Monday, July 18, 2011

By Dying, Set Free

“All human selves, with all the powers of remembering, relating, learning, purposing and enjoying that make us who we are, survive death, and by dying are actually set free from all shrinkings of personal life due to physical factors — handicaps, injuries and deteriorations of body and mind; torture and starvation; Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, AIDS and the like.  This was true for both Jesus and the believing criminal to whom he said, as crucifixion drained their lives away, ‘Today you will be with me in paradise’; and it will be just as true for you and me.”
J. I. Packer, “Did God die on the cross?”, Christianity Today, 5 April 1999, page 70.

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