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Growing Old In Grace "I don't intend to grow old! I intend to fight it every step of the way!" Those are the opening lines of a beautiful young woman, advertising a "beauty cream". The advertisers say their product will help maintain a youthful look as one grows older. Now, there is nothing wrong with a woman using moisturizing cream, and no doubt it could be very helpful. But we see here, as well as throughout our society, an underlying attitude toward growing old that is most disturbing. It is a negative one. The common message today is that being "old" is undesirable and is to be dreaded and avoided. This message and its resulting behavior is all around us. One famous singer, it is reported, has had numerous plastic surgery procedures done on his face to help him look more "youthful". He also reportedly has an apparatus that supposedly halts the aging process. The message is, 'Stay in tip-top shape, do anything to maintain your youthful appearance so you will stay younger longer and add years to your life." Now again, there is nothing wrong with looking your best and keeping fit. A person may even live longer. But it is the writer's belief that many people, maybe the majority, that get caught up in this "look young and stay fit" craze might be trying to forget the fact that they will certainly die one day. But the fact is, we are going to die. Now everybody knows they are going to die, but most people ignore this fact, and this is very dangerous. The bottom line is that man is trying to fight death. He is trying to avoid it at all costs. He fears it and what's beyond it. Now of course this is not to say that men should live recklessly and invite death, but the fact of the matter is that death is inevitable. The Creator of the universe has stated so in His Word. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement," (Hebrews 9:27). Man fears and hates death because he is a sinner and has been separated from fellowship with God. He knows that one-day he will stand before God to receive his sentence of condemnation. God has said, "For the wages of sin is death;" (Romans 6:23). But that is not the whole verse: there is more. And the rest of the verse is glorious! It is good news for man! "...but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Man does not have to fear growing old. He does not have to fear death. He does not have to fear the wrath of God. God poured out His wrath upon His own Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, for our sake on the cross. "In whom [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace," (Ephesians 1:7). That is what Jesus accomplished for us. The reason God did this for us is stated in Ephesians 2:4-7, "But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus." And the amazing thing about this is that this was a mystery hid in God. The Old Testament only prophesied of Jesus coming to die and be buried, resurrected and ascended to heaven. Then He would come back to establish a Jewish kingdom for the nation of Israel. These were strictly Jewish related prophecies. It is not that the Gentiles had no place in God's kingdom, for they could partake, but it had to be through Israel. Now Jesus did come, He did die, was buried, resurrected and ascended to heaven, but He has not yet returned to establish the Jewish kingdom. Israel rejected the Messiah and His kingdom. But God in His foreknowledge had planned from the very beginning this present "Dispensation of the Grace of God". It is a glorious message revealed through Paul, the Apostle. God wants to reconcile us to Himself because He loves us. This is truly great news. The best news mankind could ever know. Man does not have to fear and shun the idea of growing old. "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved and thy house,' (Acts 16:31). by Matthew Coyle |
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