Death is a hard thing for family members that are left behind. Many don't seem to cope well, but if we die in the Lord, though we are missed, it is just the beginning for a Christian.FIRST WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT DEATH AND DYING?
#1 Death comes to all people eventually.
Eccl 3:1-2a
To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; ...
#2 At death all people are judged.
Heb 9:27
And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
#3 The Lord God is the giver and sustainer of all life.
Ps 104:29-31
You hide Your face, they are troubled; you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
You send forth Your Spirit, they are created; and You renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in His works.
#4 Death is a direct result of sin.
Rom 5:12
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned--
#5 There is a way to face death with assurance.
1 Cor 15:55-57
"O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?"
The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.
But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
TRUE LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST
Understanding death in Christ is different than understanding death without Him. We in Christ have great assurance and hope. When a
person dies without faith in Christ there is no hope.
1Thes 4:13-14
But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.
For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.
Have you ever noticed, when God says He does not want us ignorant about something, the devil works overtime to see how many he can keep ignorant? One good thing, we have the Word of God the Holy Bible that will make us wise unto salvation.
2 Tim 3:15-16
and that from childhood you have known the Holy
Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,
The point of all this is we can only find the answers in the Word of God as to His provision for all who will come to Him. God has made a provision for those who die trusting Christ.
John 5:24-26
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
"Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.
"For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself,
The Father has given Jesus Christ full authority to grant life to all who come to Him. There is no other way to be saved in death. To even make the blessing greater in Christ we pass from judgment which brings death, into life! God is good!
DEATH ON THREE LEVELS
Death as the Bible explains comes in three areas spiritually, physically, and a second death.
#1 Spiritual Death.
Gen 2:16-17
And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
"but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."
We know Adam did not fall over dead the second he ate the fruit, in fact he lived 927 years before physical death occurred. Adam died spiritually the second he ate the fruit, at that time Adam was separated from God because God is a Spirit and Adam was as we are spirit beings. The actual Hebrew in Genesis 2:17 is; "for in the day you eat of it in your dying you shall surely die, or in your dying spiritually you shall surely die physically.
#2 Physical Death.
In physical death the spirit and soul of a person leaves their body. Some people think that ghosts are dead people who have not yet made it to their final resting place, but that is not true. When a person dies their spirit and soul can only go 1 of 2 places, heaven if you made Jesus Christ your Savior and Lord or hell if you didn't.
2 Cor 5:6-8
So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord.
For we walk by faith, not by sight.
We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.
According to God's Word to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. The Apostle Paul also talked about what death meant to him and how he looked forward to dying and being with Jesus, Paul called it gain.
Phil 1:21-23
For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
But if I live on in the flesh, this will mean fruit from my labor; yet what I shall choose I cannot tell.
For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.
Paul was not a man that wanted to die, nor was he morbid, he simply understood that being with Jesus was far better.
The second death is when God judges all the wicked dead that did not receive Jesus. You can study this out for yourself in Rev. 20:11-15.
A PRAYER OF SALVATION FROM DEATH
Dear God, I am a sinner. I believe Jesus Christ is your Son, and you sent Him to die for my sins and I receive Him now by faith as my personal Lord and Savior. Come into my heart Lord Jesus and save me from my sins. Amen.
© 2001 Good Shepherd Fellowship Church, Inc.
ARR, UBP
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