1:8 For we do not
want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia:
that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even
of life. 9 Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we
should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who
delivered us from so great a death, and does deliver us; in whom we trust
that He will still deliver us, 11 you also helping together in
prayer for us, that thanks may be given by many persons on our behalf for
the gift granted to us through many.
There is a lot of confusion about death today in and outside
of Christianity but Paul was not confused at all. He knew both kinds of death
and who the Life Giver is. The first death is the one we are physically born
into. We are alive in body and mind but are dead toward God. His grace sustains
our physical life while His Spirit pursues us to bring us back from spiritual
death. Paul was raised religious. He was a devout and zealous Pharisee but He
didn't know God. In fact he was so blind and dead towards God that he was
actively hunting those who actually knew God, all the while thinking he was
doing God a favour.
When people are drowning it is often necessary to knock them
unconscious in order to rescue them. In their panic they risk drowning
themselves and their rescuer. Paul (Saul) was in a panic trying desperately to
squash Christianity in order to preserve the empty religion he had inherited.
He was dead toward God. God found him, confronted him, and brought him to life.
This is the first resurrection. Paul said plainly "I was dead in
trespasses and sins" even though as a religious person he was
"blameless". It's possible to be perfect in the eyes of bad religion
while being an enemy of God.
Now the context of Paul's words in this letter to Corinth is
suffering for the sake of Christ. He had been through a terrible ordeal in Asia
that nearly cost him his physical life. In that dark experience his trust was
in the same God who resurrected him the first time. If God can raise us from
spiritual blindness and death, He will surely raise us from physical
death.
Notice the verb tenses Paul uses:
"Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we
should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead, 10 who
delivered us (past tense) from so great a death (spiritual death), and
does deliver us(present tense from the remnants of our old selves); in
whom we trust that He will still deliver (future tense).
God has delivered from the death of not knowing Him. He is
delivering us from the person we were and that is fighting to stay alive. He
will deliver us from whatever Satan does to us, even physical death.
God has our back. He has every problem and possible problem
covered. What hope. What a God. What a Saviour!
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