Death (and Life)

In response to my fellow Brother in Christ, I thought to post my own treatise on death. I am posting a quote from an old blog of mine. But I believe Martinus brought up a very good point the which I should touch on. Again, I would be one who advocates that death really is essential to the Christian faith. I here expound,

Death ought to be embraced by the Christian. And I know that sounds a little insane, but come let us reason together. Look here at what our blessed Lord did for us in His mercy while we were yet in our transgressions and at enmity with Him? Christ died for us while we hated him, showing undeniable love. Thus we we were bought by blood. By His death, we live.
But lo, death is still our lot. Look, as Adam ate the forbidden fruit we all have been cursed to die once. That curse we must still yet bear, but for God's blessed gift in the sacrifice of His Son, we no longer bear the condemnation of death. Now that we are children of God, our flesh will one day die but we shall rise to our Saviour to praise Him forever in eternity! Now death is our hope and anticipation. For to live is Christ and to die is gain.
In the mean time we must daily crucify the flesh. We must mercilessly slay all that is evil in our corrupt and sin bound bodies. Until we are given a new body, our flesh shall be our mortal enemy until the day it dies. This is the Christian life, to deny ourselves for the blessed Christ. Let us seek Him daily, which itself crucifies the flesh and glorifies our Risen Saviour. Let all praise Him!

However, I did not touch on Martinus point of suicide. I believe he quite accurately pointed out that this is an insane thought and that it is of selfish reasons. The true believer would not entertain the thought of suicide. I believe that it is the Christian very core to embrace death but not morbidly. We have what might be considered an ethereal love for death. We know that it means our redemption. We know that it purposes our life. We know that it brings God glory when them that were dead are made alive (1 Cor. 15:21; Eph. 2:5). And we know that death is not the end of the story nor our end (Rom. 5:10) for, just like Christ, it is just the beginning to newness of life (Rom. 6:4). There is, in Christian redemption, a marriage between death and life. These two, it would seem, are necessarily inseparable. Yes, we must truly and rightfully love death but we also must love the life Our Lord has given us! And this to give Him glory! Yes, in this life and, yes, we are to rejoice in it (Phil. 4:4) for this is the day the Lord hath made (Psalm 118:24)! Rejoice my brethren! Rejoice in Life! Yes, look toward death with anticipation but rejoice in life abundantly, both Spiritual and physical! For in both death and life, God is glorified, and we live to glorify His Mighty Name!
To answer the question of the previous post, "What Is It That We Do Seek?", we seek Christ, and Him Crucified; we seek Christ who is Life.

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (Joh 14:6)

Soli Deo Gloria