and resurrection – the promise of eternal life.
VI. REVIEW
To review the points I have made this morning:
1. Eternal life is a gift from God…..received through Jesus life and suffering and death and resurrection. God forgives us. God has mercy on us. God unites us as ONE under this promise of eternal life.
2. We are therefore called to profess faith in Jesus Christ acknowledging the promises of God are for each of us. Victory is ours uniting us through Jesus Christ our Lord.
3. We are called to act on what we profess to believe. From Micah we are called to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with God!
And finally, there is room for everyone in God’s plan for victory over death – and an eternal relationship with God.
Today, may God touch our hearts in knowing victory is ours….through Jesus Christ our Lord. Eternal life is a free and gracious gift from God.
John says so beautifully: GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON , JESUS THE LIVING CHRIST, THAT EVERYONE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM MAY NOT PERISH BUT MAY HAVE ETERNAL LIFE .
No comments:
Post a Comment