This life — this prison of fallen existence — is not precious. It’s consumable, disposable. What truly matters is the Father’s glory and death is our friend. There is no sting in death because it’s our final victory over our sinful natures. What follows is indescribable, but the parabolic language has the obvious meaning that we’ll be in the Presence of the Lord as a family member to face eternity in what Jesus on the Cross called “paradise.”
It’s not that we serve our time, but that we serve our purpose. Sure, it’s possible to fail so badly He decides to bring you home early to prevent further damage to His plans. It doesn’t change where you end up, but you sure do miss out on a lot of blessings.
Endure, brothers and sisters. In 2 Corinthians 1 Paul warned his readers that if we plunge into a life spent in pursuit of His truth, it means tribulation. Worse, it’s tribulation that the blinded world does not experience. The more we strive to serve Him and endure sorrow, the worse it gets.
What kind of reward is that? It’s the reward of grasping that human sorrow is part of the blessing. You have to redefine what you expect and what you call “good.” Biblical Law is its own reward, and you stop seeing sorrow as a bad experience. Instead, you rejoice that you were found worthy to enter the mission of Christ.
