Consider Lilly

This twit just came through on Twitter from Jake or Whit.

"Lilly will be with Jesus soon, free from wires and tubes and medicine and sin and pain, and she will live with him forever."

Please pray for the Sandifers. Our church knows heartbreak so please pray for our church that we would be able to be there for them as we were there for Scott, and the Hymers before.

I'm preaching tonight on Romans 8:18-39 (really I'm going to read it and allow it to minister to us) but I'm going to interject this hypothetical dialogue between a Christian and death by John Piper.

CHRISTIAN:

Hello, Death, my old enemy. My old slave-master. Have you come to talk to me again? To frighten me?

I am not the person you think I am. I am not the one you used to talk to. Something has happened. Let me ask you a question, Death.

Where is your sting?

DEATH, sneeringly:

My sting is your sin.

CHRISTIAN:

I know that, Death. But that's not what I asked you. I asked, where is your sting? I know what it is. But tell me where it is.

Why are you fidgeting, Death? Why are you looking away? Why are you turning to go? Wait, Death, you have not answered my question. Where is your sting?

Where is, my sin?

What? You have no answer? But, Death, why do you have no answer? How will you terrify me, if you have no answer?

O Death, I will tell you the answer. Where is your sting? Where is my sin? It is hanging on that tree. God made Christ to be sin—my sin. When he died, the penalty of my sin was paid. The power of it was broken. I bear it no more.

Farewell, Death. You need not show up here again to frighten me. God will tell you when to come next time. And when you come, you will be his servant. For me, you will have no sting.