POST 15 - The Christian's Death

by William W. Orr, A.B., M.A., Th.B., D.D.. Pastor and Teacher.

     Inevitably the time will come when, unless the Lord Jesus Christ comes back for us, every Christian must depart from this life.

What will happen then?

     The Apostle Paul speaks of the immediacy of the transition from earth to glory, from death to life:
"For I am in a strait [narrow, place, difficult decision] betwixt two [decisions], having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better; nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you" (Phil.1:23,24).

     Note the instantaneous result of a Christian's death.  To die is to be with Christ immediately.  Termination of existence in the earthly realm inaugurates existence in the heavenly realm.  There is no period of transition.  The same thought is expressed in Paul's second Corinthian letter:

     "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the LOrd ... We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the ody [away from home and out of the body] and to be present [at home] with the Lord" (II Cor. 5:6,8).

     Basically, this is the great contrast:  While the child of God is in his physical body, he is of necessity away from the presence of Christ, who sits at the right hand of the Father in heaven (Heb. 1:3).  But departure of a person from the physical body is equal to instant arrival in the Lord's presence.

     Also, there must be compensation for the loss of the physical body.  Provision must be made not only to clothe the spirit, but to provide a new body commensurate with heavenly needs.  Paul tells of this in II Corinthians 5:1-3"

     "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle [tent, i.e., body] were dissolved [death] we have a building of God, an house not made with hands [as God made Adam's body], eternal in the heavens.  For in this body [human body] we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven; if so be that being clothed, we shall not be found naked [spiritual beings only, without a body]."

     Apparently, as the instant of death, the soul that leaves the human body is immediately clothed with a spiritual or celestial body.  This would be like the bodies of angels, eternal bodies, not subject to decay of dissolution.  This is not a Christian's permanent body, but a temporary one to use till the time when all God children shall be gathered home and given new bodies.

    Lest any should wonder about tyhe reality of celestial bodies, the Apostle Paul list them specifically in I Corinthians 15:39,40:

     "All flesh [therefore, bodies] is not the same flesh; but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.  There are also celestial [heavenly, spiritual type] bodies, and bodies terrestrial, but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another."
 
     There is no reason to question God's ability to make celestial bodies.  As He has formed earthly boddies in numberless variety, so He has the power to created bodies suitable for a heavenly environment.

     But what of the physical body now in the grave?  The answer is that it, too, is redeemed, and in due time will be resurrected, raised, reconstructed, and glorified.  The new pattern for the body of a C
hrsit is the Lord's resurrective body:

     "For our conversation (citizenship] is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body [ the body of humiliation] that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body" (Phil. 3:20,21).

      "Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (I John 3:2).

     However, this complete transformation awaits the time of the Lord's return.   Consequently, the physical body of a Christian will sleep in the grave till that thrilling event:

     "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" (I Thess.4:16).


     "Behold, I shew you a mystery [sacred secret]:  We shall not all sleep [ i.e., the sleep of the body], but we shall all be changed . . . for this corruptible [subject to death] must put on incorruption [not subject to death], and this mortal must put on immortality" (I Cor. 15:51,53). 

     Therefore, when a Christian dies, he apparently receive a temporary body, which will be his "home" till the time when all Christians will receive new glorified bodies.

     For those Christians who are living at the time of Christ's return, transition will be in one step only.  Their living bodies will be instantly changed, undergoing a metamorphosis.  Thus, they will receive their glorified bodies simultaneously.  From then on, all believers will be "forever with the Lord."

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