Death and dying, for all of us it is something in our future and something we don’t really want to think about much less plan for! What should be our attitude toward this event that comes to all of us. Friends, relatives, and finally, we ourselves will most likely go through this experience for it is a common experience to all of mankind! The Bible states in Hebrews 9:27, “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment.” And in Ecclesiastes 3:2 we read, “A time to give birth and a time to die; A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted.”
Is physical death and dying inescapable to all of us? Although death seems to be in the future of every living person we find that there are two exceptions to this. First, there are a few recorded instances where a person was taken directly into Heaven without experiencing physical death. Examples of this are “Enoch” who “walked with God and was not for God took him” (Genesis 5:24)) and Elijah who was “caught up into a Whirlwind” and taken to Heaven (2 Kings chapter 2, verses I and 11). Second, there will be those Christians alive at the time Jesus Christ comes to get “His Bride – The Church” who will be caught up into the air (raptured) to meet Jesus Christ. What happens to these “Believers in Jesus Christ” is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 where we read, “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. (14) For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. (15) For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. (16) For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (17) Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. (18) Therefore comfort one another with these words. Verse 17 speaks of those who are still in their physical bodies at the time Jesus Christ returns in the air to get HIS BRIDE – THE CHURCH. Note that these are BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST – CHILDREN OF GOD, who will not die physically but, “translated” into “NEW BODIES” that will never die! With their “NEW – IMMORTAL BODIES” these “CHILDREN OF GOD” will be able to enter HEAVEN – to enter ETERNITY with Jesus Christ to “RULE AND REIGN” with HIM for “FOREVER AND EVER!”
It is important to note that God did not create man to die – either physically or spiritually. God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden to care for it. He came to them in the evening of the day to fellowship with them and he warned them not to eat of the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” located in the center of the garden and if they did eat of it they would surely die. God created man with the ability to think for himself – to be able to choose of his own free will. And, man’s exercise of this ability resulted in man making a fatal choice resulting in death – both spiritual and physical.
We find the record of the “fall of man” recorded in Genesis 3:1-7 where we read, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, "Indeed, has God said, ' You shall not eat from any tree of the garden'?" (2) The woman said to the serpent, "From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; (3) but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'" (4) The serpent said to the woman, "You surely will not die! (5) "For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (6) When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. (7) Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.”
Clearly, Adam and Eve bought “this great lie” of the devil and thereby brought “DEATH” into this world when they sinned against God (disobeyed HIM) in the Garden of Eden. Both physical death and spiritual death came into this world through this “original sin” of Adam and Eve! Romans 3:24 states “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Man was not created to die but the disobedience of Adam and Eve to the commands of God, Our Creator resulted in sin entering the world. Romans 6:23 states, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Death then entered into our experience through mankind succumbing to the temptation of the devil and our subsequent disobedience to God, Our Creator. The devil’s method of tempting man NOT to trust in God and His Word has proven to be his best tool against mankind down through the ages. It still seems to work well for him today.
This condition of “sin” and its consequence “death” is an “inheritance” from Adam and Eve passed on to every person born on this earth. It is not something we choose. We cannot escape it or avoid it! It is common to all mankind! Whether we realize it or not – whether we admit it or not, we are born into this condition of sin and we are consequently under the condemnation of death – both physical death and spiritual death.
We are actually born into this world physically alive but spiritually we are dead. Again, this is due to the “Original Sin” of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Bible states that we are dead in our trespasses and sins. In Ephesians 2:1-6 we read, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, (2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, (the devil) of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. (3) Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” In Romans 8:10-11 we read, “If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. (11) But if the Spirit of Him (GOD, OUR FATHER) who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Clearly, “Spiritual Life” is made possible to us and for us “only in and through” Our Lord Jesus Christ. It was necessary for God Himself to provide “The Way” for us to escape “Eternal Death.” There is no other way! Jesus Christ Himself stated in John 14:6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Contrary to what many in today’s world have to say, there is only one way to God – only one way to Heaven – only one way to be saved. That One Way is Jesus Christ!
As Adam was the cause of our “fall” into sin, Jesus Christ is the answer to our being rescued from our sinful state of spiritual death. In 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 we read these words, “For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.” God provided for the redemption of mankind through His Only Begotten Son, The Lord Jesus Christ to ALL! (TO ALL WHO WOULD BELIEVE IN HIM AND ACCEPT HIM AS THEIR PERSONAL SAVIOR AND LORD!)
In Colossians 2:13-14 we read, “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He (GOD, THE FATHER) made you alive together with Him (JESUS CHRIST THE SON), having forgiven us all our transgressions, (14) having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.” Jesus Christ Paid for all sin, for all mankind, for all time, (once for all) upon The Cross of Calvary with His Body and His Blood. We must “trust in” and “accept” Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord in order to “BE MADE ALIVE” spiritually. Unless our spirit is “quickened” – made to “come alive” we will REMAIN IN OUR SINFUL STATE (CONDITION) and experience eternal death! In other words, we must accept God’s Provision for the salvation of our souls. This Provision is Jesus Christ! There is no other provision!
How can we be made “Spiritually Alive?” Actually this is something that is “done to us.” We cannot do anything to make ourselves alive “Spiritually.” This is such an important truth allow me to state it again, “We cannot do anything to make ourselves alive spiritually.” Mankind has tried to find some way to gain immortality – to make himself alive spiritually – since the “fall” of Adam and Eve. Countless “religions” and “rituals” have been devised by man to try to achieve this condition of being “spiritually alive.” – to gain eternal life. All of these religions, rituals, and efforts of mankind are bases on mankind’s “works” and are doomed to failure. As difficult as it is for mankind to admit it, it is not possible for us to “save” ourselves – this has to be done for us. Actually, it has already been done by Jesus Christ for us by HIS COMPLETE AND PERFECT SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY. Salvation is available to us free of cost if we will accept it! God does not force anyone to accept His Freely Provided Gift of Salvation. Remember, God created us with the ability to exercise our own free will to choose to accept or to reject His Gift of Salvation.
The question then becomes, who (or what) is able to “save” us – who is able to make us “spiritually alive – to give us “eternal life?” There is one supremely important requirement for one to be our “Savior,” such a person would have to be “perfect” – ABSOLUTELY SINLESS! The Bible declares that no human being is (or indeed can be) qualified to be the Savior of mankind. So, if no human being is qualified to be our Savior, then WHO can Save us? Again, the Bible tells us that GOD HIMSELF had this Plan in place before the world began. From the beginning of time, GOD had in place the Plan for the Salvation of mankind. God’s sense of Justice demanded a “Perfect Sacrifice” – a “Sinless Sacrifice.” ONLY GOD HIMSELF through HIS SON, IS QUALIFIED TO BE THIS PERFECT AND SINLESS SACRIFICE.
The Bible states in Galatians 4:4-7, “But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, (5) so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (6) Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, " Abba! Father!" (7) Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.” Notice the statement, “so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” It is Christ and Jesus Christ alone who gives us Salvation. In John 10:27-28 Jesus states, "My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; (28) and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” Spiritual Life – Eternal Life can be found ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST! Please notice that Eternal Life is found ONLY IN JESUS CHRIST – Eternal Life does not come from Jesus Christ, IT IS FOUND IN HIM! In other words, we must “be in” JESUS CHRIST IN ORDER TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE!
As Jesus Christ stated in John 15:1-9 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. (2) "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit. (3) " You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (4) "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. (5) "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. (6) "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned. (7) "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (8) "My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. (9) "Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love.” Here, Jesus describes us as a “branch.” As a “branch” we have no root of our own. We have no way to obtain nourishment except to “ABIDE” in the “TRUE VINE” – JESUS CHRIST. WE FIND EVERYTHING WE NEED – YES, EVERYTHING “IN” JESUS CHRIST! As Jesus states in this passage, we MUST be in HIM and REMAIN in HIM in order to have “ETERNAL LIFE.”
GOD HIMSELF SENT FORTH HIS SON TO THE EARTH TO APPEAR IN THE FORM OF A MAN TO GO TO THE CROSS AS THE PERFECT SACRIFICE FOR MANKIND. What an amazing statement, GOD HIMSELF WOULD BECOME OUR SACRIFICE!
While we can and should gain “ETERNAL LIFE” in Jesus Christ by trusting in HIM and receiving HIM into our lives, we still face the almost certain prospect of having to go through “Physical Death.” Although there may very well be suffering associated with our physical death it should not be viewed as a “dreaded thing” by a Christian. The Bible makes it clear what happens to us when we draw our last breath in this physical body in which we now dwell. We do not enter into a kind of suspended animation of “soul sleep.” We do not wander around the earth as “disembodied spirits.” And, we do not simply “cease to exist.” The Holy Spirit speaking through the Apostle Paul gives us the answer in 2 Corinthians 5:5-9 where we read, “Now He who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave to us the Spirit as a pledge. (6) Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord — (7) for we walk by faith, not by sight — (8) we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. (9) Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.” NASU This passage makes it clear for all who are Christians that the instant we draw our last breath we are immediately “at home” with Our LORD in Heaven! So, for all of us who are Christians, we have the blessed Promise that we will go into God’s Presence in Heaven the instant of our physical death. We will merely “take off’ our physical body thus “freeing” our person to go home to Heaven to forever be with our Lord and God.
There is a Gospel song that goes like this, “Death ain’t no big deal.” While this is not good grammar usage, it does get the correct point across that for all Christians death is merely a transition into a far better “Eternal” Life. So, take heart dear fellow Christian, WE’LL ALL BE “HOME” SOON!
(PASTOR J. GILBERT (GIL) HAMMOND)
July 9, 2004 (Updated 3-15-14, through 2-16-15)
All Bible references used in this article are from the NASU version of the Bible unless otherwise stated.
ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURES:
Ephesians 2:4-7 (4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, (7) so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. NASU
Romans 5:14 (14) Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. NIV
Romans 5:16-18 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin : The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. (17) For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. (18) Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. NIV
Romans 5:18-21
(18) “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. (19) For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (20) The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, (21) so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” NIV
Ephesians 2:1-7 “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, (2) in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. (3) All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. (4) But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, (5) made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. (6) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, (7) in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.” NIV
Colossians 2:13-14 “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, (14) having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.” NIV
Psalms 90:10-12 (10) “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, Or if due to strength, eighty years, Yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; For soon it is gone and we fly away.” NASU
Psalms 116:15 “Precious in the sight of the LORD Is the death of His godly ones.” NASU
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Pastor J. Gilbert Hammond