”For the creation was subjected to vanity, futility and frustration. not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation will be set free from its slavery to corruption and death” (Rom 8:20,21 paraphrased)He lay in a hospital bed, shut off from those whom he loved. His wife and daughter were just a few feet away, however, they might just as well have been a world away. He could not speak to them, nor could he hear them.
For ninety years, this man had prided himself, in his battle to stay alive. He had fought and survived three wars, although he suffered the lingering health effects that such wars bring. Still furthermore, he had overcome these war wounds with medicines and operations. The victor was still ticking, while lesser men of his generation had gone by way of the grave. On this day however, this proud old warrior would meet his Waterloo.
The old man in bed mumbled with incoherence and listened with out perception. Angst, born of frustration covered his strained face. The proud warrior would turn his attention from his tearful family and he would pick up his limp left arm with his right hand and the look of angst would turn to horror. The left side of his body was paralyzed, as was also part of his brain. The death stroke had done that which no war had been able. The frustrated old man, with the view of his lifeless arm was coming to the realization he was all but dead. The Commander was caught in the edge of the inescapable eddy, where life mixes with death and the quality of one’s living would measure the quality of one’s dying . No amount of conjured up will over matter would serve death’s angry victim any longer. The tried and tested Naval Officer had no choice but vacate the sinking ship, of his dieing body. His fearful angst would soon be over as God’s heavenly beckon would be heeded, as it is with all dieing men.
Sometimes I cry when I think of my Dad, just a few months ago suffering in this way, However after my cry, there is joy found as I realize my father’s sojourn is over and his soul enjoys the rest of Heaven's home port.
I shared this sad and horrific story of my Father’s demise, that you might understand something of why the experience of physical death prods me. I am confronted with a desire to know more of God’s purpose in using the frustration of corruption in His great plan and purpose for man. As it would be, I myself, must awaken each day, with the realization this could be my last day on earth because of the mortal disease in my body. The subject of mortality is close at hand, however unlike my suffering Father, I am at peace, as to whether I live or die. Hand in hand with my peace, I have long lost the illusion of my will over any matter. So enjoyable is my current peace, I have not even the beginnings of a bucket list. In my heart there is not one wishful “to do before I die.” This in turn, brings me to the subject of today’s blog, where we will explore the subject of corruption in the matter of man, which is the matter of earth. This subject broached, will hopefully show us physical death was universal, even before there was an Adam. We will try to at least free Adam, the earliest member of our family, from the title of “the bearer of death.” When I speak of this "death", I address the physical version.
God formed man out of the earth. He then took this earthen form, made of the corruptible substance of the world and God breathed the pure breath of His very life into it. With my use of the word “corruption” and its derivatives please don’t mistake me as an old Gnostic, who believes the entire material world is evil. Far from it, the world with its corruption and disorder, when viewed with His purpose in mind is indeed full of His glory and to even be enjoyed. So with task at hand, I must now propose that Adam, the first man had death and corruption already working in him, even before he would eat of the cursed tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Death and the propensity to sin was already in Adam’s form.
I must also remark, that it is of late, I found out once again the organized church had failed me, and most likely you also, by teaching us falsely concerning. “the fall of Adam, which they say, brought the fall of the world.” The truth is, the first man was already fallen by his substantive nature, and he could only manifest into action his fallen nature. Simply put, Adam was made for such action. As I like to say, regarding the church’s faulty suppositions, “if the church teaches it, you can bet it is wrong.” There is but one reason to teach such wrong things and that being, there is a lying spirit within us and a false reality in the world, that ever entices us to seek lasting comfort in the temporal chaos and corruption of the material realm. The modern “Prosperity Gospel” and the old “Protestant Ethic” are built upon this very false reality and fed by the aforementioned lying spirit. Instead of living the lie, may we each come to realize, we are but sojourners, having left our first estate to realize through an earthly human experience the measure and increase of God’s Love.
In our human sojourn, physical death is but the shadow of our greater death, which is spiritual. Yet, through the enticing lure of the world, we are apt to focus on the physical rather than the spiritual. So it is, man has embraced the erroneous and traditional teaching of the fall of Adam. It seems, the enemy of our soul would like us to believe our natural physical death is the great penalty for sin’s action, when in reality it is spiritual death. The hidden secret is that disorder and death was already within the very nature of the world, and likewise in man, who was made from the very substance of the world. God saw in His omniscient wisdom that with His clean breath would come forth the inkling of His nature of which is immortal. So it is, God's pure spirit within the corruptible form of man supports the greatest of tensions. It is the unbearable itch that begs a bloody scratching. The immortal life of the Spirit is set within the being of the natural man that marches to the mortal song of the cosmos. The mortal man is made to seek immortality which only God possesses. Man must reach and he does so toward the appointed tree. With his reach Adam becomes astutely aware of his corrupt nature. "Grab anything to cover up!", He thinks and in a rush a few fig leaves are reached for. On and on man will reach, only to be thwarted in his desire to be saved from his wretched condition and cursed fate. The great Truth is man’s salvation is top down and comes not by man reaching but by God stooping. Oh, how many of us have learned this and we learn even a bit more with each passing day. To look upon the pitiful face and marred visage of Jesus is to know the stooping love of God. To know God coming as a Servant and coming as a Man to bear all of the sin and corruption in you and in me is to hear our souls primal cry, “HOW GREAT A LOVE, WHO CAN EVER MEASURE SUCH WONDER !”
In the past weeks I have attempted a number of times to free Adam from unwarranted blame with regard to “physical death.” I have written some lengthy messages and even posted one on SONSHINE for a day or two before removing it. Hopefully by sharing a small portion at a time, I can sufficiently convey why “physical death” is not to be feared. With this, I hope also to show, how life in every form is to be cherished and even enjoyed. Maybe we will then be able to read these words of Paul and realize this is, NORMAL CHRISTIAN LIVING.
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I live in the flesh, this is the fruit of my labour: yet what I shall choose I wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better: Nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. And having this confidence, I know that I shall abide and continue with you all for your furtherance and joy of faith. That your rejoicing may be more abundant in Jesus Christ for me by my coming to you again.
Paul in his epistle to the Philippians
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