The living feel comfortable among the living

Mikuláš Török, 4.11.2007

Psalm 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

Matthew 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

Matthew 8:21-22 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

1Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

Romans 6:1-23 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ... 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ... 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord... 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

(King James Version)

David says he is confident of seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

He also proclaims that it is a source of his great power (Ps 27:13). It is evident he means this earth-life and clearly gives us reassurance that we will be established there by the Lord.

There is also another level though. The one Jesus speaks about when telling one of his followers to let the dead bury their own dead. (Matt 8:21-22). He obviously means the people who are dead in their transgressions and sins.(Eph 2:1). The God speaks about Himself being the God of the living (Matt 22:32).

The first level instructs us not to look for God among the dead, in the graveyards and in the places filled with remnants of the dead. The God, being simply the God of the living, cannot be found in the places where on hand it is spoken about Him and in His name, but on the other the dead are also involved there.

Of course that an absolutely different topic is a matter of regards to those who are not among us anymore, but looking for God in such a way just distracts people.

The second level is at least of the same importance. It deals with the fact regarding who really is living not only biologically, but in accordance with the God´s eternal life.Apostel Paul states that quite clearly proclaiming that we were made alive in Christ even when we were dead (Eph 2:1).Although we lived on this Earth, we were not the living the God speaks about saying: “I am the God of the living“.Peter also says we were given new birth through the ressurection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Pet 1:3).The only living are those who are cleansed from the sin through the confession of Jesus Christ.Jesus declares about Himself: “I am the bread of life“ (John 6:35). Apostel Peter says we have been born again of imperishable seed, through the living word of God (1 Pet 1.23).And how do we know we belong among the living? Above all by the fact we confessed Jesus Christ by our faith in Him. He is the life (John 11:25), He is the bread of life (John 6:35).The life must also prove itself and such a proof is the fact the living long to be among the living. It means not just the natural need of spending your time anywhere except the places ,where the dead have been buried, but also the need of being among the spiritually living, those who have been born again, and not only ocassionally at the Church meetings, but also in the deeper fellowship. Another feature of the fact we belong among the living is recoiling from the cause of death, which is sin of course. The world of sin and desires must be hateful to us.The attitude towards sin is a simple and perfect mirror for those who have raised a question concerning the category they belong to. Among the dead or among the living? Apostel Paul speaks about this in Romans 6. The Gate into the world of the living: the God in His goodness gives the basic rate of blessing to all people. He says about some people that even being alive they are already dead and their departure from the natural life means their arrival into the places described in the Scripcturesas a firelake, the place of perdition. The reason He says this is to let those who long for life and do not have it yet know, that the only real life is the life they have all been summoned into, the life in the world of the God of the living.Therefore He built the Gate into this world – Jesus Christ, the One who through the Gospel transfers everybody who asks Him and who also repents from the death into the life.


Home page New Life Church Tenets of our faith Testimonies Goodwill Services schedule Contact us	The living feel comfortable among the living Mikuláš Török, 4.11.2007 Psalm 27:13 I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Matthew 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Matthew 8:21-22 And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead. Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; 1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. 1Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Romans 6:1-23 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? 2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? ... 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: ... 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord... 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: (King James Version) David says he is confident of seeing the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. He also proclaims that it is a source of his great power (Ps 27:13). It is evident he means this earth-life and clearly gives us reassurance that we will be established there by the Lord. There is also another level though. The one Jesus speaks about when telling one of his followers to let the dead bury their own dead. (Matt 8:21-22). He obviously means the people who are dead in their transgressions and sins.(Eph 2:1). The God speaks about Himself being the God of the living (Matt 22:32). The first level instructs us not to look for God among the dead, in the graveyards and in the places filled with remnants of the dead. The God, being simply the God of the living, cannot be found in the places where on hand it is spoken about Him and in His name, but on the other the dead are also involved there. Of course that an absolutely different topic is a matter of regards to those who are not among us anymore, but looking for God in such a way just distracts people. The second level is at least of the same importance. It deals with the fact regarding who really is living not only biologically, but in accordance with the God´s eternal life.Apostel Paul states that quite clearly proclaiming that we were made alive in Christ even when we were dead (Eph 2:1).Although we lived on this Earth, we were not the living the God speaks about saying: “I am the God of the living“.Peter also says we were given new birth through the ressurection of Jesus Christ from the dead. (1 Pet 1:3).The only living are those who are cleansed from the sin through the confession of Jesus Christ.Jesus declares about Himself: “I am the bread of life“ (John 6:35). Apostel Peter says we have been born again of imperishable seed, through the living word of God (1 Pet 1.23).And how do we know we belong among the living? Above all by the fact we confessed Jesus Christ by our faith in Him. He is the life (John 11:25), He is the bread of life (John 6:35).The life must also prove itself and such a proof is the fact the living long to be among the living. It means not just the natural need of spending your time anywhere except the places ,where the dead have been buried, but also the need of being among the spiritually living, those who have been born again, and not only ocassionally at the Church meetings, but also in the deeper fellowship. Another feature of the fact we belong among the living is recoiling from the cause of death, which is sin of course. The world of sin and desires must be hateful to us.The attitude towards sin is a simple and perfect mirror for those who have raised a question concerning the category they belong to. Among the dead or among the living? Apostel Paul speaks about this in Romans 6. The Gate into the world of the living: the God in His goodness gives the basic rate of blessing to all people. He says about some people that even being alive they are already dead and their departure from the natural life means their arrival into the places described in the Scripcturesas a firelake, the place of perdition. The reason He says this is to let those who long for life and do not have it yet know, that the only real life is the life they have all been summoned into, the life in the world of the God of the living.Therefore He built the Gate into this world – Jesus Christ, the One who through the Gospel transfers everybody who asks Him and who also repents from the death into the life.	Newsletter subscription If you want to receive regular newsletters, please fill your e-mail address into the following field. You can unsubscribe at any time. Your e-mail address:
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