This morning I believe God asked me a question: What do you think is stronger: Death or Life?

The question was triggered by my view of the arguments Paul makes in Romans 5. On the one hand he says that death reigned over every man because of one man’s sin. On the other he says “how much more” will life reign because of the righteousness of the one man Jesus Christ ( see Romans 5:15-21).

So I was sitting on my veranda looking at the swallows, feeling the cool breeze of the morning. Life is all around and it persists despite the presence of death. Actually death is far less visible unless you watch media of any sort. I know it is happening in the soil or in other places but in my normal day to day life, I, like many others are rarely conscious of death.

Of course, films, TV programs and social media are awash with death. Most film characters will live and die on the screen in front of you. Physical death is seen to be the end of that characters role. There are some exceptions to this in film or TV plots but they are rare. Overwhelmingly we are left with the opposite idea to that of God’s about death. To us it is portrayed by media as the end. To God physical death is quite different. It’s just a transition stage:

He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.” John 11:11b

³⁸ For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

Luke 20:38

Paul often uses the same language to describe death especially as it concerns believers:

⁶ After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:6

 ⁵¹ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—

1 Corinthians 15:51

So what is stronger: death or life? It depends on what you watch perhaps. But reality tells a different story from those made up by Hollywood.

The real death to be concerned about is not physical but spiritual.

³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵ Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:3-5

In this world you will have trouble.

John 16:33

There are none of us who haven’t some backstory of trouble. Paul spends most of the first part of Romans up until Chapter 5:2 thrashing out the wonders of being saved by grace not works. Then he suddenly changes the subject to troubles. Grace is still in play at this point. Paul is pointing out that when we go through troubles, because of grace, we glory in them. This is something that is possible for those who have privileged access to grace (v.2). We can also call on grace to persevere through troubles.

Anyone who has continued to believe and stand firm in faith by the grace of God through all sorts of trials then receives a certificate. The word often translated “proven character” in the English is the Greek word “δοκιμὴ” (doki-may). It sounds like our English word “document”.

There is a book I use to keep me correct when studying the Greek: Exegetical Guide to the Greek New Testament: Romans Copyright © 2017 by John D. Harvey. It says this about that word:

Δοκιμή, -ῆς, ἡ describes the result of going through a test (…. cf. 2 Cor 2:19; 8:2; 13:3; Phil 2:22); NEB translates it as “proof that we have stood the test.”

After you go through a test and prove God’s grace in you by staying faithful to Him through it, then you get a cert. It’s not a physical document but, like a cert you might get at university or college, it is a record of having achieved something.

People who have suffered for a long time and stayed faithful have an authority and peace (cf. Hebrews 12:11) that can be recognised by others. It is part of the name God gives them that others can see (Rev. 3:12).

The more tests passed the more cert(aintie)s we get. We experience the love of God poured out in our hearts in greater measure with each passed test. Our hope in Him is not disappointed if we persevere in trial (cf. James 1:2-4).

In John 16, Jesus tells His disciples about the Holy Spirit who will come after His ascension. One of the primary characteristics of this Helper is that He will lead them into all truth (John 16:13).

We all have difficulties these days with knowing whether something we are seeing or hearing is actually the truth. AI has enabled deep fakes which can make anyone seem like they are saying or doing anything. So how do you know if someone is speaking the truth?

Jesus says that the reason the Holy Spirit will lead us into all truth is that “He will not speak from Himself but what he hears he will speak” (ibid.). In other words there is no self interest in what He is saying.

Jesus said the same thing about His own actions earlier in the same gospel: “Truly, truly, I say to you, that the son is not able to do anything of Himself, unless it is something he sees the Father doing.” (John 5:19).

Part of my work over the years has been as an expert witness. The value of an expert witness is impartiality. This is how one contract I signed put it:

“At all times, we expect that you will provide an objective evaluation of any materials provided to you, without regard to the impact that evaluation may have upon any pending litigation or matter. We further expect that you will exercise your best independent and professional judgment with respect to all aspects of this Engagement, and that you will provide complete, accurate, and honest opinions that are not subjective or biased in any way. We want and expect you to be entirely independent.”

In a court of law an expert witness is only of value if s/he presents facts without self interest. If the judge or jury thought that the expert witness stood to gain anything by presenting the facts they would then wonder about the accuracy or bias of those facts. Perhaps the witness would leave something out or dazzle the court with science so they would believe something contrary to the truth. I have put the phone down when a barrister once asked me to do exactly that. Produce smoke and mirrors is how he put it.

So when Jesus says he is doing nothing from his own initiative and also states the Holy Spirit will say nothing from himself, then he is stating a principle about a reliable truth teller: they have nothing to gain personally from what they are saying.

Jesus makes this principle even more clear in John 7:16-18:

“My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. ¹⁷ If anyone wants to do His will, he shall know concerning the teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority. He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.”

So if you want to know whether something is really from God, ask yourself the question: “Do I really want to do what God wants for me?”

And the next time you hear someone stating something as fact perhaps it would be good to ask yourself what self interest might drive them to say what they are saying. Are they seeking their own glory or the glory of God?

Of all the passages in the bible which delve into this subject, Romans 1:19 – 3:20 has to be the most comprehensive. In it Paul takes heathens and religious people – in fact everyone – and comprehensively states that they are totally depraved.

There is none that is righteous, no not one. (Romans 3:10).

They have all together become useless (v. 12)

There is none who seeks God (v. 11)

There is no fear of God before their eyes (v.18).

Paul describes how it all starts: men deny the truth in unrighteousness (1:19). And how it ends: death (1:32).

In the middle of the whole sorry descent of man from the Fall onwards (Genesis 3), God gives Moses and Israel the Law whose whole purpose is to give knowledge of sin (3:20). Those who think they have the embodiment of knowledge and truth in the law and tell others not to sin are no better because they practice the things they preach against (2:17-29). Everyone is under sin (3:9). Tis all a bit depressing.

But God. Then He steps in and offers a sacrifice – propitiation – for our sins, His own self in His Son Jesus Christ through whom we are redeemed freely by His grace through faith (3:21-26).

So Paul spends a long time arguing that we need to face the truth that actually no one is righteous, all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (3:23) and we are all justified freely.

Humanism doesn’t believe this. In a country at peace by the grace of God living under a kind of right government that at least doesn’t oppress people openly it is easier to believe all is right with us. Others are generally kind. Most people live at peace with their neighbours and relations in their houses.

But nations turn under the wrong types of pressures. Whole peoples can acquiesce while their leaders take them into war and many positively support evil regimes when their own personal interests are threatened. Scratch the surface and the true nature of humans is exposed.

But anyway, whether it seems obvious or not, Paul is making an argument that can be hard to stomach – unless you really know what you are capable of……