We are constantly faced with the reality of loss. Almost daily, newspaper headlines and TV screens broadcast tales of the ultimate, irrevocable loss—death: it’s the calamity brought upon us by the fall. A middle-aged man dies of a sudden and unexpected heart attack. A young woman overdoses on opioids. A gunman mows down young children in their classroom. These tragedies can only happen in a sin-cursed world.

And we ask: how can life be the same again?

The simple answer—it won’t be the same. This is the true answer, and it is, paradoxically, the loving answer. Part of the process of being sanctified is coming to terms with the reality of death, and thus of sin. As Reformed Christians, we often ask, “How can one be saved without first knowing that there is the problem of sin”? But we might also ask, “How can one comprehend the ultimate loss of death without first knowing its source in sin?”

Therefore, in grief, it is primary not to have a cruel false hope but to acknowledge the bleakness of death and how the unrelenting prospect of death hangs over everything like a white sheet in winter. It is cold. It is unfeeling. It taints every aspect of life. We know that sorrows and miseries are very much part of this life. And as Christians, we know that we don’t live in a world where life is “happy-clappy” with “no regrets.”

the unrelenting prospect of death hangs over everything like a white sheet in winter.

Open your Bible app and search “sorrow” and “misery” in the Scriptures. These are prominent themes. These are what the Puritans referred to as “losses and crosses.” Spurgeon once wrote, “Losses and crosses are heavy to bear, but when our hearts are right with God, it is wonderful how easy the yoke becomes.” In our modern culture, however, we are lied to and think that the path to the Celestial City is the ease of sitting on a pink fluff cushion, not the grit of walking under the weight of a wooden beam.

“For man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.” – Job 5:7.

The effort required to deny sin, and the loss brought by sin’s daily victories encourage too many Christians to fake happiness. Consequently, we miss what could be the event of resurrection in our own lives, right now, today.

Central to the goodness of the gospel is the hope of the resurrection. As the Heidelberg Catechism explains, it is the knowledge that Christ has risen, overcome death, and obtained righteousness for us. Next is the knowledge that we, too, are raised up to a new life in Him through His power! Finally, it is the knowledge that we have the sure pledge of our own glorious resurrection through Christ’s resurrection at Jesus’ second coming.

“If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col 3:1-5).

Loss from our experiences is expected.

Loss brought upon us by our own sins is expected.

Loss brought upon us by others’ sins is expected.

Loss brought upon us because we live in a sinful world is expected. 

Loss, regret and grief are expected.

But…

In these moments of losses and crosses we are to turn our eyes to Jesus. Losses are real, but so is the comfort we have in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He has made a way, He bore the pain that we could never have endured, and because of Him, we will be borne to a place of rest and restoration (with Him!) through His resurrection.

we miss what could be the event of resurrection in our own lives

Hence, Hebrews 12:1-3 says:

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

May we not grow weary in our walk. As J.R.R. Tolkien put it, “...we are fighting the long defeat, but God has already won...”—His sovereign plan will stand, even when it hurts and we don’t understand why.

“And the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.” – Isa 35:10

Note: the full passage in which Spurgeon mentions “losses and crosses” is from his John Ploughman’s Talk: Plain Advice for Plain People and reads, “Friends, let us take to patience and water gruel, as the old folks used to tell us, rather than catch the miserables and give others the disease by wickedly finding fault with God. The best remedy for affliction is submitting to providence. What can't be cured must be endured. If we cannot get bacon, let us bless God that there are still some cabbages in the garden. "Must" is a hard nut to crack, but it has a sweet kernel. "All things work together for good to those who love God" (Rom. 8:28). Whatever falls from the skies is, sooner or later, good for the land; whatever comes to us from God is worth having, even though it is a rod. We cannot, by nature, like trouble any more than a mouse can fall in love with a cat, yet Paul by grace came to glory in tribulations. Losses and crosses are heavy to bear, but when our hearts are right with God, it is wonderful how easy the yoke becomes. We must go to glory by the way of Weeping Cross; and as we were never promised that we should ride to heaven in a feather bed, we must not be disappointed when we see the road to be rough, as our fathers found it before us.”