O Death, Where is Your Sting?

My friend is going camping this week, and I jokingly told her: "Well, at least the worst that can happen to you is that you die."  Going into bear country, even as a joke, no one wants to hear that.  There have also been forest fires raging around the entire province all summer.  Maybe I should work on my goodbyes.  But I did have a reason for saying what I did...

In Memory

A week and a half ago, a godly man named Tom, who was serving with Mercy Ships, died.  His death was unexpected, sudden, and will be grieved.  I only knew him a short while, but while I was in Benin, he took time to drive a friend and I to the tailor's, he came down to the hospital wards to play games with the patients, and he always had a smile for the people he passed by.  He was kind and friendly, and I feel my life was enriched by having met him.  I want to share some photos of Tom, taken by some fellow Mercy Ships friends.

Tom with his wife, Ann-Marie.

One of my favourite memories of Tom was at the end of an evening of contradance on the dock, organized by he and his wife, Ann-Marie.  During the evening, Tom and Ann-Marie had taught us some dances, and at the end, various couples were waltzing.  All of a sudden, Tom and Ann-Marie were the only couple on the dance floor, surrounded by everyone else in a giant circle.  It was a very special time, and I am sure to them, they were the only ones on the dock at that moment.

Tom with a cute little patient.  Photo credit to Rachel Olson.

Tom in Madagascar (photo credits to a fellow Mercy shipper).

Hearing the news that such a kind and selfless man no longer walks among us was difficult to comprehend.  It does not seem real.  Death has done a very cruel thing.  I cannot imagine how his family must be feeling.

Tom was serving God.  He was showing the love of Jesus to everyone he met.  Reflecting on this loss has caused me to question if I am serving God wholeheartedly, if I am being the hands and feet of Jesus to my patients, my friends, my family.  And I realized that I very easily can become caught up in the business of life and the prosperity all around me.  Am I serving Christ and doing what He has called me to do?

The Bible teaches that "it is appointed for men to die" (Hebrews 9:27) and the author of Ecclesiastes specifies that there is "a time to give birth and a time to die" (Ecclesiastes 3:2).  I do not believe that many people think about death--I usually am not thinking about it.  And by saying, think about it, I do not advocate an obsession or a fear, but rather an evaluation of each of our lives.

One day, I will die, the Scripture is clear.  Where will I go?  How will I get there?  What do I believe about life and death?  These questions and more are what author and apologist, Ravi Zacharias says "all religions seek to answer".  Each worldview attempts to explain these four topics: "origin, meaning, morality, and destiny" (Think Again--Deep Questions).  Does my worldview hold up?  As a Christian, I believe everything the Bible teaches, and it very clearly answers these deep questions.

Does death have the last word?  If I were the biblical author, Paul, my answer would be, "May it never be!!!" or "God forbid!!!!", with several exclamation marks.  Death, as terrible as it is for separating loved ones and destroying families/friendships, will never have the last word!  It may seem like death is winning for a while, but God promises that one day, death will be defeated!  Just read 1 Corinthians 15 if you have any doubts.

• vs 20 - Christ has been raised from the dead
• vs 22 - in Christ all will be made alive
• vs 26 - the last enemy that will be abolished is death
• vs 52 - the dead will be raised imperishable
• vs 54 - death is swallowed up in victory
• vs 57 - God...gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ

Defeating Death

Jesus has power over death.  Yes, He died (Acts 2:36), but He was also made alive again through the resurrection from the dead.  Death could not hold Him.  Acts 2:24 says, "But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power."  There is great comfort in knowing that death is not the most powerful thing.  In fact, death and Hades will one day be thrown into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15).

Paul did not want Christians to be "uninformed" about death (1 Thessalonians 4:13).  He gave us some very comforting reminders:

But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.  For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.  Therefore comfort one another with these words.

~ 1 Thessalonians 4:12-18 (emphasis added)

Death is Not the End!

So why did I say to my friend, "The worst that can happen to you is that you die"?  Is this the worst thing?  Only for some people.  Let me explain.

We just read some Scripture that explains death will one day be cast down and defeated.  For a Christian, this causes me to hope greatly!  Death, which harms us and brings such grief and pain, first of all, will be defeated!  Secondly, death is not the end.  We don't just die and fade or cease to be anything.  We go somewhere.  Paul teaches us that when a Christian dies, he is "absent from the body and...at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8).

Paul wrote, "to live is Christ and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21).  He knew that if he lived, this would mean he would be with Christ (as he already was!).  He also knew that if he died, he would then gain a great deal, because he would be with Christ (Philippians 1:21-24).  Either way, there was no loss!  Paul counted all worldly things "to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus [his] Lord" (Philippians 3:8).  Death, as horrible as it is, is merely a stepping stone for a Christian!  We will leave our earthly bodies and be with Jesus.  The sting of death is lessened for a Christian (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).  And I can think of no greater thing than to cast off sin and corruption, and be raised incorruptible with Christ (1 Corinthians 15:52)!

However, until that time, God has a purpose for us to fulfill here on earth.  Although Paul desired greatly to be in heaven with Jesus, he considered his life here on earth to be "fruitful labour" and "necessary", desiring that the Christians in Philippi would continue in their "progress and joy in the faith" (Philippians 1:21-26).  It is no mistake that God has placed each person where they are, and it is no mistake that He has also called many Christians home to heaven.  Just as Paul wrote, we ought to learn to be content no matter what circumstance we are in (Philippians 4:11), desiring to be where God wants us.

What If I Don't Know Jesus?

But what comes after death for someone who has not trusted in Jesus alone to be saved from sin?  Can a person say, "The worst that can happen...is that you die"?  Is that really the worst thing?  We are taught in the Bible in the book of Ephesians that before we trust in God and repents of our sin, we are "children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3).  We deserve death because we have sinned and earned wages of death (Romans 6:23).  Our "paycheque" is coming and rather than being paid in cash, we will be paid in death.  This is different from the physical death that no one can escape.  This is the "second death", also referred to as "the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:14-15).  It is a terrifying thing, but anyone who does not have their name written in the Book of Life will be cast into the lake of fire--this would be anyone who does not follow Jesus (Revelation 20:15).

Anyone who has committed sin deserves death, and I must be clear in explaining that all of us have sinned at one point or another (Romans 3:23).  Here are some things that the Bible teaches is sin (not an exhaustive list):

• sexual immorality - immoral quality, character, or conduct; wickedness; evilness; sexual misconduct
• impurity - not morally pure or proper; unchaste or obscene
• sensuality - unrestrained indulgence in sensual pleasures; lewdness; unchastity
• idolatry - the religious worship of idols
• sorcery - the art, practices, or spells of a person who is supposed to exercise supernatural powers through the aid of evil spirits; black magic; witchery
• enmities - feelings or conditions of hostility; hatred; ill will; animosity; antagonism
• strife - vigorous or bitter conflict, discord, or antagonism; a quarrel, struggle, or clash
• jealousy - resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself; mental uneasiness from suspicion or fear of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love or aims
  
  • there can be a godly jealousy, which most of us cannot say we have; this verse is speaking of only a selfish, self-serving jealousy
• outbursts of anger - sudden and violent releases, outpourings, or eruptions of anger, wrath, strong displeasure
• disputes - debates, controversies, or differences of opinion; wrangling arguments; quarrels
• dissensions - strong disagreements; contention or quarrel; discord
• factions - party strife and intrigue; dissension
• envying - feelings of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.
• drunkenness - intoxication
• carousing - engaging in drunken revel

(Galatians 5:19-21).  All definitions adapted from http://www.dictionary.com/

This is a fairly comprehensive list, but if anyone thinks that they are doing alright and have not committed anything on this list, remember that Jesus made it even more difficult to keeping from sinning.  He said that if a man "looks at a woman with lust for her he has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28).  Later on in the New Testament it is mentioned that "everyone who hates his brother is a murderer" (1 John 3:15).  Even thinking bad thoughts is just as evil as actually acting on those thoughts and desires, and every sinful thought or action we take, condemns us and makes us guilty before God.

Sin can even be described as knowing the right thing and not doing it (James 4:17).  Unbelief is also considered sin (John 3:16-21).  In fact, unbelief is at the heart of all sin, including the first sin in the garden of Eden

Since all of us have sinned and deserve death (Romans 6:23), how does someone get their name written into the Book of Life (Revelation 3:5) and thus avoid this horrible, eternal punishment in the second death/lake of fire?  John the Baptist said, "Repent!" (Matthew 3:1-2).  Jesus also commanded people everywhere to "Repent and believe in the gospel" (Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15).  Peter cried out, "Repent!" (Acts 2:38; 3:19).  Until a person repents, turns away from his sin, he cannot be saved and cannot avoid spiritual death in the lake of fire.  Salvation from our sin is available to all (Romans 10:9-13), but we must call sin, "Sin", as God does, and have the same view of sin as He does--it is despicable, horrendous, evil, deadly, and it opposes the perfect, holy, righteous, just, good God who created all things.

There is Hope

And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,  even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:1--8

Although death seems so powerful, and although it is true, each one of us will one day die (Hebrews 9:27), it is also true that an eternity in the lake of fire does not have to be the only outcome.  It is only one of the two options.

The first option is that we can choose to reject God here on earth and scorn the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made to pay for our sin.  By refusing to trust in Jesus, a person in effect says, "I don't want or believe that Christ's sacrifice was sufficient to pay for my sins.  Instead, I want to pay the penalty for my sin".  Although Jesus' sacrifice was effective to remove and cover our sin "once for all" (Hebrews 10:11-12), the blood of bulls and goats had not been able to effectively remove our guilt.  The Israelites had to continuously offer sacrifices in order to be forgiven (Hebrews 9:22).  And if someone decides to reject Jesus' offer of salvation, it will take an eternity to actually pay the debt of sin off.  This is why the lake of fire will never end.  It will be an eternity, never ending, under the wrath and condemnation of God.

But there is also another option.  "God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us" (1 Thessalonians 5:9-10).  God does not desire for us to perish in hell.  He desires that "all [would] come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9) and He has made an incredible way to do so.  That verse in 1 Thessalonians says that God has destined us to be saved by Jesus!  And Jesus died for us.  John 3:16 says: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."  Eternity in the lake of fire, paying for our sins, does not have to be where anyone ends up.  Each of us stand at a fork in the road and must choose.  Will we serve God or will we serve our own desires?

I am so thankful that Tom had chosen to follow Jesus.  At his funeral, one person after another spoke of how Tom had loved Jesus so much and had put his trust in Him to save him from his sins.  I know that Tom is with Jesus right now because of this.  Although death has claimed Tom's life earlier than any of us thought was right or fair, death will one day be defeated.  This is not the end.

I hope that if you have not yet decided to follow God and put your trust in His Son Jesus to save you from your sins, that this will be the time, that today will be the day.  As the Lord has said, "Now is the acceptable time" (2 Corinthians 6:2).  Do not put off what you should decide today, because none of us know whether tomorrow will be given to us or not.  As Joshua told Israel, we have a choice to make: "If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).  I'm excited to hear if you've taken this step!

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