Lent 2021 - TURNING POINT

Tuesday, March 2nd

Death; Life, Colossians 3:1-5 - Written by Amy Tyler

 

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is,seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.  Colossians 3:1-5

 

The semicolon ( ; ) in today’s devotional title is a punctuation mystery for many.  The semicolon is used when the author could have ended asentence but chose not to.  In Christianity, Death never receives a period because it is not the end. 

In Colossians 3, Paul is writing to those saved by faith, encouraging them to live with an eternal perspective.  When you submit to Christ, you are setting your mind on “things above”, where Christ is.  If minds are fixed on Christ, then we are connected to heaven.  

My husband passed at age 48 from a rare form of Pancreatic Cancer.  Near the end of Randy’s life, we saw a transition in his perspective about death, and he began to frequently share, “I am not afraid of dying, I know where I’ll be.”  With the passing of time, I better understand he was setting his mind more and more on things above.  In the final moments of Randy’s earthly life, a dear friend and I prayed over him.  At the end of the prayer, a tear appeared in the corner of each of his eyes.  Randy passed seconds later.  I am certain these were tears of joy as Randy saw Christ, appearing with him in glory.  Death never receives a period because it is not the end.  Death; Life.

 

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