In our Bible study we looked at 1 Cor 15:50-58, the final verses in Paul’s triumphant chapter on the resurrection. Here, he speaks of Christ’s ultimate victory over death (see 1 Cor 15:26, 1 Cor 15:55-56) and the glorious hope we have because of Christ’s resurrection. The Christian is assured of eternal life where the perishable will be clothed with the imperishable and the mortal will put on immortality (1 Cor 15:53) and reminded of God’s great victory which He gives us through Jesus (1 Cor 15:57).
Attitudes to death vary enormously. Most of us are afraid of dying to some extent; even if we have the hope of being with Christ in eternity, we are not at all sure we will have the courage or strength to go through the process of dying and are worried about pain and suffering. Death is a great unknown, and we often are fearful of the unknown and resistant to change. Many of us cope with death by ignoring it as much as possible, refusing to think about our own mortality (a strategy that is easier when we are younger and death seems a remote possibility…) Paul’s attitude does not seem like this. He says that ‘for to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain’ (Phil 1:21), going on to say ‘If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.’ (Phil 1:22-24) This chapter gives us the key to understanding Paul’s attitude to death and can transform our attitudes too.
Keith Krell writes, ‘We cannot exist long-term in physical bodies that are subject to decay or corruption, and we cannot exist long-term where the inevitability of death exists. These two aspects must be changed.’ Christ’s resurrection means that the perishable can put on the imperishable and the mortal can be clothed in immortality, but this means a transformation of our physical bodies which are subject to decay. Death can be seen, therefore, as a re-clothing, something God urges us to do daily to some extent (see Eph 4:22-24, Col 3:12). He has provided us with new garments (see Is 61:10) which we will experience in fulness after death.
The real problem is not simply death, but sin, which gives death its sting or power (1 Cor 15:56, Rom 6:23). The good news is that through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, sin has been dealt with decisively once and for all (see Gal 3:10-14, 1 Pet 2:24), and as a consequence, Jesus has broken the devil’s power over death and freed those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. (Heb 2:14-15) Death for the Christian is simply the journey to with the Lord eternally in our new dwelling (see 2 Cor 5:1-5, Jn 14:1-4).
Our attitude to death is therefore very different to people who have no hope (see 1 Thess 4:13). We may grieve and mourn the loss of those we love, but we can find comfort, solace and hope in the fact that death is not the ultimate end, a cessation of being. Because Christ lives, we also will live (Jn 14:29, see also Jn 11:25) Jesus is the ‘Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.’ (Rev 1:18) Hallelujah!