Coming to Terms with Death

Coming to Terms with Death.

Coming to terms with Death, especially that of a loved one can be extremely painful even though one may understand how death came about and the assurance God has given us concerning life after it. 

To help put it in proper perspective let me start by this adage: 
"Life is uncertain, death is sure; 
Sin the cause, and Christ the cure."

Life is indeed uncertain while death on the other hand isn't. 
Life has too many variables that are out of our hands for us to have any certain, reliable or dependable control over it.

A classic example of this is the parable of the rich fool in Luke 12: 13 - 21, who was overwhelmed by his own greed and so sure about himself seeing the next day but oblivious of not fulfilling God's purpose for his life.

The rich man unwittingly affirmed his certainty in the life he had no power over by repeating the word, "I will" several times but unfortunately for him, God's response to his foolishness and any grand delusion any one like him could ever have concerning a tomorrow without God, as recorded in verses 20 to 21, was this:

20. “...., 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?' 
21. “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”

The Origin of Death: 
Life is an opportunity God has given all mankind to journey back to his creator while death is a passage to an eternal afterlife that is an unfortunate consequence of the sin ofmankind's first attack on God's sovereignty.

In Genesis 2: 17, God clearly warned Adam that he must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, because when he does he will certainly die.

Death was never God's intention for mankind but eternal life by faith in Him throughout this life. 

While one can speculate that God wanted to test mankind by puting the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the garden of Eden, it's purpose was never mentioned.

So although God's plan was to bless all mankind through the lineage of our great grand father,Adam's choice to disobey God unfortunately brought the reverse, which was curses. 

Most people including Christians, after the demise of a loved one, ponder over why God would meet out such a harsh penalty on mankind as a result of one man's sin, but fail to realize the truth that Adam's altered Spiritual gene of spiritual and physical death was passed on through his lineage to us all and if God gave up on mankind because of Satan's deception that caused it all, Satan will over that of God would have been accomplished.

God's response to the devil's scheme as in John 3:16, in that He so loved the world He had made, that He gave his one and only Son, in ransome for us all, so that whoever believes in him would not perish but have eternal life.
God sent another sinless man to redeem his fallen creation and impart in them a new nature because of His inability to behold iniquity would not allow mankind, as a creation in his sinful state to fellowship with Him in this life and in future paradise.

The purpose for life: 
In conclusion, the gospel truth is that, although we cannot undo the consequences of the original sin, our complete understanding of God's purpose for life in itself, which is a perpetual fellowship with Him for all ages, is the only thing that can make death understandable and bearable.

From now on, let's see Death as it truly is, not just an end in itself but more importantly, it is a new beginning for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Shalom.