One of the early scenes of John Bunyan’s classic allegory The Pilgrim’s Progress finds Christian in the house of the Interpreter, who shows his guest a roaring fire in a fireplace and a man attempting, unsuccessfully, to douse it with water. The fire, we learn, is God’s work of saving grace, and the would-be fireman is the Devil. The Interpreter then takes his guest behind the wall to see another man with a limitless supply of oil that he continually pumps into the blaze. “What means this?” Christian inquires.
The Interpreter answered, This is Christ, who continually, with the oil of his grace, maintains the work already begun in the heart; by the means of which, notwithstanding what the devil can do, the souls of his people prove gracious still. And in that thou sawest that the man stood behind the wall to maintain the fire; this is to teach thee, that it is hard for the tempted to see how this work of grace is maintained in the soul.
“For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”
The world killed Christ, stuffed the lifeless body in an empty tomb and for good measure sealed up the only escape route. But God’s glory working unseen fed unquenchable life from within as all unknown Jesus rose again. The final embers of an extinguished fire leapt to life and blew the doors off of death for good.
Paul personalizes the miracle of Easter when he hooks the church the same pipeline of the Spirit’s anointing oil. “You life is hidden with Christ in God” – the perfect tense Greek verb describes an action permanently performed. When the forward-look of life fronts foes too great to face, when the tsunami of sorrow threatens to swamp the flickering flame of salvation, when guilt at our own failure douses us with doubt, the unkillable, unconquerable, unfathomable life of our resurrected Lord burns bright despite it all.
And yet, “it is hard for the tempted to see how this work of grace is maintained in the soul.” We live facing forward toward a world where Christ’s resurrection has happened but Christ’s return is still on the way. In such a place it is good to remember that our victory rests backstage at Easter where the Spirit fuels the fire that will blaze for all eternity.
Secretly,
Doug
Benediction
God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, you place our lives with that of Our Lord where He sits at Your right hand. Grant that as we live looking toward Heaven our lives here on earth might be transformed, that the glory to be revealed one day may also be seen in us daily and may call others to Your Son Jesus, in whose name we pray, Amen.
Collect
May God make you to know that you are raised up with Christ,
That you might seek the things above.
May God make you to know that you have died with Christ,
That you might shun the things below.
May God make you to know that you will be glorified with Christ,
That you might seek His coming glory.
In the name of the Father,
And of the Son,
And of the Holy Spirit,
Amen.
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