Speaking of the Lord Jesus, the Bible says in Hebrews 2:14-15, “Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.” Non-Christians are enslaved by the fear of death. They pretend to be indifferent or courageous, but they are afraid. They do not want to admit this, and so they harden their hearts, and refuse to lay aside their pride and dignity. Yet this fear haunts them, and it is the driving force behind many of their beliefs and actions, and their religions, philosophies, and sciences. On the other hand, Jesus Christ liberates Christians from spiritual bondage, from slavery to the fear of death.
Christ has purchased redemption for his chosen ones, but the application of redemption is not yet complete. Therefore, although immortality belongs to all Christians, they continue to experience death at this time. The Bible calls death “the last enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26) even when it says that Christ has conquered everything through his death and resurrection. Hebrews 9:27 says, “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.” James also reminds us of our mortality: “Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that'” (James 4:13-15).
Physical death is the result of sin: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). However, Jesus Christ has saved the Christian from sin, and he has so altered the meaning of death for him that it cannot be considered the same experience as the death of a non-Christian. Death has no oppressive power in the Christian’s mind, so that his outlook is no longer influenced by the fear of death. His life takes on lasting value, and his priorities and expectations are drastically enhanced. This is because death is no longer final or damning, and life is no longer fleeting and meaningless.
Although the Christian is still waiting to receive physical immortality, he has eternal life at the moment of conversion: “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (John 5:24); “Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness” (Romans 6:13); “We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death” (1 John 3:14).
Christians have passed from death to life through faith in Jesus Christ. We have eternal life now, and we have been made alive in Christ. For us, the kind of “death” that refers to spiritual separation and estrangement from God has been abolished. We have fellowship with God now. The complete application of redemption to our bodies will occur at the resurrection, when Christ returns. Meanwhile, God heals our bodies (James 5:15) as a token of better things to come.
Some Christians will never experience death, since they will be alive when Christ returns, and they “who are still alive and are left will be caught up” (1 Thessalonians 4:17) to meet the Lord. Their bodies will become immortal. As Paul writes, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed – in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality” (1 Corinthians 15:51-53).
In another place, he explains, “Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:1-4). In a sense, we will retain the same body, but it will be transformed into one of indestructible substance, no longer subject to sin and decay. Our mortality will be “swallowed up by life,” and we will be clothed “with the imperishable.”
Those who have died will not be at a disadvantage when Christ returns: “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-16). They will be resurrected first, and those who are alive will follow.
The Bible teaches that Christ’ resurrection is the guarantee that those who believe in him will also be resurrected. Since Christ was raised, we know that it is possible, that it has been done, and God has promised the same thing to those who have faith in his Son. We could still lament the loss of Christian friends, but we know that they have not perished, and that our separation is temporary. Therefore, although we may grieve, it is unlike the experience of “the rest of men, who have no hope.” Our sorrow is infused with hope and a sweetness that is beyond the grasp of non-Christians. “Therefore encourage each other with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
In contrast, the non-Christian’s death is tragic and final. God will throw him into hellfire, and inflict extreme and endless punishment on him. The non-Christian will long for his own annihilation in order to escape the suffering, but even though in this life he holds to the delusion that he is the captain of his own soul and the master of his own fate, now he cannot even destroy himself. God will not allow the non-Christian to disappear, but he will torture him in hell forever.
For the Christian, death is no longer a punishment. As Paul says, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). To “go on living in the body…will mean fruitful labor” (v. 22), while “to depart and be with Christ…is better by far” (v. 23). Therefore, the death of a Christian is not inconsistent with the redemptive sacrifice of Christ. Death hands over the non-Christian to a permanent state of torture and agony, but for the Christian, it is simply the means by which God translates him to a permanent state of joy and rest. Revelation 14:13 says, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord…they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”
We have not fully assimilated the gospel message as long as fear lingers in our minds and produces the desire to endlessly delay death. If “to die is gain” for the Christian, then this means that a believer should eventually want to die after a life of fruitful labor for Christ. As 2 Corinthians 5:5-8 says, “Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Nevertheless, we would not want to die before the time God chooses, because we belong to him, and we treasure the opportunity for prayer, ministry, and all kinds of good works in this life.
Death is not something to be avoided at all costs. The weakness of our frame might cause us to shrink from pain and danger, but as our confidence in God increases, his promises anchor our minds in peace – “We live by faith, not by sight.” When the time comes, the Christian should embrace death as the means to take him immediately to Christ. Now we enjoy the freedom to fulfill our purpose on this earth, serving him with our all, and then to look forward to be with him. Jesus has conquered death. Death is good – very good – if you are a Christian.
Although the Christian should consider death as good, he must not hurry death, and he must not violate God’s precepts to make it happen. The Christian faith is against suicide, because a man’s life does not belong to himself but to God. In any case, since the Christian’s life has been infused with purpose by God, it is natural that he should desire to live out its full duration in service to God.
Unless Jesus comes before the time, we will experience death one day, but either way, our time in this life is limited. Therefore, we must heed what Jesus says: “As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work” (John 9:4). Most people do not think like this, and they will die with their sins: “The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'” (Luke 12:16-20).
Some think that religion is for old and retired people to consider, but those who are young should pursue wealth, greatness, and relationships. If they have all of these, they should get more. But Jesus says that anyone can die today, if this is what God decides. All the non-Christian’s works and plans end in futility. He is entirely worthless. His life amounts to nothing. Jesus concludes, “This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God” (v. 21). Since death is inevitable, and since we continue to exist after death, we better make it our aim to become rich toward God. Our understanding of death determines how we live now.
Jesus warns, “Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions…Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes” (v. 15, 23). In his fierce pursuit for social status and financial riches, the modern man does not stop to think about life and death, and he does not understand these ultimate issues. All he knows is to build bigger barns. God says this person is stupid. His failure to consider his mortality and the spiritual dimension of life has blinded him to what really matters. He has no answers to the ultimate questions that everyone must ask and settle. He is supposed to be a rational creature, but he lives like a beast, taken up with the lowly concerns of an animal.
On the other hand, Christians “have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10), so that as we abide in Christ, we are able to live with a divine perspective that renders the present time meaningful, while preparing our hearts to meet the Lord when it ends. As Paul says, “But you, brothers, are not in darkness…But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him” (1 Thessalonians 5:4, 8-10).
Let us be sober-minded, and pray that God would “Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12). Christians need to contemplate death; it is wise to do so. However, we do not reflect on our mortality in a morbid manner, because Christ has set us free from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:15). Death does not drive us to despair, for “to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21). Although death is no longer oppressive, it reminds us that our time is limited in this life, and every moment lived in rebellion to God is a moment lost, gone forever.
The KJV has led some to infer a false doctrine on this issue. It says in Ephesians 5:16, “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil,” and in Colossians 4:5, “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.” There is a teaching that God would enable a person who has wasted his life to “buy back” lost time, and through wisdom reach the place where he would have been if he had not squandered past moments.
The doctrine makes no sense, because it seems to suggest that if I had not wasted time, then God would not have given me wisdom to speed my progress. However, God is even more willing to offer his wisdom to the obedient. I could receive God’s wisdom to make the best use of my time from the start, and if so, this must mean that I would be further along in my progress than if I had wasted time and then receive God’s wisdom to return to the right path. We should stop deceiving ourselves – lost time is lost forever. By God’s usual operation, a person who strives after the faith and knowledge of Jesus Christ will always be more spiritually advanced than if he languishes in sin. Nevertheless, God is full of mercy, and so we probably never suffer the full effect of our negligence.
The false teaching might not have come about if someone had examined other translations. The NASB says, “Making the most of your time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5:16), and “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity” (Colossians 4:5). Likewise, the NIV translates, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity” (Colossians 4:5). Paul is not saying that God will help the readers make up for lost time, but seeing that they have become Christians, he is saying, “Walk in wisdom! Make the most of your time now!” This is an evil generation; therefore, do not be stupid like the non-Christians, but know and obey the teachings of the Lord (Ephesians 5:15-17). This is what it means to live in wisdom, and to make the most of our time.
Perhaps some would think that since we will live with God forever once we die, it is reasonable to focus on materials things now, and only turn to spiritual matters as we near death. We must favor the opposite conclusion – since our existence continues after death, and since we cannot carry our material possessions to the next life (Job 1:21), we ought to focus on spiritual matters and accumulate spiritual riches. The Bible also indicates that there will be a judgment when we transition to the next life, and what we do in this life will influence our station in the next (Matthew 25:14-30; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).
Therefore, let us become wise and live before the face of God – now, not later. Christians are deceiving themselves if they think that they could live as unbelievers now, and then live the faith that they profess only after they have achieved some carnal goal, reached some worldly plateau, or become close to death. This kind of thinking shows that they are not Christians, and the life of God is not in them. God might grant them true conversion at a later time (2 Timothy 2:25), but meanwhile they remain condemned by the words of Christ: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Thus the conclusion of the whole matter is this: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).