GodReflection:
In a previous post I shared thoughts on heaven, earth, and the future. The reality we encounter when we read Jesus’ teachings bring us to face the demand for burial. Have you done your estate plan? That’s not the most optimistic way to begin today’s thoughts, is it? Stay with me.
There is an unquestionable finality to death. To bury a child, a parent, or a spouse makes the reality of death final. Not even a follower of Jesus expects resurrection of a loved one prior to the final blast of death-awakening trumpets.
Paul an apostle of Jesus pastes the powerful imagery of buried onto the word baptism. Buried for we human types marks the end of a relationship.
I read prior to Paul’s writings where the prophet John baptized people as confirmation of their repentance and as a symbol of forgiveness. Baptism washed away their sin. Like filth, their sin was cleaned away by the watery burial.
One day as the prophet John assisted others in baptism; Jesus approached and sought baptism as an act of obedience to God to show us how to end our relationship to sin. It is accomplished through burial. God smiled on the action of His son when he was buried in baptismal waters by the old desert preacher and raised to show us how to live life.
Following the ascension of Jesus, the story of the church unfolds throughout The Acts of the Apostles. In that story I read where all believers found cleansing in the blood of Jesus to wash away every sin and received the Holy Spirit; and that cleansing was found only through the act of a baptism burial.
After the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, Paul starts to use the analogy of death, burial, and resurrection to describe the act of baptism. When I gave my life to Jesus, I died to the past, buried my sins, and received resurrection by the Spirit to live in power and to look forward to the time when death is an antique. The apostle writes to Christ followers in Rome and Colossae:
We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. . . having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead (Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12).
Buried—buried with Jesus my sins remained in the grave. Old I—am I no more. How about that for finality?
I buried a powerless me and The Holy raised me with Spirit power. I buried sin and Jesus raised me to live in a state of constant cleansing by his blood. I buried an old self and Jesus raised me from the grave with to a NEW LIFE. (Sorry, but the sinner’s prayer shortcuts baptism and misses the imagery of burial, cleansing, resurrection, and omits the point in time of the receipt of the Holy Spirit—that prayer is one of repentance, not burial and resurrection.)
Words are not adequate to describe the gifts, blessings, and Holy Sustenance I receive from my first burial and resurrection. As an arisen believer in Jesus—buried is a word I use to guide my walk. It reminds me that I left the power of Satan’s control buried in the waters of baptism.
My first burial allows me to look forward with great expectation to my next burial from which I will rise to life eternal. I will live forever in the presence of God, Son, and Holy Spirit, with the most fantastic people I knew on earth. I walk in trust and with power from a past burial in anticipation of the next.
Just a closing thought. For the non-believer buried has no positive vibes. Names easily surface in our minds of people we know and love who have yet to see the need for their first burial. They know the second one is certain; but perhaps it seems so far into the future, that the need to plan lacks urgency.
I suspect the non-Jesus followers who are in our thoughts today don’t read this type of blog. Why don’t we join in urgent prayer, to raise specific names with consistency to Father, Son, and Spirit. Let’s ask The Holy to remove the fear of burial from their lives and plant desire in tender hearts to seek out burial with Jesus so that they may rise to accompany us on our walk of trust with Jesus. May we be the light of Jesus to them.
How about it? Will you add the names of those you love along with those I have in my heart and let’s together plead with The Holy on their behalf? They so need An Estate Plan—Two Burials Included.
Dr. Gary J. Sorrells
P.S. If you would like to send me the first name to Gary@GodReflectionBlog.com of a friend, spouse, or relative who yet needs to submit to the rule Jesus through baptismal burial, I would love to stand with you through prayer on their behalf.
A GodReflection on An Estate Plan—Two Burials Included.
God Reflection 
Beautiful, dear Gary. Than you again for sharing your thoughts and challenges.
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