swallowed up by life

7/17/2006 · 4 comments

in living the life

I’ve been in a rather negative frame of mind for the past week, which is one reason why I haven’t posted much; I couldn’t think of anything good to say. This morning, I started off writing about making excuses, but I quickly realized that I couldn’t think of a way to bring life to the subject, and I stopped.

Then I remembered verse 4 of 2 Corinthians 5, which I noticed when I was reading the entire chapter for yesterday's post. Here’s what it says:

For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Ignore the tent and clothing for a moment and focus on that last phrase: so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

Selah. Pause and calmly think of that.

I know this passage is talking about eternity, but given what follows in this chapter–that anyone who is in Christ is a new creation–I can’t help but believe that this concept applies now as well as later. Think of it: what is mortal–given to death–is swallowed up by life.

My negative outlook–definitely “deathly”–can be swallowed up by life. This excites me!

Paul uses such a vivid image here, though the picture I imagine is not a giant mouth swallowing something; rather, I see darkness disappear as bright light floods a room. The word translated “swallowed up” is translated “overwhelmed” earlier in the letter, which fits with my picture of light. So I imagine negative attitudes overwhelmed by zoe, the life of God.

This has definitely helped me. What mortal thing do you need to see swallowed up by life?

Tagged as: attitudes, death, life, thoughts

of related interest

4 comments
  • http://aimeemilburn.typepad.com/ Aimee Milburn

    I think it applies now. I think we are already living eternal life, or another way of putting it is eternal life is already living in us, because Christ is in us, and He is eternal and has brought us to new life in Him. We tend to think of eternal life as “later,” but think about it. Our bodies will die, but we won’t. We live on. And our bodies will be resurrected.

    Imagine how differently people would behave, if they really meditated on this often, and lived like they really believed it.

    Have you ever read St. John of the Cross, the Ascent of Mt. Carmel and the Dark Night of the Soul? Sounds like you may have had a little dark night yourself. It’s part of the spiritual process. I found him very helpful.

  • http://aimeemilburn.typepad.com/ Aimee Milburn

    I think it applies now. I think we are already living eternal life, or another way of putting it is eternal life is already living in us, because Christ is in us, and He is eternal and has brought us to new life in Him. We tend to think of eternal life as “later,” but think about it. Our bodies will die, but we won’t. We live on. And our bodies will be resurrected.

    Imagine how differently people would behave, if they really meditated on this often, and lived like they really believed it.

    Have you ever read St. John of the Cross, the Ascent of Mt. Carmel and the Dark Night of the Soul? Sounds like you may have had a little dark night yourself. It’s part of the spiritual process. I found him very helpful.

  • http://danbutcher.com Dan

    Aimee–

    Thanks for reminding me that we are already living that eternal life now. I remember when I first heard someone teach that Jesus’ statement in John 10–“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”–applied now and not just later, it was a major eye-opener. I grew up in a tradition that taught the Promised Land was heaven, “life to the full” was heaven, everything good came in heaven. I have some major retraining of the brain to do–to continue to do.

    I’ve not read St. John of the Cross: I’ll have to see what he had to say.

  • http://danbutcher.com Dan

    Aimee–

    Thanks for reminding me that we are already living that eternal life now. I remember when I first heard someone teach that Jesus’ statement in John 10–“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full”–applied now and not just later, it was a major eye-opener. I grew up in a tradition that taught the Promised Land was heaven, “life to the full” was heaven, everything good came in heaven. I have some major retraining of the brain to do–to continue to do.

    I’ve not read St. John of the Cross: I’ll have to see what he had to say.

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