"When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, 'Lazarus, come forth.' The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, 'Unbind him, and let him go.'" John 11.43-44.
The journey to new life has a happy ending, as all journeys with God ultimately do. But the thing to notice is that this journey to new life turns into the journey of new life. This is not the end, but merely a new beginning.
For some new life is salvation, the forgiveness of sin through the grace and mercy of God by the blood of Christ. For salvation we call on the name of Jesus, and begin to follow Him. We have hope in Him because of the promises that He has made, and we invite Him to heal the wounds of the past. We move into the future obediently serving Him with the new life that He has given us.
But salvation is not the end of the journey, merely the beginning of a new life lived in relationship with Christ. I've shared this quote countless times, "You are pardoned to participate." We are set free from sin to join the work that Jesus started. His last words on earth were a commission to make more disciples. When we enter into a relationship with Him, we receive that same commission on our lives. And so a new journey begins.
For some new life is sanctification, or holiness, the filling with God's Holy Spirit for cleansing and empowerment. We call on Jesus to take us deeper, to make us more like Him. We follow Him as He leads us into deeper intimacy with Him. We have hope in Him because of the work that He has already done in us, and we invite Him to continue to transform us and mold us into His likeness. We obey Him more because it is our desire to please Him and live for Him. And here, the journey continues towards Christlikeness.
Paul said in Philippians 3, "Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
Paul knew that the end of each journey was simply the beginning of a new one, and that the journey to Christlikness is one that is never complete until we reach heaven. "For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself." (Philippians 3.20-21).
The journey to new life is not the ending point, but a new starting point. After Lazarus is raised Jesus tells the people there to "unbind him and let him go." Lazarus has been given new life so that he can live it fully for the glory of God. God gives us new life so that we can glorify Him with it. That is the point of the journey, so that God may be glorified. We saw in the very beginning that God works in His timing on in His own way for His glory. He gives us new life at the end of the journey so that we can take that life and begin the next journey for Him.
We are given new life to live. Another quote that I've shared countless times says, "The glory of God is man fully alive." Death is not from God, but life is. God is glorified when we live life to the fullest, but that is only possible when we receive new life from Him. We can only live a life that glorifies God by receiving the life that He created us to have.
The journey doesn't end in this life, but with this life. As long as we have breath we are to constantly strive for more of God, for deeper intimacy with our Lord, Creator, and Savior. We are never done, we must continue to "press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
To God alone be the glory!
Peace be with you
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