If we Live

“If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living.” Romans 14:8-9


To simplify our present conscious experience, we exist but for one purpose; to know God and to acknowledge our love for him. This is accomplished by a myriad of thoughts, emotions, and actions that when reduced to a simmer become our theologies and doctrines.

We all, by the grace of God through Jesus Christ, could have simply moved on from this world at the moment of our conversion and skipped happily into eternal heaven - yet for some reason we are still here, still breathing, still thinking, still consuming, still giving; our heart continues, our organs labor well, yet we know this physical life is not all there is; we know there is something more. The question then changes to why are we here, now?

For now, we are held in the palm of God’s own hand. We live at his pleasure and for his purpose. His will drives us forward. As creation we have no autonomy from the creator. Our next breath is by his command; not ours. Our next move in life, be it relational, vocational, or financial rests in the hands of the Almighty God.

We do have choice – free will – but with limits. For if God so desired, our last breath could arrive today, our last heartbeat of life giving blood could be moments away. We do not know our end, only that it will be a new beginning. When we transfer to the other side, I pray we do so gracefully and with Joy, but for today – we live.

Why?

“If we live, we live to the Lord.”

There is still something for us to do. The Author of Salvation has yet another use for us. Yes, us specifically. The Painter of skies, the Breather of stars, the Architect of nature, the Father of philosophy, the Comforter of the weary still has need of us within this world. He yields us as tools for his Glory and for his Honor. If there is breath within us, then the Lord has a purpose for us within this world.

As we enjoy the Love and Joy of salvation we must bring others into his Vine. We remain alive to scatter the seed of salvation for the design and plans of the Kingdom lie within our stewardship. We have but a few years to not only live as the salt of the earth, but also to act as the plowmen, as the sowers.

If we live, may we live to the Lord.