The Wicket Gate

Good Morning, we continue our series this week in chapter nine, titled “Your Better Life Now” (103-112). The chapter covers Ecclesiastes 7:1-12, which can be described as an overload of wise sayings, revealing what is good and “showing the way of wisdom”(104) according to the Teacher. 

“A good name is better than a good ointment, And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth. It is better to go to a house of mourning Than to go to a house of feasting, Because that is the end of every man, And the living takes it to heart.” Ecclesiastes 7:1-2

I’ll start with a confession- I stay away from funerals as best I can. It is a terrible confession, and I am striving to mature as I grow older, but there is something about funerals! Don’t lose me here- funerals don’t scare me, it’s something else I just can’t explain. It is shameful, but I know I am not alone, brothers pray for me to mature! “It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting” (Ecc. 7:2), there is much truth here, “the living will lay it to heart” There is nothing more humbling than seeing the body of someone you knew and interacted with lifeless. It pricks the heart; it calls into question all of what you have done and what you plan to do. Seeing someone else run out of time puts a live ticker in your brain, our fleeting breath becomes visible in the darkness of loss. 

“Many plans are in a man’s heart, But the counsel of the LORD will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

Not to make excuses, but I believe the reason for my avoidance of funerals is all the memories that flood back, and there is no going back, only forward, following each other into death. Praise God we have hope in Jesus. Our time spent at a funeral activates all of our senses dulled by the repetitious nature of life, it shocks us out of the cycle like a hamster shot out of its exercise wheel. 

Funerals are at times a tool of God to bring about new birth, the Spirit working to give some of the survivors a new nature and from that nature a desire to identify with Christ and live for Him. Preaching Christ crucified and resurrected at funerals is of paramount importance. Those who have not been in a church in some time or in shock caused by the death of a loved one need to hear truth preached, grace from the Spirit calling the believer to repentance and the non-believer into a new nature. 

I want to squeeze in this post the proper attitude by Christians in the funeral home situation, or in general when faced with one’s mortality. The proper attitude in my opinion is found in the Heidelberg Catechism (1563).

“Q: What is your only comfort in life and in death? A: That I am not my own, but belong- body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ. He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation. Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.” Heidelberg Catechism- Question 1

Answer one interprets biblical truth, inspires confidence in Christ, assures us of God’s sovereignty and His ability to see us through. I would encourage you to memorize that answer as many Christians have over the last 460 years. Use this answer daily, not just when faced with uncertainty or loss.

  “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith” Philippians 1:21-25

Verse two also brings to mind A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, when Scrooge has his moment with the ghost of Christmas yet to come. Earlier in the novel, Scrooge was filled with regret during his time with the ghost of Christmas past, and mixed joy and bitterness with the ghost of Christmas present. The two earlier ghosts made an impression on Scrooge, but the ghost of yet to come scared Scrooge straight. He saw his grave, he heard what others thought of him, and he desired more time to change and make it right. Dwelling on death, seeing the grave, seeing the end generates intense feelings of fear and anxiety. The grave is ferocious empty blackness for those outside of Christ.

Remember the parable of the covetous man in Luke 12?  “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared? So is the man who stores up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” So the question is- are you ready? Are you washed in the blood of the lamb?  If we desire to be prepared, we must be rich toward God in life, active obedience of faith- fully trusting in his grace. Reflection in the funeral home is far better for your soul than to be oblivious to your condition with God, full of anxiety and fear at a party on the hamster wheel. 

 “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” Acts 3:19  

Now let’s take time to look at a couple of the other sayings of the teacher in this week’s text. In verse five, “If we are to live the good life, we need to be wise enough to receive rebukes from the wise” (107).  As we grow in Christ we must be prepared for conviction from the pulpit and from our Christian friends.  Those who are wise in their own opinion (Prov. 3:7; Rom. 12:16) must remember their lowly position, have humility with regards to the knowledge of God which has been given by God. Hang with the wise, sometimes take rebukes and criticism and mature in Christ, this path is better than hanging with the fools, feeling wise and untouchable, and never moving on to the meat (Heb. 5:14). 

Verses five and eight address patience in the process and avoiding anger. Better is the end of a thing than its beginning! A chicken farmer relates! When we begin separating chickens next month, we will sperate about 3,000 chickens a day by breed and sex. After separation we place the chickens in pens where they will live and lay eggs. The end of this process is so satisfying, but the beginning is daunting, we are going to pick up 3,000 chickens one at a time, haul them around, count and write down numbers for records. The process takes patience, knowing and accepting it will take all day, there is no speeding up, only patient endurance. Another example is the cleaning of chicken houses by hand, shovel after shovel after shovel, until one day a week later the last shovel is out. Both examples are exhausting and rewarding, shutting the mind down and just working until the last chicken or shovel of manure is in its place. Perseverance learned by hard work; perseverance only possible with the physical and mental strength that God supplies. 

Then verse eight- anger is foolishness and has has no part in the productive Christian life. Anger as a driving force is disordered, anger as a mode of operation is counterproductive and does not bring those under your influence to the knowledge of God. Anger stemming from lack of patience will not get the project done faster (ok-maybe in some cases it is faster) but those operating with you will most certainly seek not to be involved with you again. “Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19). Going “Hulk” is Hebel, Christians should be the light, speaking the truth in love, patiently enduring in all we do. Control anger, trust the process. 

The summation of Don’t Waste Your Breath chapter nine looks to to Rigney’s Strangely Bright. To quote Rigney in Borgman’s book, “The things of earth grow strangely bright in the light of His glory and grace” (111). I encourage you to read “The Things of Earth” and “Strangely Bright,” both are proper machinery for launching you into biblical study of Christian joy on earth.  The worry and anxiety grow dim and the beauty of this world becomes brighter as we focus on the Giver. Our days are numbered by God, the hairs on our head are numbered by God, He exercises complete sovereign control over his creation- and that includes us. Reminds me of the hymn Living By Faith.

“I care not today what the morrow may bring, If shadow or sunshine or rain,

The Lord I know ruleth o’er everything, And all of my worries are vain.

Living by faith in Jesus above, Trusting, confiding in His great love;

From all harm safe in His sheltering arm, I’m living by faith and feel no alarm.”      Living By Faith by James Wells, R. E. Winsett

Borgman also utilizes Keith and Kristyn Getty’s hymn “In Christ Alone” to illustrate a proper stance in the face of death or terror.  Jesus has defeated death, so we can fearlessly live by Faith, resting on Christ  and what he has done, not of ourselves. “Jesus commands our destiny” (111), there are no words more comforting, He has done all the work without our aid, He has drawn us to Himself and rightly ordered our nature without our help, he will see us through by his power and might- giving us the strength we need to continue in faith and endure to the end. “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-40).

I encourage you to read all of Romans 8, a chapter that begins with no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus and ends with nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. Be found in Him! The sorrow of this world, the unfairness, sickness, and poverty will pass away. This world will be restored and made new!  

If you have questions or wish to know more about Crossroads Bible Church, please email Pastor Cody, Pastor David or myself. We are always open to questions, if this material by the Spirit creates a desire within you to learn about Jesus don’t delay, email or call today! We pray this blog will be a source of God’s grace to those who already live by faith in Christ, and a means by which the Spirit brings about new birth in those who have not come to know Christ yet. 

“Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men, but we are made manifest to God; and I hope that we are made manifest also in your consciences. We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf…. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”   2 Corinthians 5:11-15, 20-21