Aspatria: Death, Fires & Doors

Of St Kentigern’s Church at Aspatria I have already written, yet I think it warrants another set of thoughts. Among its array of historical detritus are several hogback tombs, a reminder of death and its inevitable claiming of our bodies. Upon one of its Norman doorways, however, is one of those compulsory tokens of irritating modernity: health and safety. Much as I bemoan this, I am actually glad we must have due regard for keeping people alive and well. On the old doorway is a modern green sign advising of a fire escape. Is this not the ultimate message of Christianity? Just as death destroys the body so the fires of judgement await the soul: is there some escape from them? Is there no remedy for this dreadful and horrible doom?

Yes, there is a fire escape. Just as the Lord Jesus escaped from death by bursting forth from that tomb, so He paid sin’s debt upon the cross and offers complete release from judgement and hell. The door is open: God’s invites us and draws us to knock thereon and enter through, for to him who knocks, the door shall be opened.

The reign of sin and death is o’er,
And all may live from sin set free;
Satan hath lost his mor­tal pow­er;
’Tis swal­lowed up in vic­to­ry.

Saved from the le­gal curse I am,
My Sav­iour hangs on yon­der tree:
See there the meek, ex­pir­ing Lamb!
’Tis fin­ished! He ex­pires for me.

Accepted in the Well-be­loved,
And clothed in right­eous­ness di­vine,
I see the bar to Heav­en re­moved;
And all Thy mer­its, Lord, are mine.

Death, hell, and sin are now sub­dued;
All grace is now to sin­ners giv­en;
And lo, I plead the aton­ing blood,
And in Thy right I claim Thy Heav­en!

-Charles Wesley, 1762

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