by Cathy Vinson

In our belief of life after death, we wonder if there is hopeful life offered on this earth after a seeming deathblow in our experiences. The stakes of a bitter heart are high in suffering, but the promise of a new life in God is also great.

In Jesus' experience, He conquered Death, Death being the last enemy to be conquered. In the same way, after we have endured a "deathblow," can we hope for a future of all lesser enemies? Scripture seems to bear this out....

Paul realized his commendation as a servant of Christ came with this type of suffering (2 Cor 6:3-10). "Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened...that we might rely on God, who raises the dead" (2 Cor 1:9). He ends this letter saying "we cannot do anything against the truth, but only FOR the truth." He also ends the letter to the Galatians with "Finally, let no man cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus" (6:17).

Peter furthers this thought of suffering serving as a type of Christ's crucifixion, "Therefore, since Christ suffered in His body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because He who suffered in the body is done with sin. As a result, he does not live the rest of his earthly life for evil human desires, but RATHER FOR the will of God" (1 Pet 4:1).

Gene Edwards concludes, "A crucified one has within his grasp the highest plane of Christian living - life beyond crucifixion. Jesus lives beyond. He lives beyond the worst that can happen. He lives beyond the worst that can happen because the VERY WORST happened to Him. He lives beyond death. Living in resurrection. That is the highest order of Christian living."

"Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened...that we might rely on God, who raises the dead"

(2 Cor 6:3-10)