At the risk of sounding unduly morbid, it is doubtful that any believer can ultimately appreciate the abundance of the life Jesus promises apart from a candid grasp of Christian death. In spite incredible advances of medical technology, man will never defeat death, the ultimate "all-conqueror". Unless Jesus returns first, we will die, but for a Christian, death merely ushers us into the fuller presence of the living God. Hebrews 9:27 says, ". . . man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment." But Paul tempered those words with these: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21). What is the great gain of death?

WE GAIN A BETTER BODY! Ours will be a glorified, immortal, resurrection body. In this life we experience aging, pain, sickness, and ultimately death. Those are the things, which accompany this deteriorating house of dust. But as we pass through death into glory, we gain a body that does not grow old, suffer pain or illness and can never die.

WE GAIN A BETTER HOME! Nothing in this world can compare with the home Jesus is preparing for us. We cannot even imagine the glorious home that awaits us. For two thousand years, Jesus has been preparing our eternal dwelling place.

WE GAIN A BETTER INHERITANCE! Our final reward is not here, but is in heaven. "Well done thou good and faithful servant … enter into the joy of thy Lord." That is the affirmation that every person who has trusted in Christ longs to hear. God gives every believer a gift by which to prove himself a faithful servant and He will reward those who have served Him faithfully.

WE GAIN A BETTER FELLOWSHIP! In this world we live in a dissolving family circle. A husband dies. A wife is gone. Grandparents, father, mother – one by one, they pass from our lives. But in heaven we will enjoy a reunion with those who wait to greet us there. But best of all, we shall enjoy fellowship with Jesus Christ; we shall see Him face to face.

But make no mistake, death is not gain for everyone. For many, death will be the most dreadful of all things. If for any man to live is money, then to die is loss. If to live is pleasure, then to die is loss. If to live is self, then, to die is loss. If to live is ambition, then, to die is loss. If to live is self-will, then, to die is loss. If to live is this world, then, to die is loss. But, if to live is Christ – death is seen in a different light.

The majesty of the Christian experience is that Jesus has allowed believers the opportunity to come to grips with death in this lifetime after He has already defanged it, so that we can enter into the reality of His great and precious promises even now. Then, when physical death does come, it is merely a bump in the road, for the truly frightening dimensions, its sting, the eternal uncertainties surrounding it, have been taken away.

© 2002 by R. Karl Crouch, 551 Abbeyville Road, Lancaster, PA 17603