by Garrett Glende
Death is not a subject that we like to talk much about in our culture, yet it remains as a constant occurrence in all life on Earth. In his ninth resolution, Jonathon Edwards resolved “to think much on all occasions of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.” Especially considering that Edwards was only 19 when he penned those words, such morbid thoughts are indeed surprising. To the Atheist or non-Christian, of course this type of thinking seems unnecessary or even harmful, as they acknowledge nothing past this material world. But the Christian does well to consider the realities of death, for it will undoubtedly come upon all of us and we must think of it in a biblical manner. What happens when we die? Why do we die? How should the immanency of death change our lives today? These are all questions that are important for us to be able to answer, not only so that we can live God-honoring lives, but also help others to do the same.
The creation account of Genesis is where we must begin in order to gather a clear understanding of death as the Bible explains it. When God created the world and everything in it, He declared that “it was good.” Moreover, when God made man He saw that “it was very good” (Gen 1:31). Things changed dramatically just two chapters later when Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent, breaking the commandment that God have given to them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17). Disobedience to this law came with a punishment that was promised by God: “for in that day you eat of it you shall surely die.” It was this single act of rebellion against God that brought the whole earth under the curse of death, as Paul writes, “just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Rom 5:12). Paul later reinforces this thought, stating that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom 6:23). The reason for all the death that we see around us can be traced back to the sinful actions of one man in the garden. Indeed, all creation has been subject to this curse, as it groans in the pains of childbirth together with us (Rom 8:22).
When our last day on earth arrives, what can we expect afterwards? For the Christian, great hope can be found in the fact that they will be immediately brought into the presence of God. Their bodies will remain here on earth, but their souls will see the Lord. Paul’s sentiments in Philippians 1:23 express that he desires to “depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.” He expects that there will be immediate satisfaction found upon death, as he awaits union with his Creator. Echoing these thoughts, he writes in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that he “would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” From these verses, we can gather that Paul eagerly desired to leave this world in order to be with Christ.
However, this same anticipation does not fill the person who has not placed their faith in Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. The Bible clearly states that these people will only meet punishment and destruction. They will not receive a second chance, for “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Heb 9:27). They will be judged fairly by God and receive their due wages. More will come in a later article on this topic.
Knowing that death is coming to each one of us, how then should we live? We would do well to follow in the steps of Edwards, never losing sight of the fact that our days here are numbered. What does this mean for our daily endeavors such as work and school? For one thing, all worldly attitudes towards these things must be mortified in our hearts. If all we desire from work is to move up the corporate ladder in order to live a comfortable life, then we have completely missed the point. We must live our lives with one eye on heaven, knowing that the material things we gain here are of no value once we die. As the saying goes, “no one ever sees a hearse pulling a u-haul.” Not to say that a well paying job is bad, but is that all we’re living for? If it is, then it shows that our affections are set on something other than the person of Christ. The reason Paul and Edwards were so preoccupied with heaven is because that’s where Christ is! But since we aren’t there yet, the only way we can truly know Christ more is to read about Him in our Bibles. As we do so, a fresh affection for our Lord will rise above all the competing idols in our hearts and we will desire more and more to be with Him in heaven. The things of this world will no longer rival the Lord, and we will live more generously, more thankfully, and more joyfully. Christ, our hope and joy awaits us in heaven, so why would we seek to find it here on earth?
