Observations on DEATH, GALL BLADDERS, AND HALLELUJAH!  by Edward duBois Early

   Recently, I went through the trauma of gall bladder surgery and, as
I experienced the event and the follow through, I noted in the
experience some rather obvious metaphorical similarities which could be
related to the new birth of a Christian. For me, these metaphors have
helped to expand my understanding of the new birth in a way I had never
understood it prior to my surgical experience. I put forth this homily
in the hope that it may assist others to understand and appreciate the
steps and the meaning of the steps involved in the new birth process.

   DEATH

   As anyone knows who has had a gall bladder attack, there are times
that the one experiencing the attack wishes to die - afraid he might
and afraid of what the future might bring in the way of pain and
suffering. He is miserable. He has little to no control. Outsiders give
advice which is of little to no help. Then, finally, the time arrives
when he meets with a bona fide, knowledgeable, and at least empathetic
physician. He diagnoses the symptoms and describes precisely what is
wrong based upon his experiences and knowledge. He describes the
problem as gall bladder stones and he prescribes a meeting with a
surgeon who can cure the problem by removing the gall bladder. Given
the present condition of the patient, what choices does he have? He can
continue to live in misery which can only lead to an ever increasing
life of woe; or, he can accept the word of his doctor and meet with the
surgeon. Those are the only open choices.

   Let's see how this bears on the subject of the changed life of a
Christian.

   The life of a non-Christian is full of fearful uncertainties. He is
afraid to die yet he is afraid he might. He is seeking and searching
while being afraid of what he might find. He is advised by those he
accepts as his friends to " ...eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow
you may die." He

   little realizes how true this truism may be. Finally, in his
breakneck dash through the maze of life, he comes into reflective
contact with a knowledgeable Christian who has emerged from the
back roads of the life of a non-Christian onto the brightly lit and
straight path of the new birth in Christ. He explains that the
non-Christian has a problem with sin and requires spiritual surgery to
excise it. The surgeon is Christ who knows all there is to know about
the cure for sin. The Christian explains that the non-Christian has
only the choice of life in Christ forever or life without Christ in
Hell in the hereafter. Given the working of the Holy Spirit in this
meeting between Christian and non-Christian and the calling of God
through the Holy Spirit, the non-Christian will be open to his meeting
with the surgeon.

   Our gall bladder sufferer has heard the most respected opinions on
his condition and enters the hospital where, after a few preliminaries,
he finds himself in a brightly lit operating room. He is shifted on to
the operating table and, within a few seconds, comes as near to death
as man can induce.

   The process of anesthesia is precise, highly developed, and as safe
as it can be made. However, it takes a person from consciousness to
deep unconsciousness where all of life's non-automatic functions must
be supported externally and the automatic functions must be monitored
closely to ensure that the fine line between unconsciousness and death
is not crossed. For all intents and purposes, the patient has
approached as close to death as possible without actually dying. It
takes a considerable amount of trust and faith to allow one to be put
into such a condition. But, the patient must die to the conscious world
in order to have the offending gall bladder removed with a minimum of
trauma. In about an hour and a half, the operation is over and arousal
from this death-like stupor proceeds apace.

   Shortly, the patient is back in his room where there may be friends
and anxious family members awaiting. The patient has aroused from near
death into a new life.

   But, how does this bit of medical analogy apply to our
non-Christian? The metaphor of Christ as a surgeon carving out sin from
a life may be stretching a point a bit, isn't it? Hardly! The price
demanded by God as the only atonement for the sin of all people has
been paid through the death of Christ on the cross. Yet, it is
necessary for our sin to be accounted for so it can be excised. This
excision requires the sinner to accept the substitutionary death of
Christ as the price demanded and paid for our sin.

   Once this acceptance is a fait accomplis, the sinner can arise or be
reborn into a new life wherein Christ can reign supreme. How this
actually happens in a twinkling of an eye defies description in terms a
logical mind can understand. Salvation is a gift from God which the
sinner accepts through faith. It is ineffectual until it is accepted.
The act of faith whereby the gift is accepted is the act by which the
rebirth occurs. Thus, the sinner recognizes the substitutionary death
of Christ as expiation of the sinner's past sin. Through partaking of
this death and accepting the gift of righteousness it imparts to a
sinner, the sinner becomes a child of God and has knowledge rather the
merely hope concerning his place in eternity.

   GALL BLADDERS

   While anesthetized, the gall bladder sufferer is in a state of
transition.

   He still has the problem but is on the road to recovery. As the
operation progresses, the cause of the suffering is excised. The gall
bladder and any related problem areas are removed and discarded. The
area is closed and measures are taken to ensure rapid and aseptic
healing. The patient is taken to a recovery area when he is closely
watched to ensure his safe and full emergence form the anesthesia. His
vital signs are closely monitored and soon he is back in his room where
the majority of the hospital portion of the recovery will take place.
Sure, the patient is uncomfortable and sore but that situation can only
improve. The underlying cause of the suffering is gone. Indeed, the
patient now is a new being with a new physical future.

   It is now my belief that the metaphorical comparisons between the
excision of a problem gall bladder and the identification and cleansing
of sin in a life are almost obvious. The non-Christian must recognize
that his problem is sin and that the sin must be eradicated. This will
demand a traumatic act of faith by which the sinner will be cleansed by
the blood of Christ.

   No one can adequately explain the process but the sin, life the
offending gall bladder, will be excised and no more will be a death
threat to the new Christian. The new Christian will emerge from the
experience facing the new life without the sins of the past and having
a guaranteed future without the death threat of unremitted sin. The new
Christian will require nurture and guidance from the other Christians
who have had more time to absorb more of the meaning of being a
Christian. The best guidance is the Word of God which "Man could not
write if he would, and would not write if he could!"

   No man will understand all of the Word of God but every man, as led
by the Holy Spirit, can understand what it is God intends for him to
understand.

   This understanding, in each individual case, will be sufficient to
allow spiritual growth in a new life gained through the rebirth in
Christ.

   The emergence of a new Christian does not mean that he will never
again suffer from the pain and agony of sin. Our gall bladder patient
will never suffer from the gall bladder which was removed but he will
have other physical ailments from time to time requiring medical
attention.

   Metaphorically, the new Christian also will suffer from sin because
the rebirth did not and could not remove the natural nature of man.
However, the new Christian now knows that sin is the underlying cause
of spiritual problems. The new Christian also knows that the cure is to
take such problems to the Cross where the cure will be found.

   HALLELUJAH!

   I feel it is significant that the outline and even some of the
phraseology was clear to me when I was emerging from the anesthesia.
Further, I felt almost a compulsion to record these ideas while they
were still fresh in my memory. I have had major surgery before this
gall bladder experience and, while I am not proud of it, I have always
been what is best described as a poor patient. I have often said
jocularly that when I hurt, the world knows it! This time was
different! I had a peace and calm which was most uncharacteristic. I
believe I had the peace of God and this inner spiritual peace went a
long way to assuage the carnal side of me. I would have vehemently
denied a month ago that I could and would write this testimony.

   Now, I have a need to complete it. As I write these words, it is now
ten days since surgery. My emergence into my new life now stretches
onward to a place where nothing is finite and, yet, infinity will be a
understandable concept. At the center of this infinity is Christ at the
right hand of God and I am being led there in the hand of the Holy
Spirit. It will be time enough then for me to understand what I cannot
grasp today. There is only on word expressive enough to announce my
spiritual feelings: HALLELUJAH!

   Mr Edward Early is now retire and living in Southern Florida...

   Southern MD Christian Information Service BBS

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