3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,4to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,5who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
The Bible teaches us that we can be assured of our eternal destiny, and our departure from this earth is not the end of the story. We can live in the present with the future in mind - while our lives here are finite, we also recognize that God has wonderful things in store for us. Even though this world is not our home, and death is a change in location and not something that God would want us to be afraid of, we do have a purpose on earth - to walk with the Lord, to share His truth, and to impact others. We are called to leave a legacy and to be people who speak and act with a sense of hope and trust in our Savior, being convinced of our eternal destiny.
In 2nd Timothy 4, the apostle Paul shares some of his final words. As he recognizes that he has come to the end of his life, he writes this to Timothy:
6For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.7I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.8Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Today is known as President's Day, but as historian Dr. Thomas Kidd of Baylor University points out in a piece on The Gospel Coalition website, "From the federal government's perspective, the holiday is still Washington's birthday. In the 1960s, Congress changed the observance from the date of Washington's actual birthday, February 22, to the third Monday of February, under the "Uniform Monday Holiday Act." Holidays deemed to have less-than-critical dates were placed on Mondays so federal employees could have a three-day weekend. Then in the 1980s, marketers began unilaterally calling the holiday "Presidents' Day," ostensibly to bring Abraham Lincoln's birthday (February 12) into the fold for advertisements."
Dr. Kidd made some commentary on the personal faith of Washington and Lincoln, and pointed out that their faith was "enigmatic". But, whatever you might believe about their respective personal walks with God, their approach to religion was critical for the entire country. As Kidd writes, "Both endorsed a public role for religion in America, and Lincoln particularly employed religious rhetoric, and the words of the Bible itself, to the greatest effect of any political leader in American history. For Lincoln and Washington, a secularized public square was inconceivable."
Two addresses delivered in the latter days of their lives illustrate their take on the role of faith in public life. Washington's address in 1796, as Kidd points out, "...famously asserted that 'of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensible supports.' Washington, like Lincoln, proclaimed national days of prayer, fasting, and thanksgiving for 'humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations.'"
And, regarding Lincoln, Kidd writes that:
And, regarding Lincoln, Kidd writes that:
...He reminded the nation that both sides in the war "read the same Bible, and pray to the same God." He reckoned that the war somehow represented the judgment of God on both sides for their indulgence of slavery. If God willed that the war continue, he concluded, "until all the wealth piled by the bond-man's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash, shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said 'the judgments of the Lord, are true and righteous altogether.'"
3 months after Lincoln spoke those words, and about 3 years after Washington delivered his farewell, both of them died - Lincoln by assassination, Washington by a sudden affliction of the croup. Regarding Lincoln, BeliefNet quotes Stephen Mansfield, who wrote the wonderful book, Lincoln's Battle With God - during the play at Ford's Theater the night Lincoln died, he had said to his wife, “We will visit the Holy Land and see those places hallowed by the footsteps of the Savior.” He writes:
I think these final words can be inspirational and thought-provoking for each of us, as well. Of course, the content of the messages I referenced earlier illustrates for us that they had an appreciation for and made acknowledgement of the ways of God. What a contrast between their words and the statements of people who would want to eliminate the vestiges of God's presence in our country today, especially in the area of public policy? Personally, it's important that we reflect on the hand of God as He moves in our individual lives.
None of us is promised tomorrow; the Bible tells us life is like a vapor. And, so, we can be motivated to think about our legacy - we carefully choose our words that will be a reflection of our lives, and we act in the present with a bit of the future in mind. I would hope that as we look back, we can say that we have lived in a manner that honors God and brings encouragement to people. If we knew that today were all that we were guaranteed - and it is - that can have a dramatic impact on the way we relate to others.
The apostle Paul was not afraid of death - He had come to terms with his own mortality. So had Washington apparently, for he said that he was not afraid. We can view death as a change of location, from our temporary home here on this earth to our permanent promised home in heaven with Jesus, so really and truly, death is not to be feared. There is a bright future for the child of God who has accepted Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior. We just have to be assured that when we do exit this earth, that we are certain where we will go.
...And then, nearly as the Derringer ball cracked the air, “There is no place I so much desire to see as Jerusalem.”The Public Bookshelf website quotes Our Country, Vol. 2, by Benson Lossing, who related Washington's final words:
...He said to his friend and physician: "Doctor, I die hard, but I am not afraid to go. I believed, from my first attack, that I should not survive it. My breath cannot last long."And, the final utterances:
"'Tis well," said the dying Patriot; and these were the last words that he spoke--"'Tis well!"I just find it quite interesting what these men said as they approached the end of their lives. For Lincoln, he had been on a remarkable faith journey, and had some understanding of God's role in human affairs. Little did he know, of course, that his inaugural address in 1865 would come just months before his unexpected death. And, how would Washington have known that his Farewell Address would come just 3 years before his passing? Death came to him unexpectedly, as well.
I think these final words can be inspirational and thought-provoking for each of us, as well. Of course, the content of the messages I referenced earlier illustrates for us that they had an appreciation for and made acknowledgement of the ways of God. What a contrast between their words and the statements of people who would want to eliminate the vestiges of God's presence in our country today, especially in the area of public policy? Personally, it's important that we reflect on the hand of God as He moves in our individual lives.
None of us is promised tomorrow; the Bible tells us life is like a vapor. And, so, we can be motivated to think about our legacy - we carefully choose our words that will be a reflection of our lives, and we act in the present with a bit of the future in mind. I would hope that as we look back, we can say that we have lived in a manner that honors God and brings encouragement to people. If we knew that today were all that we were guaranteed - and it is - that can have a dramatic impact on the way we relate to others.
The apostle Paul was not afraid of death - He had come to terms with his own mortality. So had Washington apparently, for he said that he was not afraid. We can view death as a change of location, from our temporary home here on this earth to our permanent promised home in heaven with Jesus, so really and truly, death is not to be feared. There is a bright future for the child of God who has accepted Jesus as his or her Lord and Savior. We just have to be assured that when we do exit this earth, that we are certain where we will go.
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