How Should The Christian Consider Death?

“THERE is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven—A time to give birth, and a time to die; A time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted” (Eccl. 3:1, 2 NASB).

“A GOOD name is better than good ointment, And the day of one’s death is better than the day of one’s birth” (Eccl. 7:1 NASB).

The Christian’s death day is better than his birthday. However, his birthday was essential to his death day being better. When one says that a second thing is better than the first, it is understood that the first thing had intrinsic value. All of the Christian’s days in Christ on earth are good, but to be with Christ in eternal glory will be better. Paul was blessed to be in Christ on earth, but it will become the acme of blessing for Paul to be with Christ in glory: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake” (Phil. 1:21-24 NASB).

When things are right, a conclusion is better than a beginning. Therefore, fruit is better than the blossom, reaping is better than sowing, victory is better than warfare, reward is better than the difficult course of service, and the good wine is kept for the conclusion of the journey (John 2:1-11).

The turning of water into wine was the first miracle performed by Christ to show Himself to be the fulfillment of Old Testament ceremonies. When man has done all he can, a great deficiency remains: “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:3, 4 NASB). The miracle is shrouded in deep silence. Nothing is stated concerning the method of operation. No means are employed. The same is true in regeneration. Nothing is stated about how Christ changed the water into wine. No one can trace beginnings because a veil is over God’s creative acts.

Birth introduces depravity into the world. David said, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me” (Ps. 51:5 NASB). “The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth” (Ps. 58:3 NASB). Death removes that depravity. The death Paul ultimately died was but the final stage of a dying that had been continuous throughout his Christian pilgrimage (II Cor. 4:10-5:10 NASB).

Job said, “Man, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil. Like a flower he comes forth and withers. He also flees like a shadow and does not remain” (Job 14:1, 2 NASB). Never a day passes in a Christian’s life when he is not presented with objects, which should make him reflect on his final exit. No stage of life is exempt from troubles from infancy to the grave. Even the best of saints have scarcely time to dress their souls before they must put off their bodies. Too much time is spent grasping at the shadow and therefore failing to appropriate the substance. Human life is flattering in its beginning because it comes like a flower, but it is soon gone and leaves without returning. Death brings the Christian into eternal rest: “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on! Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them” (Rev. 14:13 NASB). This is one of seven beatitudes recorded in Revelation (1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7; 22:14). The beatitude of promise in Revelation 14:13 will be a special comfort during the tribulation to saints who have not been killed.

Birth brings everyone into a state of dying: “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27 NASB). No one should scoff at judgment until he can scoff at death. No one but a senseless person sneers at physical death. What happened to Adam is true of all men: “So all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died” (Gen. 5:5 NASB). Reading the history of Adam’s descendants may not be interesting, but it surely does establish an important fact—every living person is appointed to die. The other side of this coin reveals that death is the entrance into either eternal perfection of glory or eternal punishment.

God is omnipresent. As God cannot be measured by time, He cannot be limited by space. Furthermore, as no place can be without God, no place can encompass and contain Him. Therefore, God is present with all by the presence of His Deity, but He is present with His saints by the presence of His gracious efficacy in time and His glorious efficacy in eternity.

Luke 16:19-31 records a contrast between life and death in the story of a certain rich man and a certain poor man named Lazarus. The name “Lazarus” means “God helps.” The rich man was not important enough to have his name mentioned. His name was not recorded in the Book of Life. There was a great change in their deaths. The poor man died (no funeral mentioned), and he was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man died and was buried. (Study Jer. 9:17, 18.) There is a contrast in eternity between the unnamed rich man and the named poor man who had been helped by the sovereign God.

Christ’s account of the rich man and Lazarus must not be closed without considering verses 26-31. The rich man was more keenly conscious of the afterlife than a person in this life. He knew what was going on in three realms: (1) his own realm in Hades (v. 24), (2) the realm he saw in which Abraham and Lazarus were (vv. 25, 26), and (3) the realm in which his five brothers lived (vv. 27-31). Hades is taboo in modern thinking. Is punishment a myth? Remove punishment and a fresh impetus to crime appears.

The following is the Christian view of death:

1. Death is the final deliverance of salvation. There is more to salvation than merely escaping hell or going to heaven when one dies. Completed salvation is not experienced all at once. Christ died for the sheep—past tense. He lives for the sheep—present tense. The Lord Jesus is coming for the sheep—future tense. When man fell, the fall was complete. His spirit died immediately. His soul degenerated progressively. His body died ultimately. Redemption follows the same order. The elect are justified immediately, sanctified progressively, and glorified ultimately.

2. Death is not cessation but separation of existence. The believer steps out of time into eternity. Paul used the Greek noun kerdos meaning gain, the adjective kreitton meaning greater, better, or superior, and the adverb mallon meaning more or much more in Philippians 1:21-23. The combination of the words proves the deceased Christian does not become less of a person when he dies: “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us…And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:18, 23 NASB). The redeemed body will be the completion or perfection of what God the Holy Spirit began in regeneration. The Spirit applied what the Son of God provided by His death. What the Son provided was on behalf of the elected one the Father gave Him before the foundation of the world.

3. Death is the perfect treatment for all spiritual and physical diseases. It is not the death of the person, but it is the death of man’s sins. Sin was the midwife that brought death into the world, and death will be the grave to bury sin. Death came in by sin, and sin goes out by death. As long as Christians are in the flesh they experience inward renewal and outward decline (II Cor. 4:8-18). When sufferings are compared with eternal glory, they dwindle into insignificance (II Tim. 2:12; Rom. 8:17).

4. Death should be viewed as resting from sin, sorrow, afflictions, temptations, desertions, vexations, oppositions, and persecutions (Rev. 14:13; Rom. 5:3-5; II Cor. 4:7-12). The redeemed are not vessels of merit, but vessels of mercy. The clay is not put on the wheel of providence and left to chance. God’s vessel should make the most of time because the days are evil (Eph. 5:16). This will make the Christian’s heavenly rest more wonderful.

5. Death is gaining full freedom from all enemies within and without. Christians will be free from indwelling sin (Rom. 7:14-25). They will also be free from all the world forces of darkness and the schemes of the Devil (Eph. 6:10-17).

6. Death should be viewed with the assurance of having an honorable convoy to escort the Christian (Luke 16:22) following his walk through the valley of the SHADOW of death: “Even though I walk through the shadow of death (deep darkness), I fear no evil” (John Joseph Owens). The darkness may be intense, but it is only a shadow. The Christian fears no evil because “Thou (his Shepherd) art with me.” (See Psalm 23.)

7. The Christian looks at death as a departure from imperfection to perfection (II Tim. 4:6). Paul lived a progressively spiritual life. It was not without its hardship, persecution, and suffering. However, it was in preparation for dying because he looked forward to the experience with joyful confidence and hopeful expectation.