What Happens at Death?

Philippians 1:20-24

I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 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.

Death is the worst thing that can happen to you … if you are not a Christian. The sentence of death is resident within each of us from conception. Our first father sinned, plunging the universe into a state of separation from God who is life. Those who foolishly live only for this dying world lose all at the moment of death. Not possessions, nor position, nor power will delay the inevitable date with death. Pleasures cease for the earth dweller at the moment of death and any possibility of good ends.

Those who live by faith, their hope fixed on eternity with God who is life… those who have received eternal life through faith in the Risen God of Life… these see death as a mere distraction necessary for the transition to real life. Knowing that he who holds the power of death has been destroyed by Christ the Lord, they are forever freed from slavery to the fear of death [cf. Hebrews 2:14]. Though the process of dying may be momentarily painful, those who have been born into the Family of God know what happens at death. Knowing what is to happen, they have no fear. They alone, of all the families of mankind, live with no fear.

What does happen at death? As a child of God it is your heritage to live without fear, knowing what must happen. Study the words of the Apostle to the Gentiles to discover what does happen at death for the Christian. No better place is afforded our study than the words Paul penned while incarcerated in a Roman prison. Turn, then, to Philippians 1:20-24 to discover what happens at death for the child of God.

Death for the Unbeliever — The Psalmist wrote:

Precious in the sight of the LORD

is the death of his saints.

[Psalm 116:15]

Indeed, we accept this to be true. What is left unsaid is the obverse of that comforting thought. If the death of God’s saints is precious in His sight, how must He view the death of the lost? More than that, what must the lost themselves think at death? The Apostle Peter weighed the same thoughts when he cautioned the people of God with these words. It is time for judgement to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,

what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good [1 Peter 4:17-19].

What will become of the ungodly and the sinner? The rich man of whom Jesus spoke died and was buried. Immediately we read those awful words, in hell [Luke 16:23]… Death was not an end for this man who had lived his life without thought of the consequences. Death was but the beginning of unthinkable torment. A street preacher was ridiculed by a tough. “Tell me where hell is, if you’re so smart,” challenged the ruffian. “Hell is at the end of a Christless life,” was the stern rejoinder.

Perhaps even this evening there is some someone who thinks, “You’re only trying to frighten me, Preacher.” Yes, I’m trying to frighten you. I’m doing all I can to alert you to the peril in which you now stand. If I thought I could frighten you into the arms of the Saviour I would do so. You see, the individual who is unsaved is even now under condemnation of death.

The Word of God clearly presents the distinction between the lost and saved. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son [John 3:18]. To emphasise this distinction between the lost and the saved, John iterates in just a few short sentences, Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him [John 3:36].

Because the individual who has never submitted to Christ as Master of life is even now under divine condemnation, at death that one passes immediately into an eternity which is especially marked by the absence of God and all that is good. Having lived life without God, the lost individual must anticipate an eternity separated from God. This is not the lark you might imagine since the hold in which the lost are incarcerated is designed for the devil and his angels. That is not the worst part. No doubt the worst part is the knowledge that everything which can be thought good that has come to you in this life is from God who is good. Separated eternally from Him there is no prospect of that which is good — never.

Those are awful words with which the Apostle describes the lost. They are separate from Christ … foreigners to the covenants of the promise … without hope and without God in the world [Ephesians 2:12]. In the sight of God the lost are dead in transgressions and sins as they follow the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. They gratify the cravings of their sinful nature and follow its desires and thoughts. They are by nature objects of wrath [cf. Ephesians 2:1-3]. There is no hope for the lost at death.

Yet no man need die in his sin. No individual need continue under condemnation. Christ the Son of God has tasted death for every man, taking the punishment of our sin upon Himself. This Jesus has made full provision for you to live and to never suffer eternal death. Though Isaiah’s words were prophecy, they read as if they were history.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

[Isaiah 53:6]

Christ died because of our sin that we might be free of all condemnation before God.

The Word of God is quite clear in declaring that if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God [2 Corinthians 5:17-21]. For the saved, for all who have faith in the Living Son of God, the situation could not be more different. These who are saved can lay claim to Paul’s words in our text.

Have you ever considered what makes an author such as Stephen King so popular? Have you ever wondered why the genre of horror movies focuses especially on the subject of death? It is because death is the most horrible concept to the lost mind. All that the lost have lived for is defined by the limitations defined by this dying body. To die is to abandon hope. Never again shall the senses be stimulated for the lost after death. Never again will gentle zephyrs cool the sweated brow. Never again will the fragrant scent of wild roses assail the nostrils. Never again will the flavour of spicy lasagne explode in the mouth. That which comforted in this life will be eternally removed. The power and the possessions and the pleasure which defined their lives will be eternally gone. The gentle touch of a loving spouse – gone. The sweet scent of a baby’s breath – gone. Since all is threatened by death, death is the great spectre which haunts the lost. The lost are held in slavery by their fear of death. As little boys whistling in the dark as we past the graveyard we think that we conquer our fear by watching a pallid portrayal of that which frightens us most.

Not so for the child of God! Christ our Lord, through His sacrifice has destroyed him who holds the power of death and has freed those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death [Hebrews 2:14,15]. All that God has promised awaits our exodus. Not until we have put aside this tent we briefly occupy shall we be prepared to receive our eternal home, the glorified body which God has promised for His dearly loved people. Then, and only then, shall we be changed into His likeness and see Him as He is, for then we shall be like Him. Thus it is that for the child of God, to die is gain.

To Die Is Gain — These are not the words of a cynic. I have served as a minister of Christ long enough to have heard the honest cry of sick individuals who are in sufficient pain long for death. I have heard the fatigue in the voice of elderly men and women who have spoken of the relief anticipated should they die. This is not what Paul is saying. Perhaps in his last letter to Timothy we could read something of the knowledge that the last battle is finished, but even then he writes with a note of triumph. I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day [2 Timothy 4:6-8].

The words which the aged man of God wrote while in jail were exultant, triumphant, anticipating victory. He is not longing for death, but neither is he fearful of death. Should it be the will of his Master that he should continue to serve through ministering in this life, it is okay for Christ reigns over him and he is submitted to the will of the Lord. Should it be the Master’s will that he soon exit this life, that also is fine since Christ reigns over him and he is submitted to the will of the Lord.

A man like this cannot be cowed. What will you do to such a man? If you threaten to take his wealth he’ll tell you that has treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal [Matthew 6:20]. If you threaten to isolate him from his friends he’ll tell you that he has a friend who sticks close than a brother [Proverbs 18:24]. If you say that you will imprison him he’ll tell you that it is for freedom that Christ has set him free [Galatians 5:1,13]. If you say that you will kill him he will tell you I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me [Galatians 2:20]. You can’t touch such a man. You are powerless before such a man. He is a child of God and his inheritance is not complete until this life is finished.

For the child of God, to die is gain because the opposition of godless men will then cease. To die is gain for the child of God because the trials of this life will be over. To die is gain for the child of God because he will receive his reward which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, holds for all who complete their course. To die is gain for the child of God for he shall see Christ as He is. For the child of God, to die is gain because he will at last be like the Master whom he loves. To die is gain because death will then be swallowed up in victory. To die will be gain because we will at last be able to praise God as we long to do, worshipping in spirit and in truth. Amen.

To Depart and be With Christ is Better By Far — In our text Paul bares his souls and admits that he is struggling with a conflict between duty and anticipation. He is a servant of Christ, and he will serve his Master. However, departing to be with Christ is better by far since He will then be actually in the presence of Christ. He walks with Christ and talks with Him. He seeks the will of Christ, endeavours to implement that will in his life, longing to please the Lord in every act and in every word. For him life is not drudgery and tedium; it is Christ. However, he must admit that to exit this life is to step into the presence of the One the old man has loved and served throughout these glorious decades. No wonder the aged saint was in a quandary!

You see, the issue of what happens at death is determined in no small measure by how you live in this present age. If you live for self and for this dying moment called now, you lose everything at death. If, however, you have lived for the glory of God, death comes not as an enemy but as a means of transport into the presence of Him whom you love and serve.

I love the words which the Apostle penned in his letter to the Romans. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us…

We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently [Romans 8:18,22-25].

I possess a hope, as does all the saints of God. It is not a wish, but it is anticipation based upon the promise of the One who conquered death and swept the grave free of every terror. That hope is that I shall exit this mortal sphere to enter into that eternal realm of glory. That hope is that I shall be changed into the likeness of Christ the Lord. That hope is that I shall receive the full adoption of sons, receiving the full rights of access to God to worship Him and to honour Him and to praise His Name perfectly forever. Amen.

One day I will close my eyes for the last time. I will struggle for one last time to draw in breath and then I shall cease to struggle. My wife and my children will mourn. They needn’t do so. I’ll be more alive than I have ever been. When human hands have tended this body for the last time and the physicians have done all that human knowledge permits them to do, I’ll not be dead! I’ll be alive. I will have at last departed and I shall be with Christ. This isn’t the only place in which the Apostle speaks of the transition. Listen to his words recorded in 2 Corinthians 5:1-10.

Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Look at the contrast. This earthly tent … our heavenly dwelling. Unclothed … clothed. What is mortal … life. At home in the body … away from the Lord. Away from the body … at home with the Lord. The very construction of the Apostle’s words implies that only one of the two conditions can prevail. For this moment I know that I occupy this earthly tent, I am unclothed, this is mortal, I am at home in the body and thus I am away from the Lord. When my transition comes I will receive my heavenly dwelling. Then I shall be clothed. Then I shall be alive. When at last I am away from the body I shall be at home with the Lord. Singing with the saints of old I will shout, “Free at last! Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, I’m free at last!”

A man was suffering his last illness and the old country doctor tended him as he lay on his deathbed. All his life the dying man had been a Christian, but the moment of death unnerved him. Briefly he fretted about the transition which would shortly take place. He voiced his fear to the old country doctor who attended him. “What will it be, doctor? You have been a friend to me for many years. You have attended the death of many others and surely you know what must shortly take place. What is going to happen? It is all unknown to me.”

The doctor was a godly man, but words failed him at that moment. Pausing to think he heard his little dog scratching at the door. The little creature had ridden with him to the home of the dying man. Becoming impatient at the delay of its master, the dog had at last leapt through an open window and found its way to the bedroom of the dying man. Now the whimpering and scratching alerted the doctor to the presence of the little dog. Opening the door an inspiration seized the physician.

“Why do you suppose that this little dog tried so desperately to come in here?” he queried the dying man. “This little creature didn’t know what was on this side of the door, yet he did all he could to be in here. Why do you suppose that was?”

“Well,” ventured the bedridden man, “his master was on this side of the door.”

“That’s it precisely. My little dog couldn’t know what was on this side of the door, but he knew that his master was on that side of the door. Everything would be fine if only he could be with his master. You are going to a place where you have never been. You cannot know what lies on that other side. You know, however, the Master who waits to receive you there and where He is will prove to be your comfort.”

I suggest to you that this thought comforted that dying man as few thoughts could comfort such a one. I cannot tell you precisely what lies beyond this moment called now, but I know the one who awaits His child there. Think of stepping onto another shore and finding that it is Heaven! Think of reaching for another hand and finding that it is the hand of God! Think of hearing another voice and discovering that it is the voice of Christ! Think of lifting your eyes and finding that you are looking into the face of the Son of God! That is what it is for the child of God to die.

Christ Will be Exalted in My Body, Whether by Life or by Death — The Christian whose life will count for eternity has long ago decided that Christ is all that matters. Ceasing to live for the applause of this dying world, this Christian has laid up in heaven treasures of gold, silver and precious stones. He considers the accoutrements of this passing world to be but mere tinsel destined for dust. The trappings of life so valued by the dead hold scant attraction for him. All that matters is the will of Christ.

Seeking to glorify Christ he has provided gold for his eternal vault. He chose to live for Christ and to ensure that his life was different from the world about him. He determined to know what Christ has said in His Word and that Christian has made every effort to do what Christ has commanded. The passing fads which always allure the thoughtless were seen as the empty husks they really were. All that mattered for this Christian was that Christ was glorified and honoured. As you worship and as you humbly submit to Christ the Lord you, also, are providing gold for that glorious vault.

This conscientious Christian provided silver for his glorious treasury through speaking of the salvation which God offers to all who will receive it. He witnessed of the life which was found only in Christ. He was not intimidated by the sharp censure of those about him who considered that Christians should not speak of their Faith. His Faith not only transformed him life but impelled him to speak of the One who loved him and who gave Himself for him. Each time you witness you are sending ahead silver which will be credited to your account.

As the Christian honours God and as that one witnesses to His grace some will hear and believe. As they turn to Christ in faith they are counted as precious jewels. The heavenly accountant keeps track and knows exactly how to credit each account. Some Christians think that you have had no influence in the life of another. They imagine that they have no gems, no souls, to present before the Lord of Glory. Perhaps you feel that way, but when you prayed for the salvation of another, is it possible that your prayers were instrumental in bringing that someone to faith in the Son of God? You spoke a word of witness, and though you thought your words to be ineffective perhaps those words, together with the pleas of others, served to turn that someone to faith. You stood for what was right when it was unpopular to do so and you have no idea who was watching you as you stood resolute and firm for the cause of Christ. Perhaps that someone who watched you later considered what would enable you to stand and they sought out another to tell them of Christ. You don’t know … but God knows.

What is important is not that you are measured by a standard of someone else’s making. What is important is that you have sought to live in the presence of Christ. Then, when the transition comes, and it shall surely come, you will step away from the veil which has long shielded your gaze and step into the radiance of His presence.

Watching CTV news Friday morning I saw a report from the scene of the devastation surrounding the earthquake in Taiwan this week past. The newscaster began by saying that a miracle had been witnessed in the rubble of the earthquake. She went on to say that a six-year-old boy was pulled alive from the rubble of a collapsed apartment building after being buried for eighty-three hours. The wonderful thing about television is that you are there witnessing the response of the people. Surrounding the boy as he was pulled free were a number of rescuers dressed in Day-Glo orange. Suddenly one of the rescuers began to shout for everyone to hear, “We save life! We save life!” His face was wreathed with a glow which could only come from one who was ecstatic at the thought that he had participated in giving life.

As he exulted in the delivery of that little lad from death I began to weep. My tears were unbidden, as were the thoughts which underpinned them. First, I caught the note of joy in that man’s voice as he shouted, “We save life! We save life!” I couldn’t help but rejoice with him and the other rescuers at the thought that they had indeed been instruments of grace giving life to that child which had been buried and counted as dead only moments before.

Then my thoughts turned to the church of this day. When did we last hear shouts of joy at the salvation of a soul? When did we last announce for all the world to hear our joy at the giving of life to one who had been dead but who was now alive? Instead, we have convinced ourselves that God has ceased saving the lost. We have convinced ourselves that the world is too tough to receive the message we hold. We have consoled ourselves that we must suffer through and persevere quietly because the world is such a bad place to live. The problem is not that God has ceased saving people or that the world is too hard to receive our message; the problem is that we are too cowardly to live for Christ. We want the applause of this world and the smile of heaven too.

We are content to let the angels of God rejoice before the throne. We are too sophisticated for that sort of response to eternal life. I fear that we are the sort of people who would have condemned the father of the prodigal for rejoicing at his son’s return. The word which Doctor Luke uses speaks of unrestrained rejoicing such as one would expect at a festival. This is the rejoicing which marks the saints when the devil is at last cast out of heaven [Revelation 12:12] and when the great Babylon is at last destroyed [Revelation 18:20]. And I wept for the lack of joy among the people of God.

This message is finished, but the impact remains. For you who are lost, I plead with you to believe Christ as Lord that when the day of death comes you will step into His presence. How can I permit you to walk away from this message and not plead with you to receive the grace of God? Hear again the familiar words of the Apostle as he pleads. If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13].

For you who are the professed people of God I implore you to determine before God that you shall live in His presence. For some of you that means that you must set aside your myth of spiritual neutrality. You must cease thinking that you can be well loved in this dying world and yet honour Christ. If you will glorify Him you must surely offend some. If you will speak of Him and witness to His grace it means that you must love the lost enough to risk offending them. If you will gather precious jewels for His glory, you must begin to specifically pray for others, specifically speak to them of His call to faith, specifically stand against the tide of this polluted and darkened world. Amen.