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A continuation from “The Death of A Believer - Part 1”
The Death and Resurrection of Christ
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Knowing that I am saved from the penalty of my sins is a great
and comforting blessing, but I thank God that He was not totally
satisfied with such a rescue mission. He knew that as long as I
was under the headship of Adam I was under condemnation and
would eternally have sin in me. Something more was needed, and
the answer to both is that Christ had to enter death. It was
only by His death and resurrection that I could be put under His
headship and ultimately “sin” in me utter abolished. By His
resurrection Christ: |
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Abolished death (2 Tim. 1:10). The word for “abolished”
signifies “to do away with”, “to make no more”. What a blessed
truth that is. Here we are in the land of the dying going to
the land of the living, and living in fulness of life that shall
never end and never diminish. This is the word used when Paul
writes: “The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death” (1 Cor.
15:26), and in the words of Hebrews, that by His resurrection He
“destroyed” him that had the power of death, that is the devil
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b) |
Concerning death it is prophesied of Christ: “O death, I will be
thy plagues; O grave, I will be thy destruction” (Hos. 13:14).
The Lord says concerning His people: “I will ransom (redeem,
rescue) them from the power of the grave, He will be the plague
(pestilence) of death and the destruction (exterminator) of the
grave. While this was to be interpreted to the Assyrian, yet it
is applied to the physical death of a saint (1 Cor. 15:55). |
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c) |
It
is a truth far beyond human comprehension that Christ was never
a dying man! Furthermore, there can never be a medical reason
on why Christ died and say His death was due to lack of blood,
etc. Three times over the Lord says: “I lay it down”. |
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i) |
“I lay down my life, that I might take it again” (Jn 10:17) |
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ii) |
“I lay it down of myself” (Jn. 10:18) |
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iii) |
“I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it
again” (Jn. 10:18) |
Death for Christ was a deliberate voluntary act of going into the strong
mans house (Matt. 12:29) and having bound the strong man (Satan) (Heb.
2:14) He spoilt his goods, and in triumph exited death (Eph. 4:8; Col.
2:15) and is “alive forevermore” (Rev. 1:17-19) and lives in the “power
of an endless (indissoluble) life” (Heb. 7:16). He has the keys of “hell
(hades) and of death” (Rev. 1:18). His body never saw corruption (Acts
2:27), reverently speaking, God had no alternative but to raise Christ
from the dead, His
justice and morality
demanded it.
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By His resurrection the Lord brought life and immortality to
light (2 Tim. 1:10). In bringing immortality to light He
provided the means by which we could know the glory of that
which lies within the veil. Because of that which He has done: |
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a) |
All the redeemed will have a body like His in its constitution,
abilities and perfections. (Phil. 3:21; 1 Jn. 3:2) |
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b) |
We have a living hope knowing that our bodies will be changed
whither we have died or are alive. (1 Cor. 15:51-52) |
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c) |
They will be bodies that can live as comfortably on earth as in
heaven, just as our Lord did. (Acts 1:3, 11) |
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They will be bodies that cannot be curtailed by material
structures as our Lord showed. (Jn. 20:19, 26) |
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e) |
They will be bodies which will never know weakness or decay. (1
Cor. 15: 53-54) |
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f) |
In that sphere, there is no sorrow, no crying, no pain, no
tears, and that for all eternity. |
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By His death and resurrection the Lord took away: |
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The penalty for our sins. (1 Cor. 15:3) |
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The power of sin over us. (Rom. 6:11-14) |
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c) |
The fear of death, but not necessarily the fear of dying. (Heb.
2:14) |
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d) |
But the death and resurrection of Christ did not take away the
fear of how we shall die, nor the sorrow of death (1 Cor.
15:51-55), but he did take away the sting of death, in that we
know there is the assurance of eternal life beyond the grave. |
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e) |
The fulness of grief. (1 Thess. 4:13) |
The Intermediate State
We know that we are at this moment on earth, and for all eternity we
shall have glorified bodies and be with the Lord,
BUT,
what is it like right now for those saints who have died? It is almost
two thousand years since Paul, Peter, James and John died. What are
they doing, what is it like “over there”?
There are several passages which tell us of the intermediate state and
what a glorious prospect they describe. It is a place of being
comforted (Lk. 16:25); rest (Rev. 14:13); being present (at home) with
the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8); to be with Christ which is far better (Phil.
1:23); a place called “the third heaven” and “paradise” (2 Cor. 12:2,
4); a place of blessedness (Rev. 14:13) where he heard things which
human words could never describe.
One of the passages which reveals life in the intermediate state are the
words of John: “I saw under that altar the souls of them that were slain
for the Word of God . . . and they cried . . . How long O Lord” (Rev.
6:9-10). These are saints who have suffered unjustly at the hand of
man, and for their faithfulness to God have paid the ultimate price.
Their cry is not for vengeance but for God to justify them, and show
they were right in that which they believed and stood for.
Yet, they have not received their salvation in its perfection for they
are waiting for the redemption of the body (Rom. 8:23) being in an
“unclothed state” (2 Cor. 5:4).
Avenues By Which The Death Of A Believer Is Viewed
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God is exceedingly compassionate, consequently, as we stand by
those
whom we love who are
going
into that valley, God has sought to make available to us
comforting words
by assuring us of the hope of the resurrection. He is opening
up to us, in a small degree,that which lies beyond this side of
the veil. God gives us at least thirteen different perspectives
on the death of a saint. They are: |
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a) |
A Dissolving
(2 Cor. 5:1) |
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The word translated “dissolved” means to “loosened down” with
the idea of taking down a tent. The cords are loosened, but it
is not the dissolving of the body via the ravages of time, but
the tense indicates an action over which I have no control.
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b) |
A Gain
(Phil. 1:21) |
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Paul
write: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. The
metaphor indicates that of a business. An investment is made,
or a trust, awaiting the time of termination, then the
investment will show its reward. When a saint dies suddenly,
especially when doing a work for God, it is sometimes intimated
that it is so sad for the brevity of life is over! Paul would
have stood up in strong disagreement at such a teaching. He
would have said: “To die is gain”! The whole purpose of life
here is not to serve the Lord
as an end itself, but to know God and Christ (Jn. 17:3), to grow
in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18)
and to serve with that motive and goal. Ideally, for the
believer, life finds its deepest fulness in Christ, He is its
goal and horizon and to die knowing Him more fully, and gaze on
His loveliness. Surely it is gain to be perpetually in
fellowship with Christ (Phil. 1:23); being “present (at home)
with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8), seeing the fruit of His labors, it
all being worthwhile (1 Thess. 2:19; 1 Jn. 2:28); of being
ultimately honored by receiving of the crown of life (2 Tim.
4:7-8), and of Christ being magnified (Phil. 1:20). |
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c) |
A Decease
(2 Pet. 1:15) Lit. My exodus. |
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The
term used concerning the death of our Lord. (Lk. 9:31)
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ii) |
The
term used for the departure of the children of Israel from Egypt
(Heb 11:22), to a land their eyes had never seen, leaving for
their promised inheritance, and what an inheritance we enter
into: |
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“In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all
things after the counsel of his own will.” (Eph. 1:11) |
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2. |
“Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of
the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Eph.
1:14) |
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3. |
“Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light.” (Col.
1:12) |
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4. |
“Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the
inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” (Col. 3:24) |
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5. |
“To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth
not away, reserved in heaven for you.” (1 Pet. 1:4) |
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A Putting Off
(2 Pet. 1:13-14) |
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i) |
“Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle, even as
our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed me” (2 Pet. 1:14); “Moreover I
will endeavor that ye may be able after my decease to have these
things always in remembrance” (2 Pet. 1:15); “Shortly I must put
of my tabernacle” (2 Pet. 1:14), Lit. Quick is the putting off
of my tabernacle / the putting off of my tabernacle comes
swiftly; as a garment, being unclothed as in
2 Cor. 5:3-4. |
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e) |
A Reaping In Maturity
(Job 5:26) |
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“Thou shalt come to thy grave in full age, like a shock of corn
cometh in in his season.” This to me is a beautiful picture,
the winds and storms of life have not destroyed its growth nor
hindered it’s fruit bearing. Now is the time for it’s harvest,
and at the peak of it’s spiritual maturity it is reaped for the
glory of God. |
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A Gathering To His People
(Deut. 32:50) |
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God spoke to Moses and said: “thou shalt die in the mount
whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people; as Aaron
thy brother died in mount Hor, and was gathered unto his
people.” |
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An Entrance Into Rest
(Isa. 57:2) – The righteous perish yet they waken and walk. |
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“There the wicked cease from troubling: and there the weary be
at rest (Job 3:17). They have known the blessedness of resting
on Him for salvation (Matt 11:28); for justification of their
beliefs (2 Thess. 1:7), and now they rest from all their works
(Rev. 14:13). |
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A Falling Asleep
(Acts 7:59, 60) |
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i) |
“And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a
loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he
had said this, he fell asleep.” Like others, I often look at
the little children, they have boundless energy and life is
exciting, but there comes a time during, or at the end of the
day, when they fall asleep. What a lovely picture of death, all
the energy has been expended and they fall asleep in the arms of
the Saviour. |
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An Entrance To Comforting
(Lk. 16:25) |
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“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime
receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things;
but now he is comforted.” For many saints life is very hard,
void of the many comforts we have. Some are languishing in
dirty prisons, some for the sake of the gospel are living in
poverty strewn countries. Earth has no comfort for them. I
have no idea what it will be when the Lord calls them to Himself
and they are comforted, but being eternal it will make the
afflictions of this life as little things. (2 Cor. 4:17-18) |
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A Departing
(Phil. 1:23) |
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“For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart,
and to be with Christ; which is far better. In Romeo and Juliet
Shakespeare wrote: “parting is such sweet sorrow”. For the
child of God death is a departing for which the only sorrow is
the concerns one has for others. But, how immeasurably sweet it
is, and Paul having tasted it, uses cumulative expressions so
that literally the passage reads: “It is much more the better,
that is, it is much much better, by far better”. Therefore, at
death the saint goes to a far better place, and for the
sufferings endured on earth receives a far more excelling glory
(2 Cor. 4:17). The wording is that of a ship being loosed from
its moorings, it has weighted its anchor and is released from
all hindrances. Nothing now to impede that homeward journey,
nor to restrain my onward way to my Heavenly home. |
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k) |
An Absenting
(2 Cor. 5:8) |
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“Absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor.
5:8). To be absent means to vacate, no longer knit together.
What a prospect, to have left this body of clay, of mortality,
of weakness, and susceptibility to sin, and to be forever with
the Lord. No wonder we can in truth sing: “Forever with the
Lord, Amen so let it be”. |
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l) |
Death To The Believer is The Door To Sight
(2 Cor. 5:7) |
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Here we are boxed in by the five senses and their limitations.
Our eyes can only see so much, ears which can only hear so much,
and a voice that can only reach so far. When lifted to a
spiritual level then there is the recognition that we cannot
always see that which God is doing, and on Sunday we look at the
emblems of His body. At the moment of death we will see Him in
His beauty, and for the first time there will be a clear
understanding of what Calvary really means. No longer will we
sit at a table and remember Him, but while seeing Him in His
glory, our hearts and minds will worship and our tongues will
praise in adoring wonder. |
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May God grant us good understanding as He, by His
Holy Spirit, deigns to guide us into all truth.
John 16:13
Copyright © 2012 by Rowan Jennings, Abbotsford,
British Columbia
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