Death to Life – The Love of God in Christ Jesus by Shane Sands

There is a saying, “the higher you go up the flag pole, the more your rear end shows”. Many will equate this to a person climbing the ladder of life and career and not being afraid to make the tough decisions which might bring about negative consequences.  While that can be an interpretation, what I think is more applicable is how this relates to sin, more pointedly to CHRIST JESUS and HIS glorious sacrifice. Death to life, the love of GOD in CHRIST JESUS.

Every so often I go on YouTube and just surf around to see what is showing up on my feed.  There are those animal videos which make you smile with the sound of “Awww” coming from your lips.  There are the other ones which show the traumatic side of animal life/death especially in the wild.  The last two weeks, my mind has had the ending of one of these videos repeating in my head.  It is this particular video which the LORD used to have me think, reflect and mediate about and apply to HIS Word.

Here it was, in the wild, a mother Giraffe has just given birth to her new baby.  A short time later, lions attack and are successful in separating the baby from the mother and apparently ending the life of the baby.  But, that was not the case.  This baby had managed to take two bites to its throat and still get up and get away.  This baby then went through four days of no food or other nourishment.  Finally, you see the baby giraffe in a body of water when the look on its face…the look in its eyes, show its pain and its suffering was finally beyond what it could take.  There is even a fear displayed, a deep sadness I cannot explain.  The baby falls backward into the water, submerges and never comes up.  This baby came into the world and suffered, its only life was one of suffering.  Even now, as I think about that video and the way that animal looked at its end brings me nearly to tears.  Why could not the lions have just ended the animals life?  Why could not the bites to its throat have crushed its wind pipe and let the suffering end?  Why did it have to go on for four days – a baby doomed to die, it was just a matter of time?  Why has the LORD allowed me to be so affected by this part of the wild, with this one particular giraffe?

Then my mind was directed by the SPIRIT and remembered something from Scripture:

14 “However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.”
15 So Nathan went to his house. Then the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick.
16 David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.
17 The elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them.
18 Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died…
(2 Samuel 12:14–18)

Then as I thought about this Scripture another text came to my mind:

15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it.
16 The LORD God commanded the man, saying, “From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;
17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
(Genesis 2:15–17)

Then it began to come clearly into my mind.  I was receiving instruction and for the first time beginning to see the hope behind the horror of the suffering baby giraffe.  What astonished me was the LORD did not remove the deep sadness and empathy I had for the baby giraffe – I was and am grateful to the LORD JESUS for it.

You see, the higher you go up the flag pole, the more you pursue your selfish dreams and have a greater sphere of influence the more your sin will effect others around you.  Quite often the consequences of my/your/our sin will have devastating, if not catastrophic outcomes on our own person, more importantly, on those whom are in your sphere of influence.  When you are by yourself and have a limited number of people in your life your sin still has drastic consequences and even infects those few in your life.  As iron sharpens iron so does one man sharpen another.  The people you are around influence you and you them.  If you were the head of a small company, as the leader of that company you would have a direct influence on many areas of the employees lives you employee.

Lets now examine, David, a man after GOD’S own heart.  This is the one whom GOD found and chose.  It was David from whom the line of the Messiah come forth.  It was this David who brought the king and the priesthood back to one city, Jerusalem.  David is the very one who had the plans and began storing up material for the temple to be built.  How could we forget it was this David who defeated Goliath with a sling and stone.  David was a mighty man of GOD, he is a legend throughout GOD’S Word.  However, David was also a man who caused so much death, destruction, heartache, pain and suffering.  Because of one sin David brought about the death of 72,000 people!  But look at the Scripture above.  Look at what one sin of David led too!  First, he was not where he was supposed to be, out to fight with the armies of Israel.  Next, he looked upon the nakedness of another man’s wife, Bathsheba.  Next, he had her summoned to the palace and then slept with her.  Next, she became pregnant and informed King David.  Then, in an attempt to cover it up, David attempted to have her husband, Uriah, get drunk and sleep with her.  When that did not work, he had Uriah murdered.  Now, look closely at what is said.  GOD said, “because by this deed you have given the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child born to you shall surely die.”  It is bad enough that David caused adultery, murder and sowed sin in the army.  This act gave rise to the enemies of GOD to blaspheme.  The judgement which came as a result of this, was the death of the child born in adultery.  But, pay even closer attention.  GOD is the one who inflicted the sickness that lasted seven days before the child died.  The child did not die right away.  David’s sin caused the suffering of a baby child.  This child, like the baby giraffe, was born and its life was only of suffering.

Now, lets go all the way back to the beginning to Adam.  Adam was created in the image of GOD.  Adam was placed on the earth to be the representative of GOD.  Adam was the person in charge of the entire earth.  GOD only issued Adam on negative command – don’t eat of the tree of good and evil or you will die.  GOD made woman from man and Adam was the head of her. Adam had charge to teach her the command of GOD and to care for her.  Instead of obeying GOD’S Word, Adam added to GOD’S Word which led to Eve being deceived.  Not only was she being deceived by the devil,  Adam stood there, did not protect her, and even listened to her and ate of the forbidden fruit.  Because of Adams position, in the world, at that time.  He was the representative of GOD and all mankind; his sin brought about death and destruction to all mankind and creation!  Trace it back and all the pain, suffering, sin, death, destruction, and hopelessness come from one man – Adam.  That baby giraffe suffered because Adam did not obey GOD!

Hopefully, at this point, everyone who reads this should be in a place thinking about the harm to themselves and others their sin has caused!  But, the world, like Adam, wants to blame GOD for their sin!

The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”
(Genesis 3:12)

If GOD had not given Adam the woman, (the very good blessing he needed!), he would not have sinned.  GOD it’s YOUR fault!

3 The foolishness of man ruins his way,
And his heart rages against the LORD.
(Proverbs 19:3)

But, from the very beginning GOD had a plan to work through the very suffering and death which sin brought about and through HIS SON JESUS, whom HE sent, to make all things new.

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned
(Romans 5:12)

24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
(1 Peter 2:24–25)

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea.
2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband.
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them,
4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.”
5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
6 Then He said to me, “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost.
7 “He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son.
(Revelation 21:1–7)

What shines brighter than all the darkness of sin and death is, JESUS CHRIST the LORD, the SON of GOD, whom the FATHER sent to make a way where there was none!  When we see the effects of sin as they are and realize that very same condition is in us – each of us – we can understand what a blessing of GOD it is.  Because, once we know how vile and repugnant sin is to GOD, and all the pain, destruction and death it causes,  we then can look to GOD, who is love and see what HE has done and is doing in and through HIS SON JESUS.  You can cry out for HIM to save you from your sin and HIS wrath and be made new…a new creation in CHRIST JESUS and for CHRIST JESUS!  GOD is not an evil GOD!  GOD is holy and MUST punish sin regardless of intent.  GOD is good and must remove sin because of the death it brings!  GOD is love and did not leave us hopeless, but sent HIS Son to do for us what we could not do for ourselves.  JESUS lived the life we could not – sinless.  HE died the death we deserve!  The third day, after being placed in a tomb – GOD raised HIM from the dead!  The sacrifice and penalty for sin was paid – the innocent for the guilty!  The acceptance of that sacrifice and validation of GOD’S Word was accomplished by the resurrection.  Now, on the basis of JESUS’ life, rising from the dead we have the guarantee of forgiveness and life if we come to the FATHER, by faith, through JESUS.  The old things passed away – behold new things have come!  JESUS the beautiful, majestic, KING of GLORY – worthy is HE!  If you do not know JESUS as LORD and SAVIOR come today while you still have time!  Tomorrow is not guaranteed!

8 But what does it say? “THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching,
9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved;
10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
(Romans 10:8–10)

Shane Sands is the founder and president of United In Christ Jesus, a gospel evangelism missions ministry which began in 2010.  Shane is husband to Holly, his godly wife (he defiantly married up).  They both live in South Carolina at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, along with their ever idiotic cat, Mister Bojangles. Shane has been blessed to travel to numerous countries and states, along with his wife, to preach the glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.