I have a dear friend who is retiring, relocating, and morphing. Yes, I have a brother in Christ who is dying. Valiantly, he has fought the cancer allowed him by our Sovereign Lord. Boldly he has walked through the valley of the shadow of death with confident faith. However, despite the Father’s love for my dear brother, his pre-numbered days appear to be coming to an end.
However, my dear friend, the one currently struggling with cancer under hospice care, he has hope!
His hope is not in the Law, for though the Law is good, it consistently reminds him of a beautifully high standard impossible to reach.
His hope is not in his own goodness. My dear friend, he knows his ethical shortcomings. Agreeing with the prophet Isaiah, he knows “even his righteousness is as filthy rags.”
No, my dear friend, his hope is in the Gospel Work of Jesus Christ. Agreeing with Romans 8, he knows …
- The sufferings of this present time are real. (8:18)
- The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory yet to be revealed. (8:18)
- He and all creation are eagerly longing and waiting for redemption — freedom from corruption. (8:19-25)
- He, as a weak man, knows not exactly how to pray. However, he does not worry about communicating with God, for he is aware the Holy Spirit dwells within him interceding with groans too deep for words. (8:26-27)
- He has some been gifted with some measure of loving faith for God.
- He has a promise — that for him who loves God, all things end up working together for good. (8:28)
- He has a God-calling; he has a divine-purpose; God has predestined him to be conformed to the Son. (8:28)
- He, who has been predestined, called, and justified, he will soon be glorified. (8:30)
- He has God for him. Therefore, no one that matters can be against him. (8:31)
- He has God the Father on his side — the one who did not spare even his own Son. (8:32)
- He has God the Father on his side — the one who continues to graciously give him all things. (8:32)
- He has no sin-charges coming his way; God has already charged Jesus and justified him. (8:33)
- He has no judgmental condemnation coming his way; Jesus has already died for all his sin, and the Risen Jesus continues to intercede and priest for him. (8:34)
- Absolutely nothing can separate him from the love of Jesus Christ. Yes — though he experience tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, poverty, danger, violence, death, angels, heavenly rulers, things at hand now, things still to come, earthly or heavenly powers, something way up high or something way down low — nothing at all in all of creation will be able to separate him from the love of God in Christ Jesus his Lord. (8:36-39)
So, he hurts, and we hurt.
He has questions, and we do too.
He mourns, and we do too.
However, none of us in our worshiping community mourn as those without hope. For we are very aware of the Gospel Performance of God. Before time, our names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. In time, goodness and mercy have followed us all the days of our lives. And for all time, we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
We may not be happy in the hospice house, but we have hope!
Unfathomable Grace 