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ROMAN
CATHOLICISM |
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¿The
Glory and Agony of a Life Lived and Lost
by Mike Gendron |
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My dad passed
away after a long and illustrious life. Because of his courageous
service for his country during World War II and Korea, he was buried in
Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. As I watched the
nation honor my dad, a highly decorated Colonel who served in the U.S.
Army for 33 years, I was amazed at the heart-stirring ceremony. It
brought back images, still so vivid in my mind, of JFK’s funeral,
especially the green rolling hills dotted with white tombstones. We
walked behind a six-horse drawn carriage that carried my dad’s casket,
covered by the very flag he spent his life defending. A solemn riderless
horse accompanied a battalion of soldiers while the Army band played
"America The Beautiful." When we arrived at the grave site we
watched eight soldiers fold the flag with such precision and then
present it to our family. This was followed by a 21-gun salute and a
trumpeter blowing "Taps" which is always a heart-wrenching
tribute to a fallen soldier.
My dad was a
very proud man, and by the world’s standard, a very good man. The pride
that made him such a courageous soldier was also the pride that kept him
from listening to a presentation of the Gospel. He was a devout Catholic
and refused to believe any spiritual teaching unless it came from the
"one true church." As I sat through the funeral mass officiated by my
dad’s brother, a Catholic priest of 54 years, I grimaced at his message
of salvation by rituals and works that blind so many from the truth of
the Gospel. He said, "Surely Tom Gendron is in heaven because he was
baptized a Catholic and lived a good life." We know from God’s Holy
Word, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not
from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works—so that no one can
boast (Eph. 2:8-9). He (God) saved us,
not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy
(Titus 3:5).
When the
priest finished I eagerly went up to share the true and glorious Gospel
of grace in a eulogy to my dad. Here’s a portion of that message:
As I reflect back on the
special times I had with dad, none was more meaningful than seeing the
movie, "Saving Private Ryan" with him last summer. Oh how I
will cherish that afternoon for as long as I live. As I watched the
horrific opening scenes of the landing on the beach I was overcome
with tears, realizing that my dad was actually there. To see all the
shedding of blood and the broken bodies, I realized once again the
tremendous price that was paid for our freedom. After the movie Dad
debriefed us with such deep and heartfelt emotion. The pain in his
face was so vivid when he talked about his soldiers who lost their
lives during the invasion. I could not help but compare this with the
supreme price Jesus Christ paid for our salvation. . .
He was pierced through for
our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening
for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.
All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his
own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on
Him. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His
mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is
silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth (Isaiah
53:5-7).
In the movie, we saw a
small contingent that was sent out to save Private Ryan. From God’s
Holy Word we know that God sent His only Son to save you and me.
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name
under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved
(Acts 4:12).
Because of the great price
paid by past generations who fought for our country, each person born
in America automatically enjoys the blessings of freedom.
However, the blessings of eternal life can only be enjoyed by
those who trust Jesus alone for their salvation. As a minister of the
gospel, I would be remiss if I did not share the greatest news ever
told about the greatest man who ever lived who offers the greatest
gift anyone could ever receive. It is available free for the asking
because of a love story written in blood, on a wooden cross 2000 years
ago. The Bible says: If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord,
and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall
be saved; for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness,
and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For, everyone
who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Romans
10:9-10, 13). When anyone hears the Word of God and trusts the Son
of God, they are changed by the Spirit of God into the image of God,
all for the glory of God. The reason funerals don’t leave us hopeless
is because Jesus died for sins once and for all, the just for the
unjust in order that He might bring us to God.
Death is such
a wake up call for all of us who have loved ones who have not yet
received the gift of eternal life. One of the most motivating books I
have ever read deals with the subject of death so clearly and
objectively. The book "One Minute After You Die" by Erwin Lutzer
is a great source of encouragement for believers but a terrifying
warning to unbelievers. I made it available to my dad last year, but I
have since found out he never read it.
I pray that on
the occasion of my dad’s death the seed of God’s Word would bring life
to his family and friends who previously had never heard or understood
the glorious Gospel of Grace. Many who attended his funeral were devout
Roman Catholics. Though they have a zeal for God, it is not based on
biblical knowledge. They seek to attain their own righteousness through
good works and sacramental grace rather than receive the gift of
Christ’s righteousness through faith in Jesus. God made him who had
no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the
righteousness of God. (2 Cor. 5:21). The only way we can come to
Jesus is with empty hands of faith because God only saves sinners by His
grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer by
works; if it were, grace would no longer be grace (Romans 11:6).
It is God’s
grace that brought me peace, comfort and strength as I grieved the
passing of my dad. I know one day my Lord will wipe away my tears for
the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the
glory that is to come.
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Does Scientific Evidence Today Show
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Copyright 2006, Ankerberg Theological Research Institute
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