Due to our last events, our hearts are hurt and many of us are sad with the loss of our dear Leily that past away this week.
No matter how prepared you think you are for the death of a loved one , it still comes as a shock, and it still hurt very deeply.
I feel driven by God to bring a word of clarification and enlightenment to the church.
Some of you may be thinking or saying : she was too young, it was not the time for her death, who was wrong in this situation? Why did God allow it?
What does the Bible says about death, how should we (Christians) act in the face of death?
1 – Death was not God’s original plan for humanity
Death is not God’s purpose! Death is not God’s plan! Death is the enemy of God!
When God created man He never created him to die. God created man to live everlastingly, eternally!
This is why we hate death, this is why we fight against death , and we do not accept death , because we were created not to die but to live for ever.
The bible tells us that death is an enemy to God. Just like sin is an enemy of God and the devil is an enemy of God. Death is an enemy of God .
It’s was never God’s plan for man to die. That’s why God hates death ! The same way He hates sin.
“The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”
I Corinthians 15:26
The last enemy that will be put under the feet of Jesus is death !
2 – Death is the result of man’s disobedience!
“but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.””
Genesis 2:17
There is something that God warned man ,the bible says very clearly that the law brings death !
The meaning of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is that man acted apart from God, man simply acted alone and independently, outside of God.
God says : don’t eat from that tree , the day you eat it you shall surely die !
The tree of knowledge of good and evil represents a declaration of Independence from God !
When they ate of this tree they were declaring God is no longer my Lord , God doesn’t decide what is right and wrong for me . I decide good and evil for myself.
That’s what the knowledge of good and evil means. I eat this and now I’m the decider of good and evil , not God !
So death wasn’t God’s plan but it was the result of rebellion and disobedience against the creator.
3 – Because of man’s sin everybody is going to die but Jesus did something for us !
We need to be prepared for death , why ? First of all the fact is that we are going to die – unless we are believers and the Lord Jesus returns first.
We will face the fact that death is an appointment for all of us and we cannot fail to keep this appointment.
“And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,”
Hebrews 9:27
It’s an appointment , you can miss every appointment on earth but this appointment you will keep , and there is no way to miss it.
You need to be prepared , you need to repent from your sins , you need to be baptised , you need to be part and member of Jesus body .
Death is not the end , we do not just cease to exist, we simply pass away from this world into another mode of existence and after this comes judgement.
Everybody is going to die but Jesus did something for us !
“Since the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,”15 “and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Hebrews 2:14,15
The bible says : THROUGH DEATH HE DESTROYED THE DEVIL WHO HAS THE POWER OF DEATH.
That tells us clearly that death is not from God ! One of the reasons that Jesus came is to conquer death ! Through his own death Jesus destroyed the power of death itself!
Jesus said : because I live you will live so !
“and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.”
Hebrews 2:15
Is it not clear that God has done something about our fear of death ?
Today we must receive a revelation that will cause us to no longer to be afraid of death !
We need be free from the fear of death!
Jesus Christ has done something to release us!
The bible says that through death He destroyed the devil !
The one who had the power of death (devil) was beaten by Jesus !
We don’t need anymore to have fear of death anymore.
Jesus used death to put end an end to death !
Jesus was the only baby born just to die, why ?
Because God’s law must be met, we have broken the law , and sin must be paid for , the punishment must be executed !
God must punish sin ! But God doesn’t want to punish sin in your body.
God so loved the world He gave His only Son , that whoever believes in Him should be saved !
God is involved in your redemption, in your freedom from the fear of death.
4 – Men and women following the will of God are immortal until His work is done !
God will deliver you from death many times , God will heal you many times , God will protect you against accidents , and if you are under the will of God you are immortal until His work is finished !
“There is hope for those who are still alive”
Ecclesiastes 9:4
The Bible says: There is hope for those who are still alive!
While there is life, let’s pray, let’s believe, let’s use our faith, because we don’t know God’s will!
We have to persevere in prayer and never give up !
But after death , we need to accept it and thank God for it. For God is sovereign!
Do you remember when Paul the apostle died , when he was beheaded ? The church was under severe persecution, he was one of the main leaders !
How many times was Paul the apostle set free from death? There were many times that he escaped from death
“Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea.”
2 Corinthians 11:24-25
Remember: A man in the will of God is immortal until His work is done !
We are going to see many miracles, let’s keeping praying
but one day Paul said:
“For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:6-8
My brothers and sisters , the early church needed their leader Paul , but he said : my life will be poured out as an offering and the time of my departure is near !
Why did he die if the church needed him ? Because Paul had fulfilled his calling !
I have fought the good fight ! I did what God called me to do !
I have finished the race ! I didn’t stop in the middle of the race !
I kept my faith! I persevered in faith, I have a strong faith and I’m prepared to die !
But now I’m prepared to receive the crown of righteousness!
Paul said : There is nothing wrong if I die now !
How many of you here remember about John the Baptist ?
His birth was a miracle , Zachariah and Elizabeth could not bear children and he came to this world as a miracle from God.
John the Baptist was a man sent from God, a prophet, a voice crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.
How was his death ? (Beheaded) How old was he when he died ? (32)
The bible doesn’t say : wow , he was so young, he had a life to be lived , he didn’t get married, he didn’t have children!
He only needed 32 years to fulfil his calling!
Jesus died at 33 years of age ! And He also fulfilled His calling at a young age!
5 – There is no death for those who are in Christ Jesus !
Death has already been conquered on the Cross!
There is no death for those who love and have a relationship with Jesus!
“Jesus said – “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?””
John 11:25-26
“WHOEVER LIVES BY BELIEVING IN ME WILL NEVER DIE” Do you believe this ? Do you really believe this ?
“Very truly I tell you, whoever obeys my word will never see death.””
John 8:51
Hope In Death
“If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
1 Corinthians 15:19
Your hope should not be here on earth , you have to live for eternity!
Whatever you invest in this earth will remain here , only what you invest in God’s Kingdom and in people’s life will be YOUR TREASURE in Heaven.
How many “believers” live a selfish life, live for themselves, just for themselves and their family, many only think about this world!
We need to say: For me Living is for Christ, the day of my death will be the day of receiving the reward!
Here is not your home !
“For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me.” Philippians 1:21-23
Dying is even better ! I long to be with the Lord !
I would like to end by telling you about the testimony of a missionary returning to his country after many years as a missionary abroad.
When he arrived in his home town there was no one waiting for him !
And he started questioning God in his heart saying,
I got home and there was no one waiting for me !
God spoke to his heart …
But you didn’t get home yet ! There is a party waiting for you when you arrive.
This earth is not my home!
My home is heaven , I’m just travelling through this world!
The Bible says that as long as we are here on Earth, we are strangers in a foreign land. This world is not our home; our citizenship is in heaven.”
Billy Graham said :
“Some day you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead.
Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now.
I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.”
Beloved, death is not a problem!
The problem is living on this earth without fulfilling the plan that God has prepared for us!
Do not waste your life! Many will weep bitterly after this life, because they did not live for people, for God and His kingdom!
May you get to the end of your life and say : I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith !
God bless you