Death and sin are consuming and devouring the outward man every day (the wages of sin is death). Decay, deterioration, and death always works hard on carnal, earth-loving sinners. Daily, death slowly draws the memory out of our brains, the sight out of our eyes, the hearing out of our ears, the teeth out of our mouths, the taste out of our tongues, the elasticity and clarity out of our skin, the firmness out of our muscles and flesh, the hormones out of our body, the form out of our shape, the strength out of your bones, the power out of your muscles, the flexibility out of our joints, the color and shine out of our hair, the hair off our heads, the brightness out of our eyes, the insulin out of our pancreas, the processing out of our kidneys, the discs out of our spines, the beats out of our hearts, but one day we will receive a glorious body from the Lord Jesus Christ (but the gift of God is eternal life).
Now he is comforted... (Luke 16:25). Death is a comfort to the saved soul. God shall wipe away all tears...(Rev 21:4). I go to prepare a place for you... And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also (John 14:2-3). Because I live, ye shall live also (John 14:19 For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. I Thess 4:16-18 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. I John 5:12
Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. Hebrews 2:14-15 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come. I Timothy 4:8 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. I Corinthians 2:9
To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, I Peter 1:4 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: II Timothy 1:10 Blessed are they which die in the LORD... Revelation 14.13 Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows... Isaiah 53.4 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. Hebrews 4.16 When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee. Isaiah 43.1-2 I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Hebrews 13.5 Though He slay me, yet will I trust him. Job 13.15 My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart. Psalm 73.26
I, even I, am He that comforteth you...the God of all comfort. Isaiah 51.12; II Corinthians 1.3-4 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints. Psalm 116.15 What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. John 13.7 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. John 14.18 Having a desire to depart, and be with Christ; which is far better. Philippians 1.23 Ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance. Hebrews 10.34 I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. Psalm 17.15 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? But thanks be to God. I Cor 15.55-57, Isaiah 25.8, Hosea 13.14 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Psalm 23.4 The righteous hath hope in his death. Proverbs 14.32 Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep My saying, he shall never see death. John 8.51 Jesus by the grace of God should taste death for every man. Hebrews 2.9 Thank God we will never have to taste death in eternity...
He will be our guide even unto death. Psalm 48.14 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave. Psalm 49.15 For I am persuaded, that neither death. Romams 8.38-39 None considereth that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come. Isaiah 57.1-2 I wait, till my change come. Job 14.14 There the weary be at rest. Job 3.17 Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his. Numbers 23.10 In Thy presence is fulness of joy, at Thy right there are pleasure for evermore. Psalm 16.11 Verily I say unto thee, To day, shalt thou be with Me in paradise. Luke 23.43 Thine eyes shall see the king in His beauty. Isaiah 33.17 Looking unto Jesus, the author and 'finisher' of our faith. Hebrews 12.2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2
* Learn to die daily, that will make 'giving up' the ghost easier. The man who practices dying every day, the man who has a daily rehearsal of it, will not be afraid of the reality when it comes. Death will come up into our own windows, but Jesus will be with us. Dip your foot in Jordan each morning before you leave your bedroom.
* Hold very loosely everything on earth. Lay hold on eternal life. One day we will put off the work clothes of the flesh and put on our Sunday best (heavenly body). 'Things on earth' make it hard to die. We are strangers and pilgrims here, just passing through. Check your luggage before you depart: lay up your treasure in heaven before you depart this life. What I spent, I had; What I kept, I lost; What I gave away, I have.
* Set your affection on things above. Pray for God's grace to help you. Visit the throne of grace often. Look away from this vile earth to the city of God, New Jerusalem. Long for glory where God the Father and the Lord Jesus are on the throne. No more pain, trials, sorrow, sin or death. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
* Believe wholly in the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord I believe, help thou mine unbelief. Fear and faith battle one another. Childlike trust in the Precious Blood of Lamb of God will extinguish our doubts and fears. I will never leave you, nor forsake you. I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. What time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.
* Walk with God every day like it was your last. Live each day as it were to be your last. Live with all your might for the Lamb of God. We should be standing like a passenger at the train station. Your luggage has been checked, your ticket in hand, and only waiting to step into the train and be gone forever.
We are all like a traveler on a journey (life) that is staying at a hotel (this world) temporarily. If his room (lot in life) is not quite to his taste, he doesn't trouble himself. He doesn't fret himself about little inconveniences (trials and disappointments), because the taxi will arrive in the morning. Then he will be packed and ready, and then take a ride, and go and fly away to rest in his permanent home.
At death we will be rid of our troubles, rid of our sin, delivered from temptation forever, no more pain, we will be like Jesus, we will see Jesus face to face, see our loved ones and the brethren that passed on before us. Death will answer many of our prayers. The world may laugh and joke about death, but watch them closely at a funeral, on a death bed, or at the ICU. If you're a little too godly or too spiritual, standby, for God will have to bring you down and make you human, so you can reach humans for His Son. We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord (II Cor 5:8).
