Today we read about what a "LIFE SENTENCE" without parole means in terms of a prison sentence and in terms of life in general when we get an incurable problem. Read on to find out more about life sentences without parole.
Blessings,
Jan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Today's Devotional:
"LIFE SENTENCE"
by
Jan Andersen
When does a life sentence without parole end? If we are talking about a prison term, it ends when the person dies. That is what an Iowa man argued, when he died several times in the hospital but was resuscitated, against his will. He unsuccessfully argued in court that his sentence was completed when he briefly died in the hospital, and he therefore should be released from prison. The courts threw out the case, saying either he was currently alive and still needed to serve his sentence, or he was currently dead. There was no in-between.
We have a tendency to do this type of thing ourselves. We may try to work around the rules to get a better deal. Sometimes this is true when we get a diagnosis with something that is not able to be cured. At first there may be denial. We might look for every conceivable way to ignore it and live like it doesn’t exist. Perhaps we look for treatments that promise a cure, even though they go against common knowledge, or are deemed experimental or alternative and have no proof they work. This could apply to something like arthritis, cancer, or even addictions. But in reality, these things are life sentences - without parole. All we can do while alive is to learn to deal with them in the best way possible.
As Christians we have a deeper perspective. We know that Jesus died to save us from the debt of our sins and give us eternal life. But many still try to work their way into heaven by being a "good person" on earth. And if they do something terrible in their eyes, they don’t feel they can ever be forgiven, or they feel they have to constantly pay for what was done in the past. They may feel when they are suffering here on earth, that it is because of the bad things they have done, so they try to be good to resolve their suffering. But the truth is, we do good things while here on earth because we are thankful that Jesus has already paid the price for our ticket to heaven! Even those of us who know this sometimes have difficulty forgiving ourselves for past wrongs or forget that we don’t need to pay for our defective lives to earn God's favor. Satan loves to bring up memories of wrongs we've committed to make us feel guilty.
While on this earth as Christians we are constantly being renewed by the Spirit. The only real permanent “cure” for our terminal illnesses and sinfulness is to remain faithful believers in Christ to the end. Only then will we receive a perfect body in heaven without flaws or defects, without sicknesses, without tears and sadness. Jesus died in our place as payment for our sins in order that faithful believers might live forever with Him in heaven. Eternal life in heaven will be forever joy-filled. Our old earthly and imperfect bodies will die away and become a new creation without blemish. We will serve a life sentence of joy without parole!
2 Corinthians 5:4-5, 17 ESV For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened - not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee... Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Dear Father in heaven, help us to lean on you as we live in our mortal bodies on earth, and to remain faithful until we are able to join You in heaven eternally. Thank you for the promise of a “life sentence without parole” in heaven and the promise of making us a new creation in your Son, Jesus Christ, in whose name we pray. Amen.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Song:
NEW CREATION
Fellowship Church
Fellowship Church
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Prayers are lifted up daily for you by the Devotional Writers and the Monthly Writing Staff of Women's Focus Ministries
Blog writers:
Sandy Billingham, Karen Bennett,
Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,
Bre Miller, Lynda Kinnard, Amie Spruiell,
Debbie Rodriguez, Carol Steficek,
Jan Andersen and Corinne Mustafa
No comments:
Post a Comment