I love life in all its forms, and I am glad that God placed us on earth to live life and enabled us to know Him and celebrate Him. A part of life that I have not spoken much about is the heartbreaking and unexpected reality of death.
Inevitable
Eventually it happens to all of us. When it happens to someone who is near and dear, it can leave us spinning in mental circles of anguish , and it is a time that is not easy to get through. This week a dear friend of mine passed away, as a result of complications from leukemia. He knew the form he had was terminal, and he courageously went through the treatments that came his way.
He was a brother in Christ, and I will miss him. As I have watched and prayed for him over all these months, I was hopeful, and faithful in my belief that God can heal, and will heal, even though the prognosis was not good. After all, just over a decade ago, I was in bad shape when I was struck down by severe exposure to e-coli in tainted meat. I was in the hospital for a month, and nearly died several times. Internally, I knew it was a time of testing, and a time of deepening my relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. I had the will, and God provided the grace. I got through it, and I was miraculously healed.
Heartbreaking and unexpected
Alas, my friend Bill was called home. He is now in a state where there is no suffering, and he is completely and forever healed of everything that can hurt and bring us down. I rejoice that he is free, and with the God he loves.
The Bible tells us about death. It was written for man, by man, with God’s help, and “… everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4).
I Corinthians 15:26 says that death is an enemy, and Christ is going to defeat it. Death can have consequences for us:
- It separates man from body.
- Fellowship with God is interrupted because of Satan’s ongoing attack on humankind.
- It separates us from family and friends.
- It ends ministries, and may promote a sense of futility.
- People who die without Christ will face a eternity without Christ.
The Good stuff
I do not want to dwell on what is the bad side. There is a good side to death also. It is a type of freedom. In 2 Timothy 4:6 Paul wrote: “For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near.” The Greek word used here is interesting.
The Greek word here for’ departure’ — analusis, has several meanings, depending on the context. It is used in the context of a ship which pulls up anchor and sets sail, as a military expression when an army breaks camp to move on, or it can be used in the sense of freeing someone from his chains.
For the Christian death is setting sail/breaking camp. It’s being freed from this life so we can go home. We set sail for the golden shore of the blessed presence of God, carried into God’s presence.
For the believer, death is a going home experience.
Death does not have to be seen as heartbreaking. God’s timing is impeccable. In Romans 8:28 it says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”. When a believer is called home, it is because the believer has served their purpose and they have completed the tasks God set before them to do.
Here are the verses that brings me the most comfort: Romans 8:35-39:
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Not even death can separate us from our living, victorious savior. We will be with him when the darkest hour arrives.
