Death

	"In this world," Benjamin Franklin wrote, "nothing is certain but death and taxes."
	Some might even hope to evade the certainty of taxes.  But none of us can hope to cheat death.  What does the Bible tell us, then, about this subject which touches us all?
	Of course, there is no death in a perfect world.  And this is exactly the kind of world that God created.  There was no death.  It appears that there was not even any suffering.  But God left open the possibility for death to enter the picture.
	"Then the Lord God took the man and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate it and keep it," we read in Genesis 2:15-17.  "And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'From any tree of the garden you may eat freely; but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you shall surely die.'"
	As long as man obeyed God's instructions, there would be no death.  But with disobedience would come certain deadly consequences.
	"Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made," the account continues in Genesis 3:1-5. "And he said to the woman, 'Indeed, has God said, "You shall not eat from any tree of the garden"?' And the woman said to the serpent, 'From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, "You shall not eat from it or touch it, lest you die."'  And the serpent said to the woman, 'You surely shall not die!  For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'"
	The first lie ever told focuses on the reality of death.  Satan says that it won't happen.  God says it will.  Satan says that there will be no negative consequence for sin.  In fact, he promises, the sin will make things better.  God simply affirms that the consequence is real.  Who is right?
	"I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth," God informs Eve in Genesis 3:16, "in pain you shall bring forth children; yet your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."
	"Because you have listened to the voice of your wife," God instructs Adam in verses 17-19, "and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not eat from it'; cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life.  Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."
	From that time on, one thing was certain: death.  Even before it reaches Adam and Eve, though, it makes itself known to their family.  One of their sons, Cain, kills his  brother, Able, because God has regard for the latter's sacrifice.  Other murders are mentioned in Genesis 4:23.  There is no turning back.  Sin has entered the world, and with it comes death.
	"Therefore," Paul notes in Romans 5:12, "just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned."

	We all have a basic understanding of death.  We know that it is inevitable.  Still, the question that we hear at nearly every death bed is, "Why?"  Many humbly respond, "I don't know."  But is this true?  Do we really not know why?  We die because we live in a world with sin.  This does not mean that a given person dies as punishment for his or her sins.  It just means that that person shared a world with sin, and, as a result, that person started to die at birth.  Why do 100-year-old people die?  They live in a world where sin is present.  Why do tiny infants die?  They live in a world where sin is present.  God is not trying to hurt that individual or that family.  Neither does He take people because He needs more angels.  Dead people do not become angels.  We'll save this discussion for another time.  But we need to realize that we do not help the situation when we make up something which just isn't true.  Satan deceived mankind and introduced sin into the world.  With that sin came death.  It's that simple.
	Although death is no respecter of persons, it does not affect all people the same way.
	For instance, there are the children who are too young to know right from wrong.  What happens to them?
	"Truly I say to you," Jesus teaches in Matthew 18:3, "unless you are converted and become like children, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven."
	Jesus says that we must become like little children in order to enter the kingdom.  This is because children are humble.  It is also because they have no sin.  We all want little children to grow up and enjoy full lives.  This is what God wants.  But we should have no doubt about what happens to a little child who dies.
	The consequence of death is not so certain for adults, though.
	"It is appointed for men to die once," Hebrews 9:27 reminds us, "and after this { comes} judgment."
	"Now there was a certain rich man," Jesus explains in Luke 16:19-23, "and he habitually dressed in purple and fine linen, gaily living in splendor every day.  And a certain poor man named Lazarus was laid at his gate, covered with sores, and longing to be fed with the {crumbs} which were falling from the rich man's table; besides, even the dogs were coming and licking his sores.  Now it came about that the poor man died and he was carried away by the angels to Abraham's bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried.  And in Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away, and Lazarus in his bosom."
	It is a rare funeral, indeed, where the person is not preached right into heaven.  But we need to be honest and recognize that there are two possible destinations after death.  And one of these is not at all pleasant.  It is the one who obeys God who can face death with confidence.
	"But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality," 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 says of the day when the Lord will return to claim His own, "then will come about the saying that is written, 'Death is swallowed up in victory.  'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?'  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not { in} vain in the Lord."
	Why can God's followers have such confidence?  It stems from the fact that there are actually two kinds of death: physical and spiritual.  Those who have dealt properly with spiritual death have nothing to fear from physical death.  But those who ignore the spiritual can have nothing but fear for the physical.
	"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches," Revelation 2:11 says.  "He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."
	"Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection," we find in Revelation 20:6, "over these the second death has no power."
	How can we deal with spiritual death?  How can we take part in the first resurrection?
	"Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death?" Paul replies in Romans 6:3-11.  "Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.  For if we have become united with {Him} in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also {in the likeness} of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old self was crucified with {Him,} that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.  Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin, once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus."
	Why is this true?  It is true because Jesus conquered death through His own death, burial and resurrection.  And we can join in that victory by participating in that death, burial and resurrection through baptism.
	Death is certain.  But not everyone faces death with the same outlook.
	We have to be honest, though, and recognize that death is a bit frightening for most people, even those who are looking forward to eternity with God.
	In the midst of the grief and confusion that accompanies death, then, is there anything that it can teach us?  Well, it can teach us that this world is not our home.  We should be looking forward to something much better.
	"All these died in faith, without receiving the promises," Hebrews 11:13-16 says of the great figures of the Old Testament, "but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.  For those who say such things make it clear that they are seeking a country of their own.  And indeed if they had been thinking of that {country} from which they went out, they would have had opportunity to return.  But as it is, they desire a better {country}, that is a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them."
	"For our citizenship is in heaven," Paul reminds us in Philippians 3:20, "from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ."
	Death reminds all of us that this world is not our home.  It also reveals in no uncertain terms that the things which we value in this life are really not very important.
	"For we have brought nothing into the world," 1 Timothy 6:7 observes, "so we cannot take anything out of it either."
	Death reminds all of us that this world is not our home.  It reveals in no uncertain terms that the things which we value in this life are really not very important.  And it underlines the importance of obeying God.  It clarifies as nothing else can the urgency of finding freedom from sin.
	"Wretched man that I am!" Paul cries out in Romans 7:24. "Who will set me free from the body of this death?"
	"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death," the same apostle explains in Romans 8:2.
	Sin brings death.  But the truth will set us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission." (www.lockman.org)