Death – the sound of this word, for the non-Christian, seems so final. And I believe, it is precisely because of this finality, that man has invented different religions that talk about an after-life. For you see life, when measured against eternity, is infinitely short. As a result, is it any wonder that non-Christians try to do anything possible to avoid passing on into a perceived infinite abyss through death.
Religions try to allow their followers the hope that if they are “good” they can somehow assure themselves of pleasing their so-called “gods,” and upon death enter into some type of heaven. The only problem is that these religions are not based on a real God, but a man-made system whereby their fabricated god will somehow allow their followers to live on, in some form, eternally. Only Christianity is based in history, has a book that is infallible and has stood the test of time, and whose God, Jesus Christ, proved His deity by resurrecting from the dead. Not only do religious systems fail to bring rich meaning, abiding peace, and real joy to their adherents, but they also fail to stop the fear of death in their followers.
Not so for the Christian! We, as believers, in Jesus Christ, know that we once were dead in our sins and trespasses, but thanks be to God we are now alive forevermore. What I mean by this, is that physical death for the Christian is just another phase of our existence, for when we physically die, we pass on to eternal life with Christ. So, for the believer, death is not the end but in fact a brand new eternal beginning!
I love how Charles Spurgeon put it when contrasting death with living: “Never fear dying, beloved. Dying is the last, but the least matter that a Christian has to be anxious about. Fear living – that is a hard battle to fight, a stern discipline to endure, a rough voyage to undergo.”1
As a follower of Christ, I have a rock solid certainty that when I pass on from my physical body, I will be translated to God’s eternal kingdom and be clothed with an eternal glorified body. So, death, is not something I fear, but my eternal reward for knowing and serving Jesus.
Before I came to Christ I was an atheist and believed that mankind evolved and death was my final destination. I like to tell people now that before I became a Christian that we evolved from amoeba, to mammal, to man, to manure. Today, I can’t think of a more morbid and hopeless belief system than atheism. And as I have studied different world religions, they can’t deliver real peace, joy, and an eternal landing spot because they are man-made and crumble under scrutiny. Only Christianity’s sourcebook, the Bible, can stand up when examined from every and any angle – whether it be history, science, prophecy, or the transformed lives of its followers.
Living, whether you are a Christian or not, can be very difficult and full of trials, pain, and suffering. As a Christian death, for me, is actually the entrance into a life of eternal bliss and rather than look at it as our final resting place, I choose to view death as a wonderful portal into a land I never dreamed could exist – where I will spend eternity in the presence of my Lord and Savior – Jesus Christ!
For the non-Christian death is a final defeat. For the Christian death is our final victory over a world that is full of so much pain and sorrow. And thankfully, for the believer in Christ we can even rejoice in our trials and sorrows because we know God has an eternal plan for good even in our most dire circumstances!
“Thankfully, for the believer in Christ we can even rejoice in our trials and sorrows because we know God has an eternal plan for good even in our most dire circumstances!”
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Cor. 4:16-