What is death?

James 2:26
• The separation of the spirit or immaterial part of you from your physical body.
• May be simply defined as the termination of life.
Death is simply a transition to a different mode of existence,; it is not, as some tend to think, extinction.
Means the wiping out of a debt or scattering

Scriptures about death

• "The dust shall return to the earth as it was" (Eccl 12:7 ).
• “You take away their breath, they die and to their dust" ( Psalms 104:29 ).
• “It is the dissolution of "our earthly house of this tabernacle" ( 2 Corinthians 5:1 );
• “The "putting off this tabernacle" ( 2 Peter 1:13 2 Peter 1:14 ).
• “Being "unclothed" ( 2 Corinthians 5:3 2 Corinthians 5:4 )
• "Falling on sleep" ( Psalms 76:5 ; Jeremiah 51:39 ; Acts 13:36 ; 2 Pet 3:9 ) .
• "I go whence I shall not return" ( Job 10:21 ); A place of no return.
• "Make me to know mine end" ( Psalms 39:4 );
• "To depart" ( Phil 1:23 ).
 Death is the effect of sin ( Hebrews 2:14 ), and not a "debt of nature."
• It is but once ( Hebrews 9:27 ),
• It is a universal ( Genesis 3:19 ),
• It is a necessary ( Luke 2: 28-30 ).

Jesus has by his own death taken away its sting for all his followers. ( 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 ).
 There is a spiritual death in trespasses and sins., The death of the soul under the power of sin ( Romans
8:6 ; Ephesians 2:1 Ephesians 2:3 ; Colossians 2:13 ).
 The "second death" ( Revelation 2:11 ) is the everlasting perdition of the wicked,
( Revelation 21:8 ), and "second" in respect to natural or temporal death.
 Death is an enemy. (1 Cor 15:26)
I. Why Do Christians Die?
A. Why do Christians die, even if their sins were paid for by Jesus?
• Christians still die. All of these are the results of living in a world that isn’t quite right, a world that isn’t
fully free from the curse of sin.
• Paul tells us that although Christ defeated death when he rose from the dead, death will be the last
result of sin to be removed from this fallen world:
• Christ “must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
• The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Cor. 15:25–26).
• God uses the experience of death to complete our sanctification.
• God uses death as a means to make us more like Christ.
• Even though God uses a hardship like death for a positive means in our life, it is important to remember
that death is not merely “natural,” as people without God’s Word often think of it. Neither is sickness or
evil or injustice natural. These things are not right, and in God’s world they ought not to be. Although we
live with these things now, one day all of them—even death—will finally be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:24–
26).
B. If there is no condemnation in Christ (Rom. 8:1), why does God still allow or bring pain and hardship
into a Believer’s life?
• In fact, in the Christian life generally it is not unusual for God to use hardship and pain to bring about
good.
• Paul tells us in Romans 8:28, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good.”
Pain and hardship are often the results of God disciplining his children, “for the Lord disciplines the one
he loves.... He disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness.
• For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of
righteousness to those who have been trained by it” (Heb. 12:6, 10–11)
 Not all discipline serves to correct us when we have done wrong. Often, God’s discipline in our lives is a
way of strengthening us; it is a means of sanctification. Although Jesus never sinned, he still “learned
obedience through what he suffered” (Hebrews 5:8) and was made “perfect through suffering” (Heb.
2:10). As he grew from childhood to adulthood and continued through his life on earth, the task of
obedience to God became harder and harder, and it included much suffering. Through all of this, Jesus
increased in his strength to obey.

 "At facing death": keys biblical thoughts

1. A believer's victory over death is assured by Christ's victory over death. (1 Cor 15:20- 23)
2. Jesus frees believers from the fear of death. (Hebrews 2:14-15; ) ( 1 Cor 15:54-55; ) ( Ps 23:4 )
3. Death cannot separate a believer from Christ; in fact, it sends him or her to Christ. (Rom 8:38-39;)
( 2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:21-23)
4. God is sovereign over the time and nature of each person's death. (Ps 33:18-19; Ps 31:15; )
(Ps 104:27-29; Ps 116:15; ) (result: Job 13:15))
5. Death is a final way of glorifying God in this life. ( Phil 1:20; Rom 15:8 )
6. Death is the last aspect of this fallen world that God will remove. (1 Cor 15:26; (Rev 21:4 )

II. When Christians Die: When the time that Christians will die.
A. What should a Christian do if they fear death?
1. They should read and trust the Scriptures on God’s promises regarding death for the Believer:
o John 14:1-3; - It talks about mansions in Heaven
o Phil. 1:21-23; 3:20-21; - To die in Christ is gain.
o 2 Tim. 4:6-8; - I fight the good fight of faith. I finished the race, and I'm ready to receive the
crown.
o 1 Corinthians . 15:53-58; -Victory over death
o 2 Cor. 5:1- 10; We will leave on this earthly house, put heavenly house.
o 1 Thessalonians . 5:10; We will come to life together with Him.
o 1 Peter 1:3-5; - We will have undefiled and unfaded body.
o Rev. 20:6; 21:4; He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death will not exist any more
– Rom. 15:4; 8:28-30

2. If you fear death and find the words of Paul hard to believe, it may be helpful for you to confess that to the
Lord.
o Ask him to increase your understanding of what happens when you die and to increase your
faith in his goodness.
B. What happens to a Christian’s body & soul when they die?
1. Believers go directly to the presence of God.
2. When Christians die, their souls go immediately into God’s presence.
3. Although their bodies remain in the ground, their souls go into the presence of their Creator.
Ecclesiastes 12: 7
4. That is why Paul writes of being away from the body through death. (2 Corinthians 5:8) and
departing in death to be with Christ (Phil. 1:23), because the souls of Christians are eternally
happy in the presence of God..
 There is no need to pray for their souls once they are dead. (This is an area where Roman Catholics hold
a different view, since they believe that Christians who die go to purgatory and that our prayers can
help them get out of purgatory sooner.)
During his crucifixion, Jesus offered a profound answer to a dying thief. “Then he said, ‘Jesus, remember me
when you come into your kingdom.’ Jesus answered him, ‘Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in
paradise,” (Luke 23:42-43).
Purgatory: The Bible is silent on the Roman Catholic doctrine of purgatory.
• This doctrine was brought in from the extra-biblical, historical book, 2 Maccabees.
" The doctrine of purgatory clearly violates the teaching of Scripture on two counts."
1. It contradicts the biblical statements that believers go directly to be with God when they die ( Hebrews 9:
27
2. It contradicts the once-for-all sacrifice of Christ, the total removal of our sin. Colossians 1:14 In whom we
have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
C. Even though we know our loved ones who are believers go directly to heaven is still alright to
mourn their loss?
Although we know that the souls of believers are eternally happy in the presence of God, it is still right that
we feel sorrow at the death of a Christian friend or relative.

 When the apostle Stephen was stoned, “devout men ... made great lamentation over him” (Acts 8:2).
 Jesus himself wept at the tomb of his friend Lazarus (John 11:35), because of sorrow that his friend
had died and because of sorrow for all who would experience the pain of death until his return.
 But the sorrow felt at the death of a Christian is not a hopeless sorrow since we know that a believer has
gone to be with the Lord.
 Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:13, we do not “grieve as others do who have no hope.

III. When non - Christians die: What will happen when non – Christian
die?
A. What happens to the body and souls of non-Christians when they die?
• Those people who have rejected the claims of Christ death , their souls go immediately to eternal
punishment.
• But their bodies remain in the ground until Christ’s return, when they will join their souls for the final
day of judgment.
 see, ( Matt. 25:31–46 ) The separation of the Sheep and the Goats
( John 5:28–29 ) “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will
hear his voice 29 and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done
what is evil will rise to be condemned.
( Acts 24:15 ) 15 and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a
resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.
( Rev. 20:12) Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to
what they had done as recorded in the books.
B. How should we respond to the death of someone we believe has rejected Christ?
1. Scripture never encourages us to think that people will have a second chance to trust in Christ after
death. In fact, the situation is quite the contrary as shown both in the parable of the rich man and
Lazarus. (see Luke 16:24–26) and in general statements about death and judgment
(see Heb. 9:27: “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment”).
2. Therefore, the sorrow felt at the death of someone who we believe has rejected Christ is not a sorrow
mingled with hope. When Paul thought about some fellow Jews who had rejected Christ he said, “I have
great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart” (Rom. 9:2). However, we often do not have
complete certainty that a friend or loved one has continued to reject Christ until the very end. The
knowledge of impending death can bring about genuine heart searching and a person may come to
genuine repentance and faith. In some cases, we simply do not know. Nevertheless, after a non-
Christian has died, it would be wrong to give any indication to others that we think the person has gone
to heaven since this would diminish the sense of urgency for those still alive to trust in Christ. When a
non-Christian has died, it is often helpful to speak with genuine thankfulness about the good qualities
that we noticed in the life of that person just as King David did when he learned that King Saul had
died. (2 Sam. 1:19–25).12
IV. When are Christians raised from the dead?
A. When will Believers be raised from the dead?
• Again, if you are a believer in Jesus, when you die, your body will remain in the ground and your soul
will go immediately into the presence of God. And so, until Christ returns, we wait for “the redemption
of our bodies.
• For in this hope we were saved” (Rom. 8:23– 24). That will be the day, Paul says, when we will be
“glorified with Christ". (Rom. 8:17)
B. What will happen on the day that Jesus returns for His church?
• For Christians who have died, the day when Christ returns will be the final step in the application of
redemption.
• On that day their new, perfect bodies will be reunited with their souls.
• Christ was the first one raised with such a resurrection body, but Paul says that “at his coming”
believers will also be raised in this way (1 Cor. 15:22–23).
• And for Christians who are still alive when Christ returns, their imperfect bodies will suddenly be
changed into perfect ones. Paul says, “We shall not all sleep [that is, die], but we shall all be changed, in
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will
be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51–52).
• Therefore all believers in Jesus will receive renewed resurrection bodies just like their Savior received.
(1 Cor. 15:20, 23, 49; Phil. 3:21).
• This process is called “glorification” since our bodies receive a new heavenly kind of glory.
• These new bodies will be “imperishable” (1 Cor. 15: 42 - 52), that is, they will not wear out, grow
old, or ever be subject to sickness or disease. They will show no sign of aging but will instead be
completely healthy and strong forever.
• The new bodies will be what God originally designed them to be: far more beautiful and attractive than
anything we might imagine in this age. Those who are raised with Christ will forever live in bodies that
have all the excellent qualities God created us to have. These bodies will forever be the living proof of
the wisdom of God in creation—a creation he called “very good” (Gen. 1:31)
Perishable. Imperishable
• Dishonour Glorified
• Weak Powerful
• Natural. Spiritual
• First Man 2nd man
• Earthly body. Heavenly body
• Image of man Image of God
• Flesh and blood Imperishable
• Mortal body Immortal body
• Corruptible. Incorruptible body
• Sickness Health