Gtcotr/ws101613
Death is a fact.
The Bible says; “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes
judgment,”
(Hebrews 9:27 ESV)
We don’t prepare for death – spiritually or otherwise
…and
yet it is the one event common to all humanity
All
of us will face it. We try to dress it up.
We
try not to think about it. We push it to the back of our thoughts.
Statistically,
very few of us even make a basic plan relating to our death – less than half of
adults in America actually make out a will.
A
survey in 2007 revealed that about 55% of all adult
Americans do not have a will. Of those, only 32% of African Americans
and 26% of Hispanic Americans had wills.
Another
survey in 2012 showed approximately the same percentage. Also in the 2012
survey, 63% did not know what would happen to their digital assets…online
passwords and accounts, ebooks, etc.
I
would encourage everyone to seriously engage in some estate planning, obtain
life insurance, get your wills done or updated, develop a business succession
plan, etc, and don’t forget about including the church and the kingdom of God
in your estate giving!
“for
we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the
world.” (1 Timothy 6:7 ESV)
It
has been said that it wasn’t until the late 1960’s that the medical community
began to become more aware of the need for supporting the dying and grieving
from a psychological perspective. The seminal work of Elizabeth Kübler Ross
published in her book “On Death and Dying” after interviewing hundreds of
patients for many years and the development of her now well known “stage
theory” of grief helped many come to grips with death and grieving and
counsellors to give needed support, perspective, and comfort. While not
universally accepted, the five stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining,
depression, and acceptance) are certainly identifiable, experienced by many, and are
useful for patients and counselors alike.
Now
there is a greater proliferation of grief counseling available. In fact, next
week here in Beaumont, there is a training session on supporting individuals
with intellectual and developmental disabilities through life ending illness,
grief and loss.
Life Expectancy in the USA
The average life expectancy in the USA in 2011 was 78.7 years. In 2011, the age
adjusted death rate for the United States was 740.6 per 100,000 people. Hispanic
females had the longest life expectancy.
The
state of Hawaii had the lowest death rate, and Mississippi the highest.
States
in the Southeastern region (OK, AR, LA, MS, AL, TN, SC) had higher death rates,
along with KY, IN and WV.
Causes of Death
The
leading causes of death in 2011 for ages 1 through 44 were accidents, homicide,
and cancer. For ages 45 to over 65, the
leading causes were cancer and heart disease, with heart disease taking the
lead for the over 65 group.
Key Scripture: 1 Cor 15:55 “O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?”
O Hades, where is your victory?”
Before
we understand more about death, we have to understand what man is—
We need a Biblical view of human nature .
The Judeo – Christian view of human nature
holds that man is not an eternally pre – existent being, but is a conscious,
immaterial soul which is a separate entity from the body (mind – body dualism)
that will live on in eternity after physical death. The soul, which is not the
same as the brain, uses the brain and body to communicate with the natural
world. Man has various characteristics that distinguish his nature from the
rest of the created order such as posture, larger brains, articulate speech,
cumulative cultural traditions, aesthetic appreciation, and religious
expression.
Why death?
Death
was not part of the natural order or cycle intended by God – it is the curse
for disobedience.
“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.””
(Genesis 2:17 ESV)
Death
passed on to all men, because all sinned because Adam sinned.
Death
entered the world through sin. Death is part of the curse of sin.
“Therefore,
just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so
death spread to all men because all sinned—”
(Romans 5:12 ESV)
“But
if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is
life because of righteousness.”
(Romans 8:10 ESV)
“But
in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have
fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the
resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all
be made alive.”
(1 Corinthians 15:20–22 ESV)
Death
encompasses the entirety of man’s makeup:
The
curse of sin involves physical, spiritual, and eternal dimensions.
The
wages or payment for sin is death – physical, spiritual and eternal.
“For
the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ
Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 6:23 ESV)
As
Michael Horton says; “As it is, after the fall, we are dying from the moment we
are born.” (Pilgrim
Theology, Zondervan 2012)
Death
is called “the last enemy.”
“For
he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy
to be destroyed is death.”
(1 Corinthians 15:25–26 ESV)
What happens at death? What is death?
Physical
death is variously represented in Scripture.
It
is spoken of as:
-
as the death of the body, as distinguished from that of the soul, Matt. 10: 28;
Luke 12: 4,
-
as the termination or loss of animal life, Luke 6: 9; John 12: 25
-
as a separation of body and soul, Eccl. 12: 7; Jas. 2: 26.”
It
is never an annihilation, but may be described as a termination of physical
life by separation of body and soul.
Louis
Berkhof (2013-04-30T05:00:00+00:00). Summary of Christian Doctrine (Kindle
Locations 2309-2313). Kindle Edition.
Berkhof
on the nature of man and death:
“…according
to Scripture, physical death is a termination of physical life by the
separation of body and soul.”
“For
as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is
dead.”
(James 2:26 ESV)
Death
is also described in the Bible as an “exodus” that involves departing from your
body. Luke uses the term when he writes about the experience on the mount of
transfiguration – Moses and Elijah are speaking to Jesus about His “departure”
– the greek word used here is “exodus.”
“And
as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing
became dazzling white. And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and
Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to
accomplish at Jerusalem.”
(Luke 9:29–31 ESV)
Peter
uses the same word and also uses the metaphor of “the removal of his tent”:
“I
think it right, as long as I am in this body, to stir you up by way of reminder, since I know that the putting off (gk –
removal) of my body (gk..tent) will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made
clear to me. And I will make every effort so that after my departure
(gk-exodus) you may be able at any time to recall these things.” (2 Peter
1:12–15 ESV)
“Death
is not a cessation of existence, but a severance of the natural relations of
life.”
Louis
Berkhof (2013-05-08T05:00:00+00:00). Systematic Theology (Kindle Locations
15076-15079). Kindle Edition.
In
Pastor Ron Hammond’s oft-used illustration, our body is an “earth suit” for our
soul (our mind, emotions, and will) that gives us legitimate expression and
communication on this earth. Once the earth suit dies, we no longer have a way
to express ourselves, communicate or to exist in the natural world. All continue
to exist after death, but in another plane, in heaven for believers in Christ,
or in hell.
““The
two words ‘soul’ and ‘spirit’ are used interchangeably. Death is sometimes
described as:
-
a giving up of the soul, Gen. 35: 18; 1 Kings 17: 21
-
sometimes as the giving up of the spirit, Luke 23:46; Acts 7: 59.
The
dead are in some cases named “souls,” Rev. 9: 6; 20: 4,
in
others, ‘spirits,’ I Pet 3:19; Heb. 12:23.
The
two terms of spirit and soul denote the spiritual element in man from different
points of view.
As
spirit it is the principle of life and action, which controls the body, and as
soul it is the personal subject, which thinks and feels and wills, and in some
cases the seat of the affections.”
Louis
Berkhof (2013-04-30T05:00:00+00:00). Summary of Christian Doctrine (Kindle
Locations 784-788). Kindle Edition. (editing mine)
At
death, the souls of believers immediately enter God’s presence and enjoy direct
fellowship with Him.
“Yes,
we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home
with the Lord.”
(2 Corinthians 5:8 ESV)
“And
he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to
him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.””
(Luke 23:42–43 ESV)
(Paradise
is heaven) - “I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven—whether in
the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows. And I know that this man was caught up into paradise—whether in
the body or out of the body I do not know, God knows—” (2 Corinthians 12:2–3 ESV)
For Christians, death is not to be met with fear, but with joy, because of the
prospect and promise of going to be with Christ.
“in
your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures
forevermore.” (Psalms 16:11 ESV)
“as
it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that
with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by
life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to
live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I
cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be
with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more
necessary on your account.”
(Philippians 1:20–24 ESV)
Physical
Death cannot separate us from God’s love
“For I am sure that neither death… nor life,
nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor
height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
(Romans 8:38–39 ESV)
The
Bible uses analogical and metaphorical language to describe a number of things
about God and His relationship with man, including death.
The Bible likens death to ‘sleep’ in a number
of cases:
One
reason sleep is used as a metaphor for death is because death is viewed
Biblically as only temporary for Christians, just as sleep is temporary.
The Souls of the Dead are Conscious not
sleeping
When a Christian dies, they are immediately
present with the Lord.
“So we
are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we
are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good
courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” (2
Corinthians 5:6–8 ESV)
““Our
friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.”The disciples said to
him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of
his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.” (John 11:11–13
ESV)
“For
God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord
Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we
might live with him.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:8–10 ESV)
“My
desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” (Philippians
1:23 ESV)
Revelation tell us that at some point there are souls of martyrs under the
altar in heaven – souls that are speaking, praying, communicating with the
Lord. They are in heaven and not in the
ground, and they are not unconscious or sleeping.
“When
he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been
slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out
with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will
judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”” (Revelation
6:9–10 ESV)
Jesus said his
Father is the God of the living, not the dead.
“But
that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush,
where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of
Jacob.Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.”” (Luke
20:37–38 ESV)
Moses and Elijah were talking with Jesus on the Mount of
Transfiguration – they were in recognizable form, and were able to communicate
with Jesus and he with them. (Matthew 17)
What
about other false ideas about death?
- Naturalism/Materialism
The teaching of Scripture is that man was a
direct creation by God, made a “living soul” by breathing into the body the
breath of life.
We are not a mere collocation of random
atoms that by sheer chance evolved into the highest order on earth.
True materialists cannot say that they care
for anything or anyone, nor for life itself and still remain intellectually
honest.
- Universalism /
rejoining the universal soul
Individual souls matter to God. Jesus died for a humanity of individual souls
who EACH must make their choice to believe and obey the Gospel.
- Reincarnation
Death seals the eternal state. Scripture knows nothing of returning as a fly
or a beetle if you were sinful in your life. You cannot pay off your old sins
in the next life because you too busy committing new sins in your current life!
For
believers, a greater life awaits.
Those
in Christ will be made alive.
Christians
have a “blessed hope” – a confident assurance beyond the grave, because Jesus
himself conquered death, and will reign until death is completely done away.
“Now
if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that
there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the
dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised,
then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to
be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ,
whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the
dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not
been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those
also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope
in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.
But in
fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have
fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the
resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all
be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his
coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the
kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and
power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The
last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
(1 Corinthians 15:12–26 ESV)
Through
his sacrifice on the cross, Jesus destroyed death and delivered us from the
bondage of the fear of death.
“Since
therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of
the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power
of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death
were subject to lifelong slavery.” (Hebrews
2:14–15 ESV)
The
Story of The rich man and Lazarus
- 2 distinct, and
fixed destinations
- Were conscious of
their environment – one a place of bliss, the other of torment
- Neither could cross
to the other
- Could see,
communicate, feel
- Expressed concern
for family
- Rich man was not
repentant
““There
was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted
sumptuously every day.And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus,
covered with sores,who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s
table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores.The poor man died and
was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was
buried,and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham
far off and Lazarus at his side.And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy
on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my
tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember
that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner
bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish.And besides
all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those
who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there
to us.’And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s
house—for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come
into this place of torment.’But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the
Prophets; let them hear them.’And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone
goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’He said to him, ‘If they do not
hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should
rise from the dead.’””
(Luke 16:19–31 ESV)
Important Points
1.
When we die our soul does not simply go to sleep and await the
resurrection.
2.
Death separates the soul from the body.
3.
When separated from the body, a believer’s soul is immediately
present with the Lord.
4.
The grave holds a believer’s body until the resurrection.
5.
Death has no victory and the grave loses its sting in Christ.
