The King's Church in Ilford
The following is the text of the talk given on 4th July 2010 by Dave Sansum
"New Life, Eternal Hope"
Paul – Living with an eternal hope
Today we have seen Georgina, Sarah and Alfie get baptised. I’d like to take this opportunity to look at what this means in their lives.
Paul, one of the leaders of the early church converted from Judaism and someone who persecuted Christians after an encounter with Jesus Christ. He was baptised and lived a new life in pursuit of Christ’s purposes and in the hope of eternal life. He said this about baptism:
Romans 6 3Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. 5For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,
So then, when a person is baptised a new life begins. We talk of being born again. This new life is lived for Christ and has an eternal focus. We can see this in the life of Paul.
Paul gets to the heart of the hope of the gospel
Acts 23: 6…It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial."
The gospel isn’t primarily about getting a happier, more purposeful and more comfortable life. Our hope is actually that we will die…and really live. So Paul’s hope is not to do with things in this life which pass away. He’s not after getting rich, being popular or winning medals for their own sake. He wants to invest his life in something that lasts forever, an imperishable wreath.
A new perspective
1 Timothy 4: 7…Rather train yourself for godliness; 8for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
1 Corinthians 9: 25Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
Now that Paul is living in the hope of eternal life, this life, though it is still of some value has next to no value compared to eternity. Physical health and achievement in this life have temporary value and Paul doesn’t knock these things, but living for God has eternal value. This is how we are to view life. This life is passing away, and will be gone in the blink of an eye when compared to eternity. What really matters then is how what we do on earth invests in the life to come. We train ourselves for godliness in this life, and hope (know, not wish) that we will receive an eternal reward.
When Paul encountered Jesus Christ his perspective on many things changed. Many things that he was once proud of now seemed to be of little worth. All his accomplishments paled into insignificance when compared to his relationship with Christ and the hope of eternal life in the glory of heaven.
A new perspective on life’s purpose
Acts 20: 18 "You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19 serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21 testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again.
Paul’s primary purpose in life is an eternal one. His concern is that he might proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ as fully as possible to as many as possible, even if this results in much hardship and ultimately being killed for his faith. We find it very easy to get caught up in the day to day. We think about work (whether at home, employment or study), leisure, relationships, but we must not lose sight of the big picture in life’s business. We are called to live responsibly, but there is more to life than washing up, balancing spreadsheets, writing essays and watching the football. We must keep one eye in eternity.
A new perspective on suffering
2 Corinthians 4: 17For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Paul speaks of light momentary affliction. This included being imprisoned, flogged, stoned and shipwrecked. Paul’s hope of eternal glory was such that all the pain and suffering he endured for Christ seemed no trouble at all when weighed up against all that he hoped to receive in heaven. I don’t want to make light of suffering. These things are often hard to endure. But knowing that there is a light at the end of the tunnel helps us to hold on. The Tour de France is on at the moment. Three weeks of hard cycling covering 4,000 kilometres and many hours of climbing horrendously steep mountains. Lance Armstrong (7 times champion) says this: ‘pain is temporary, quitting is forever’.
A new perspective on death
Philippians 1: 21For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.
2 Timothy 4: 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness,
What’s important to remember about the eternal life that we hope for, is that it is necessary to die in order to gain it. As long as we live we seek to invest in ‘fruitful labor’, to grow in Christ and help others to live in the hope of eternal life. But we do not live as if life’s goal was living as comfortably as possible for as long as possible. That is how the world lives. We hope that we will die and gain a better life. Death holds no fear for those who hope in Christ.
In the movie ‘Kingdom of heaven’ Orlando Bloom’s character is trying to dissuade his friend from going into a particular battle in the crusades. He says ‘if you go you are certain to die’, his friend replies ‘death is always certain’. And so it is, mortality rates are 100%. We know for sure that something is going to kill us. But for the Christian that holds no fear, because we are also certain that we will live forever with Christ.
So for us ‘to live is Christ, and to die is gain’.
