12

You Are Redeemed and Forgiven

In life, what we value most can be taken from us unexpectedly. And when a celebrity’s very life has abruptly ended, we’re often in a state of shock and disbelief. I remember watching a certain martial arts star in an American weekly TV show and later in some action feature films. Here’s the brief story about his demise.

HOW DID BRUCE LEE DIE?

With a nickname like “The Dragon,” Bruce Lee undeniably lived at the top of the martial arts pyramid. So, when a powerhouse like him laid down at the age of 32 and never woke again, the world was stunned. One of the most in-depth biographies on Lee makes the assertion that he “wasn’t just an entertainer; he was an evangelist.” That’s quite a testament to Bruce Lee’s impact on other people and their decisions to embark upon a lifelong journey with martial arts.

It seemed as though Bruce Lee could take down a fiery dragon if faced with one. Yet, he died on July 20, 1973 -- at the tender age of 32. How could a man of enviable strength and skill just drop dead in his early thirties? Really, how did Bruce Lee die?

The Death of a Dragon

Lee’s final [film, Enter the Dragon,] went down in history as one of the most successful martial arts movies of all time. In fact, his hand strikes were so [fast] the camera speed had to be adjusted. During its filming, on May 10, 1973, Lee collapsed and was rushed to Hong Kong Baptist Hospital. The doctors diagnosed him with cerebral [edema] or brain swelling due to excess fluid. They reduced the swelling by administering mannitol, a drug known to decrease intracranial pressure, but this wasn’t the last Lee would succumb to the treachery of cerebral edema.

On July 20, 1973, Lee met with producer Raymond Chow and then drove to actress Betty Ting Pei’s house to go over their scripts. After Lee complained of a headache, Ting gave him some Equagesic, a pill containing aspirin and a tranquilizer. Lee took the tablet, laid down for a nap, and never woke again.

Bruce Lee’s death was ruled “death by misadventure.” Coroners stated he had a severe allergic reaction to the tranquilizer in Equagesic, causing his brain to swell. When you consider his May hospitalization, it all seemed to add up.89

While many other theories have been presented as to the cause of Lee’s death, many believe that brain swelling due to excess fluid caused by one of the ingredients in the pill was the ultimate cause.

Life is uncertain, but God isn’t. In the book of Ephesians, we’re told that God has given us two things at salvation that can never be taken away from us. Please turn there in your Bible and we’ll find out what these are.

Ephesians 1:7

In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;

In whom (Christ), you have redemption (to let one go free; separation from all of the consequences of our transgressions) through his blood (the price paid to satisfy divine justice) and the forgiveness (to blot out; not to remember any longer; to throw a person’s sins behind one’s back; to carry away your sins so that they might never again be seen) of sins.

On the cross, Christ paid the penalty and provided forgiveness for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2). However, at salvation, the verb have gives us further clarification about redemption and forgiveness. These words in Koine Greek are in the form of a present active indicative.

What this conveys to us is that you, who are saved, are in full and continuous possession of90 redemption and forgiveness.

There will be some that will say because you’ve committed such and such sins that the payment for sin and its forgiveness can be undone. It can’t. Your redemption of deliverance from the wrath of God and the release from sin’s hold91and forgiveness (no written accusation stands against [you] because [your] sins have been taken away92) is your continuous possession. Praise God!

This doesn’t mean that grace gives us a license to sin. It means that God has provided us with the grace that will teach us how to deny ungodliness and worldly lusts (Titus 2:12). And hopefully, we’ll choose to learn what grace has to say about such and apply it to our new lives.

Have you ever wished that you could go back and start your life over again? Well, if you’re a believer, you actually have. If you’re not a believer, then what you’ll find out in the following chapter is how this can become a reality in your life.

Endnotes

89“How did Bruce Lee die,” yourdictionary 17 November 2022

.

90UBS New Testament.

91Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament.

92The Bible Exposition Commentary.