Christians around the world recently celebrated Easter, the
time in the church year when we remember in a special way that Christ is risen
from the dead. Sadly, though the resurrection of Christ is widely believed in
evangelical Protestant circles, the biblical implications of this belief are
often missed. Here John Stott comes to our aid in two quotes:
“The Christian hope is not the immortality of the soul (a
shadowy, disembodied existence), but the resurrection of the body (a perfect
instrument for the expression of our new life).” [John Stott]
“Paul teaches in Romans 8 that creation will be ‘liberated
from its bondage to decay’ (verse 21b). ‘Phthora’ (decay) seems to denote not
only that the universe is running down (as we would say), but that nature is
also enslaved, locked into an unending cycle, so that conception, birth and
growth are relentlessly followed by decline, decay, death and decomposition. In
addition, where may be a passing reference to predation and pain, especially
the latter which is mentioned in the next verse. So futility, bondage, decay
and pain are the words the apostle uses to indicate that creation is out of
joint because under judgment. It still works, for the mechanisms of nature are
fine-tuned and delicately balanced. And much of it is breathtakingly beautiful,
revealing the Creator’s hand. But it is also in bondage to disintegration and
frustration. In the end, however, it will be ‘freed from the shackles of
mortality’ (REB), ‘rescued from the tyranny of change and decay’ (JBP) ... The
creation’s subjection to frustration was ‘in hope’ (20). The bondage to decay
will give place to the freedom of glory (21). The pains of labour will be followed
by the joys of birth (22). There is therefore going to be both continuity and
discontinuity in the regeneration of the world, as in the resurrection of the
body. The universe is not going to be destroyed, but rather liberated,
transformed and suffused with the glory of God.” [John Stott]
If Christians believed these things and acted upon them, living
as if they truly believed them to be true, the faith would look very different
to a watching world.
[Both these gems from Stott’s published work came to me as “Daily
Thought” via email from Langham Partnership, which you can visit here.]
This entry was posted
at Friday, April 09, 2010
and is filed under
Christian faith,
John Stott,
Resurrection
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