Is there a Christian way to die?
Discussion question for May 21, 2010.
Man is destined to die (Genesis 3:19; Hebrews 9:27). What do you believe to be true about the death of a Christian? Some types of death are assumed to be consequences of sinful behavior and other types consequences of a sinful world. What do you expect about aging? What can you claim as a promise from God about your long term health and transition to glory?
Here’s my summary of our discussion.
God allows our choices to impact the length of our life, and because of sin the consequences are a shorter life span than He declared in Genesis 6:3 (120 years). Moses lived 120 years and when he died he had no reduction in strength or vision. Based on anecdotal evidence, we can assume that the 120 years was a guideline and not a promise.
The Bible also describes long life as a benefit of obedience and a promise made in general terms to a people group. This does not mean that it is a formula that controls God, but rather that He controls it. For that reason, He can take pleasure in the life of an infant that lives only a few hours or a dedicated follower that lives to “a ripe old age.” We cannot understand the ways of God and the purposes of His will, but we can claim the promise that it is good.
God chooses how a person will die, and in some ways that choice is made with a measure of our agreement. One way of dying is not better or worse than another, except that each is a consequence of sin. The sin might be the rebellious choice of the person that dies, or it might be the rebellious choice of another sinner – or it might be the result of living in a fallen world.
Elijah was transported to heaven in a fiery chariot (2 Kings 2:3) while Elisha died of a terminal illness (2 Kings 13:14). God has a way of redeeming the method by which a person dies and turning it to good. Sometimes we can’t make the mental jump to understand this.
A Christian should be aware of the legacy they are leaving when they die. Death itself is simply a transition from the physical realm into relationship with God in every realm. So we should live every day we have on this earth in a way that will cause our passing to be a testimony to God. We should be more concerned that the memory of our life points to Who God is, rather than what we’ve done.