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Key verse: Philippians 1:21 "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain."
Biblical truth: Death is not a tragic thing for a Christian. It can have circumstances around it that are tragic and it can cause a lot of sorrow for those that are left behind, but for the Christian, it is gain. He or she will immediately be in the presence of the Savior and will experience instant healing from all disease or pain and will no longer be in want of anything.
Death is a separation of the soul and spirit from the body. The body will go back to the dust (grave) from which it came and the soul and spirit will go instantly into the presence of God. (II Corinthians 5:8) The Bible uses the word "sleep" for death with respect to the body because it lies in the dust waiting for its transformation, or resurrection. The soul will be in the presence of God and the spirit will be conscious in heaven immediately after death.
The body is really the only thing that "dies" at death. Because of the resurrection, it is not even a permanent situation because the body will be transformed at the resurrection into a new body like the one that Jesus has.
The body was originally formed out of dust ( Genesis 3:19)
a. It is destined to return there, or be changed.
b. It cannot enter heaven as it is for it is sinful (I Corinthians 15:50)
c. It is necessary that we lose this body before entering heaven.
A limit was put on the length of time a body can live (Psalm 90:10)
a. All men have an appointment with death unless the return of the Lord happens before they die (Hebrews 9:27)
b. Death is a natural process brought on by sin (Romans 5:12)
The body has to die and be resurrected or it has to be changed before it can enter heaven
a. Death is called sleep for the body, or all those that die in Christ will awake and be resurrected when He returns (John 8:52, John 11:11)
b. The body will be changed and will be like Jesus' body when He returns (I John 3:1-3)
c. The decay of the body back into dust, or the fact that a body was burned (many martyrs were burned up at the stake) or eaten or lost at sea and dissolved by the ocean will not prevent a resurrection of their body.
The soul is what God created and though there was a time in which it did not exist, it will now never cease to exist. The spirit is the life of the body. Once the spirit is separated from the body, the body dies. It takes its last breath and dies. While the body is now dead (sleeping if the person is a Christian) the soul and spirit wake up instantly in the presence of Jesus.
To be absent from the body (soul and spirit) is for them to be present with the Lord.
a. In the story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31, the eternality and consciousness of soul and spirit are seen.
i. Both men died leaving behind the body of a saint and the body of a lost man.
ii. Both men are conscious and not only aware of their new situation, but of their past life also.
iii. Lazarus is no longer a beggar but is in the presence of the angels, and the fathers of the faith.
iv. There is remembrance, knowledge of family, knowledge of personages
v. Bodies are in the dust, but spirits are in the place of their choosing during their lifetime.
Dying is gain for the Christian (Philippians 1:22-24)
a. In every respect, to be present with Jesus is better than any situation we could find in this life.
i. No pain and suffering
ii. With Jesus and like Jesus (I Thessalonians 4:17, I John 3:1-3)
b. Our loved ones are only separated from us temporarily if we are saved.
c. King David knew that he couldn't bring his baby back that had died, but knew he could go to where the baby is one day (II Samuel 12:23)
Dying will mean standing before Jesus and the examination of our Christian life.
a. What did we do with the new life that Jesus gave us? (II Corinthians 5:10)
b. Our works will not be judged for salvation. No part of the Judgment Seat of Christ is about our salvation. That was decided in our lifetimes and was settled eternally at that point (I Corinthians 3:11-15)
c. Our good works will abide the judgment and will become gifts to present to the Savior.
Dying is reward for the Christian
a. To be in His presence is the greatest reward
b. There will be other rewards given after the church age has come to an end
c. We will be like Him
Reading: There are so many theories about death and so many movies and books that present false concepts of what happens at death. The Bible also speaks in terms of the body in some verses and of the soul or spirit in others. It is important to understand the triune nature of man to understand how death affects each part. It is also important to view our lives as a precious gift, not to be wasted on trivial things, but as our chance to glorify God and be involved in His mission.
How would you want the history of your life on this earth to read? What accomplishments and legacies would you want to leave behind and take with you?
Ask the Lord to help you see these things come to pass in your life and work on them while there is time.