1033. Is Death an Enemy to the Christian?
Is Death an Enemy to the Christian?
"Death is swallowed up in victory" (1Co_15:54)
There are many saints who tremble when they think of death. Even the thought of going into an unknown realm startles some; but when we read the Word of God our hearts are assured. There is nothing to fear in death, because:
1. Its fangs are gone. 1Co_15:55 : "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" There is no sting in the death of the believer, because the sting of death is sin. "Thanks be to God, Who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." When Christ died on the Cross, He suffered the Just for the unjust. There the believer has received deliverance from sin, and henceforth death is an enemy with the sting gone.
2. Christ has the keys of death. Rev_1:18 : "I am He that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death." Jesus Christ went down into hades and when He came forth He brought the keys of death and hades with Him. Therefore, we have nothing to fear. Our Lord looks to us and says: "Because I live, ye shall live also." Death could not hold Him, and death cannot hold us.
3. It cannot prevail against the Church. Mat_16:19 : "And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven. Death may prevail against the wicked and hold them in its power, but it will never prevail against the Church of God. When the believer dies he has the same victory which his Lord had. Matthew 16 does not discuss the fact that the Church, in its earth life, will never be overthrown;–it does say that the Church will never be held captive in the underworld. The same Lord Who delivers the Church in its earth life assures a full deliverance from satan's power, so far as death is concerned.
4. It is abolished. 2Ti_1:10 : "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel." When Jesus Christ died upon the Cross, He broke the power of death. He died that we might live. The only death a believer knows or can know, is physical. We may have the separation of the body and spirit. We can never experience any separation from Christ Jesus for He abolished death and He brought life and incorruptibility to light through the Gospel; that is, the believer does not only have life eternal with Christ, but he has the anticipation of receiving back his corruptible body in incorruption, or, his mortal body in immortality. It is the Gospel and the Gospel alone which throws light upon this question.
5. Its fear is removed. Psa_23:4 : "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me." And why should we fear? If death's fangs are gone, if Christ holds the keys of death and hades, if death cannot prevail against the Church, if death is abolished, then, when we enter the valley, why should we fear? An all-conquering Christ walks by our side and we will find that just the other side of the valley we enter the realm of life and light.
6. Death brings gain. Php_1:21 : "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. So after all, instead of fearing death, there is one sense in which we should desire it. For the sake of others we may well wish to remain here. For the sake of service and of fulfilling our task, we may wish to remain here, but from the sense of personal benefit we may well prefer to go. The Apostle said: "It is far better," because our departure brings gain.
Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR