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When nothing matters anymore
by Jack Vorster SEVERED FROM IT ALL We all have to bear ever-increasing baggage accumulated during the course of our lives. It gets dumped once and for all when we die, for at that point our consciousness becomes totally severed from the concerns and emotional attachments of earthly life. In other words, in the life that follows death we are unaffected by the hurtful offences inflicted by others simply because our awareness is far removed from events on earth. And, of course, we can no longer commit sin of any kind. Now imagine if we could live our lives unaffected by what others have to say about us and if we could be free of the ravages of life and the temptations of sin as if we were dead. This would mean our lives would be filled with peace and we would possess a clear conscience, void of stress and with no ability to sin. This would make for a very healthy body and mind and plenty of energy to spare. GOODBYE BAGGAGE Just think of this. It is impossible, as a dead person, to be involved in anything here on earth. But, if we were killed and then revived, knowing that we were raised from the realm of the dead where we dumped all our baggage, making it possible to live our new lives in "death mode", then the conflicts in life should not affect us at all. Sound complicated? Okay, that was certainly a mouthful to merely convey the fact that dead people no longer live on earth and that nothing on earth matters to them anymore. (I'm beginning to get the picture myself.) If someone had to die FOR you, then for that person nothing would matter anymore on YOUR behalf, for it would be as good as dying yourself. And if that person arose from the dead, then it would be as if you arose from the dead yourself. In fact, your life would belong to that person for that person actually took your place in dying as well as in rising from death. You have no more say in the matter except to live in that person and for that person to live in you. And if that person chooses to live a new, fearless and care-free life, then you have a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the ride. Bear in mind that this new life would be free of worldly cares and sin. It all passed away when that person died in your place. Once again I want to ask, can a dead person be burdened with cares and sin? No, a dead person will have been freed from all of it and can no longer be a servant of it. Now this is important. While a person lives he is "free" from the need to live righteously, but when he dies he loses that status and becomes freed from unrighteousness provided he returns to life in order to take up righteous living, which means he will have become a servant of righteousness and the life that goes with it. The conflicts of life and the sin that caused it will have been left in the grave. FROM DEATH TO LIFE Fortunately for us, a person by the name of Jesus Christ did exactly that. He took our sin-riddled lives of conflict, sickness and pain upon Himself and died with it. Being without sin Himself, he was able to raise us, within Him, back to life. "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin." (Rom 6:6,7) We are now "as those that are alive from the dead," (Rom 6:13) and we became servants of the new life. "Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness." (Rom 618) And the fact that our lives now belong to the One who died for us is clearly illustrated by Paul when he states, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20) Freed from sin and death, we are now ONE with the life of the One who died for us and He now lives through us. We cannot die again "And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. (2Cor 5:15) We died. That's when nothing mattered anymore. And we now have a new life in this world of iniquity where we move and live within the Life and faith of the One who died for us. So, here's some very good advice, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;" (Col 3:23) - for nothing matters anymore. Now retired, Jack Vorster has a background in marketing in the field of newspaper advertising. As a result of a life-changing experience he turned his attention to the study of the human make-up and the realities connected to human behaviour based on the Word of God. Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |