Page 83 - Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2011

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Consider how Paul states both positive and negative examples of Scripture

from which we are to take direction for our lives:

THE POSITIVE EXAMPLE: THE NEGATIVE EXAMPLE:

““FFOORR WWHHAATTEEVVEERR ““NNOOWWAALLLLTTHHEESSEE
TTHHIINNGGSS WWEERREE WWRRIITTTTEENN TTHHININGGSSHHAAPPPPEENNEEDDTTOO
BBEEFFOORREE WWEERREE WWRRIITTTTEENN
TTHHEEMMAASSEEXXAAMMPPLLEESS, ,
FFOORR OOUURR LLEEAARRNNIINNGG,, AANNDDTTHHEEYYWWEERREE
TTHHAATT WWEE TTHHRROOUUGGHH WWRRITITTTEENNFFOORR
TTHHEE PPAATTIIEENNCCEE AANNDD
OOUURRAADDMMOONNITITIOIONN, ,
HHOOPPEE OOFF UUPPOONNWWHHOOMMTTHHEEEENNDD
TTHHEE SSCCRRIIPPTTUURREESS
MMIIGGHHTT HHAAVVEE HHOOPPEE..”” OOFFTTHHEEAAGGEESS
HHAAVVEECCOOMMEE.”.”
RRoomm..1155::44
11CCoor.r.1100:1:111

Notice that what has been previously written is to be God’s counsel for those of us who live in “the end
of the ages.” God’s will in the area of the proper disposal of the body of believers is revealed in His
Word. We are going to take a look at what has been recorded in the Scriptures pertaining to the
practice of cremation as well as what God’s Word has to say about burial.

From the first page you can easily see that I am strongly in favor of the practice of Christian burial
rather than the ever increasingly popular preference for cremation. However, I want to stress to all my
readers that the act of cremation has no bearing on eternal destiny. Whether one has been cremated
or not is not the issue that determines whether one enters heaven or hell. It is only the existence or the
absence of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that makes that determination. Cremation is not a
deadly sin unto damnation. However, I do want to convince you that it is a sin against the believer’s
body. I want to stress, however, that it is a forgivable sin. Not all sin is the same. Even the Old
Testament law made a distinction between sins of ignorance and willful disobedience:

“YOU SHALL HAVE ONE LAW FOR HIM WHO SINS UNINTENTIONALLY…
BUT THE PERSON WHO DOES ANYTHING PRESUMPTUOUSLY (DEFIANTLY)…

HE SHALL BE CUT OFF FROM AMONG HIS PEOPLE…
BECAUSE HE HAS DESPISED THE WORD OF THE LORD,

AND HAS BROKEN HIS COMMANDMENT…”
Numbers 15:29-31

The apostle James obviously has this law in mind as he warns New Testament believers:

“…TO HIM WHO KNOWS TO DO GOOD AND DOES NOT DO IT,
TO HIM IT IS SIN.”
James 4:17

We cannot change what has been done in ignorance, but we can, having been illuminated to God’s
will, do what is right in the future. We can properly choose for ourselves what God desires for us to do
with our body at death. This is a personal choice for every believer. The purpose of this newsletter is to
seek to convince you to choose burial over cremation. If you are so persuaded by the contents of this
newsletter, then I also highly counsel you to share it with all those whom you love so that you, having
been illuminated, do not end up in an awkward and most unpleasant situation at their funeral.

As a young minister I remember well the first funeral over which I presided. It was for a man that I did
not know personally. However, I was assured by those who asked me to perform the ceremony that he
was a “godly man.” I quickly realized that I was in deep trouble when I saw a string of men in black
across the front row of the church, all wearing white aprons. I had unknowingly committed to take part
in a “Christian” burial of a man of high standing in cultic Freemasonry. The gravesite ritual was horrible
for me to endure. I watched as a series of mystical ceremonial rituals were performed on the casket
just prior to interment. I vowed to God that I would never again be involved in the mixing of pagan
rituals with a Christian burial.