Some Things to Remember at a Memorial Service
A memorial service is to remember the life of one who no longer walks in the land of the living. We gather in the presence of death, our last enemy, who would boast in yet another victory was it not for one event on one day some two thousand years ago. Today, along with the Apostle Paul, we declare that “Death is swallowed up in victory,” asking death, “Where is your victory…where is your sting?” (1 Cor 15:54–55).
Through one man, Adam, sin entered the world (Gen 3; Rom 5:12). Hence, every soul conceived in every womb inherits the original sin of the first man, whose sin nature occupies every human body (Eph 2:3). With the propensity to sin, every inclination of the heart is only evil all the time (Gen 6:5). That, by the way, is God’s assessment of the natural man (1 Cor 2:14). Sinners sin; and they are paid the wages meriting death (Rom 3:23; 6:23).
Our gracious and merciful God chose to have compassion on many rebel sinners, who are called in Romans 9:23, “Vessels of mercy being prepared for glory.” In order to be merciful, God satisfied His own Law’s demand for justice. He did that by paying the ransom for many who were enslaved to sin and the fear of death all their lives (Mt 20:28; Mk 10:45; Rom 6:6; 1 Tim 2:6; Heb 2:15).
Unjust, ungodly, sinners at enmity with God — haters of God (Rom 1:30), haters of Christ (Jn 7:7), and haters of God’s people (Jn 15:18–25) are radically transformed into lovers of God, of Christ, and His church (Heb 13:1; 1 Jn 3:14; 4:19). These people receive the grace of God and are saved from the just judgment of God’s wrath against lawless sons of disobedience (Rom 1:18; 3:25; Eph 2:2; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10). God forgives these people of all their sins (Col 2:13–14). The forgiven sinners marvel at what has been told to them by preachers of the Gospel of God (Acts 13:48). The Good News of what God has done for them humbles them because recipients of God’s forgiveness know they do not deserve such favor; and they learn at what cost their salvation was purchased by their one and only Savior.
The one and only name under heaven and given among men, whereby one must be saved is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12), the name exalted above every other name (Phil 2:9). At the name of Jesus, in the days to come, every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord — Lord of all (Acts 10:36) — to the glory of God the Father (Phil 2:11).
Jesus, the eternal Son of God, left the glory of heaven on a mission to save God’s chosen people from their sins (Mt 1:21; Rom 11:5–6). Being conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary (Is 7:14; Mt 1:16, 23), the Son of God was enfleshed to become like us, fully man, yet without sin (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15). As the holy one of God and holy one of Israel, the one and only God-man walked among us doing good to all people (Acts 10:38). His purpose in coming to us was to suffer and die for the redemption of the people God the Father had given to Him (2 Tim 1:9).
The death of Christ was part of God’s predetermined plan and foreknowledge (Acts 2:23), to purchase the church of God with His precious blood shed on the cursed tree (Acts 20:28), the Roman cross at Calvary, the place of the skull in Jerusalem (Mt 27:33; Mk 15:11; Lk 23:33; Jn 19:17). There, God imputed the sins of His elect (for the Lord knows those who are His — 2 Tim 2:19), upon the crucified body of Jesus. He bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Pet 2:24). He released us from our sins by His blood (Rev 1:5), and by fulfilling the requirements of the Law in our place, on our behalf, and for our benefit (Mt 5:17).
Penal substitutionary atonement means Christ Jesus suffered the righteous wrath of God as a propitiation for our sins and those of His beloved from all over the world — every nation, tribe, and tongue (Rom 3:24; Heb 2:17; 1 Jn 2:2; 4:10; Rev 5:9; 7:9). His one time offering of Himself as the unblemished Lamb of God covers the multitude of sins of His church from across history, too (Jn 1:29). Christ died for our sins (1 Cor 15:3); was buried in a tomb; was raised from the dead; ascended into heaven; was enthroned; taking His seat at the right hand of majesty, the right hand of the Father; receiving all authority in heaven and on earth to rule and reign over the kingdom of God (Ps 110:1; Mt 28:18).
The kingdom of this world, suffering under Satan, the ruler of this world (Jn 12:31; 14:30; 16:11), is witnessing the plunder of its citizens by their transfer into the kingdom of God’s beloved Son (Mk 3:27; Col 1:13). As more and more people hear the Good News of the Gospel of salvation, the Holy Spirit is causing the elect, redeemed people of God to be born again of God (Jn 3:1–8; 1 Pet 1:3).
The Spirit of adoption (Rom 8:15, 23), sent by the Father and the Son (Jn 14:26; 15:26), is calling all men everywhere to repent of their sins and to turn from idols (Acts 17:30; 1 Thess1:9). The Spirit’s call is for you to believe on the Lord Jesus so to be saved (Acts 16:31). Jesus Himself calls out to His named sheep, as their Good Shepherd, “Come to Me you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Mt 11:28).
Those who do not heed the Spirit’s call to come to Jesus for eternal salvation are the reprobate vessels of wrath, prepared for destruction (Rom 1:18–32; 9:22). These do not accept the things of the Spirit (1 Cor 2:14), nor do they have any love for God in their hearts (Jn 5:42). Having joined the rebellion of Satan and his demons, these haters of God will be resurrected to judgment (Jn 5:28–29; Rom 1:30) — for the purpose of God sentencing them to eternal punishment in the fiery hell of the lake of fire (Mt 25:41, 46; Jude 7; Rev 20:11, 24–25).
My dear reader, examine yourself in the Light of Truth in these matters of eternal destiny. Are you ever-rejoicing in so great a salvation; or do you deem Christ and His cross to be foolishness? May you trust in the Lord Jesus with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, today, and may you be found holy and blameless before God on the Day of Judgment (Eph 1:4; 5:27; Col 1:22). If that is His course for you then rejoice, even more so as the day of His coming to judge the living and the dead draws nigh (Acts 10:42; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5). Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift — His Son and eternal life — found only in Him.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
November 11, 2023
