Resurrection Faith November 22, 2015

Read Romans 8:35-39

Romans 8:38-39      For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 6:23     For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 14:7     For none of us lives for ourselves alone, and none of us dies for ourselves alone.

1 Corinthians 3:22     whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future--all are yours,

1 Corinthians 15:24     Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.

Ephesians 1:21     far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come.

1 Peter 3:22     who has gone into heaven and is at God's right hand--with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

I could hear my son, Raham, sobbing in the next room. We were burying his grandfather Liberto that day. I couldn’t think of anything to say to ease his grief, perhaps because I was devastated myself. Dad had been suffering from major depression — hormonal imbalance, the doctor said. I could not accept that Dad had spent the last days of his life battling depression. He had devoted his life to working with indigenous tribes, sharing the gospel in word and deed. I could not help but ask, “Is this what faith gets you?”

Later as I embraced my son, I sensed God saying to me, “I know it seems your world has fallen out from under your feet. But in death as in life, your dad is mine. I hold him in my hand. I will never let him go, just as I have never let you go.”

At the funeral, I read these words: “Dying, Christ destroyed our death. Rising, Christ restored our life. Christ will come again in glory. As in baptism Liberto put on Christ, so in Christ may Liberto be clothed with glory.” Joy welled up in my heart through my tears. I knew Dad was alive and well in the bosom of God. My faith had been restored.