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A few years ago, I volunteered to help with vacation bible school and during that time, a nine year old boy asked me a question so shocking that it still haunts me today. This little guy was from really rough circumstances and was very glad to be where there was plenty to eat and attentive adults. He and his brother were raised in a household of drug abusers and their behavior was a demonstration of what they endured upon a daily basis. They were named, Tom and Jerry (yes, after the cartoon) and since they were a bit untamed, they became my special charges. About mid-week, we were sitting in the auditorium listening to the speaker when Tom rolled his head over onto my lap, looked up at me and asked, "Is this God's grave?".

At the time, I just brushed it off as something a child with no religious training would say; but as the years have passed, I often wonder what it was about his church experience that gave him that impression. Though I'll never know for sure, I think I have hit upon a plausible explanation.

If I put myself in his shoes, (which I very much was in shoes similar to his as a child) church is a very strange place indeed. People can be very stiff and unnatural when in church and often what is spoken of is death. Popular phrases such as, "If you should die tomorrow, do you know where you'll spend eternity?" and the constant reminder of how Jesus died for our sins often over-shadows the fact that Jesus is no longer dead but that Jesus lives. Add to that a huge wooden cross over the baptismal and to a child who has only seen crosses on graves, his is not really a far-out conclusion according to his perspective.

This little boy's question has caused me to consider the way I live my life as a believer. I do not want to live out my faith as a grave for Jesus. As is so often done, a great distortion of the truth takes place when the death of Jesus becomes the full emphasis of faith. So often the picture painted is of Jesus dying and our owing Him our duty-bound and slave-like-service and nothing could be further from the truth. His death is very important for it paid the penalty of our sin. The blood of Jesus bought us so that through faith the Living Jesus could impart Life to us and it is that Life lived in us that saves us from our sin; for as Paul said, "It is no longer I that live but Christ that lives in me". Eternal life was not imparted to all at the moment of Christ's death but the penalty was paid for all that all might receive Life through faith in Jesus from the moment of His resurrection. The Life that is imparted is the very Jesus.

Jesus PAID it all and my service to Him is not one of heavily-borne-duty but that of an easy yoke for Christ in me also DOES it all. Liberty in Christ is a joyous way to live and there is nothing more natural to the Christian than serving Jesus; and nothing more unnatural than living a life of sin. Though in this life we yet stumble, the Life that is Jesus lifts us up that God's Will on earth will be done. Though this Life will take us beyond the bounds of death, we don't have to wait for heaven to enjoy the life abundant. Every morning our hearts ought to sing, "Up from the grave He arose!" for our hope and our present reality is in the Living Jesus.