The Freedom of Death

Seeing the Blessings of the Life to Come

Good Morning!

Today’s catechism lesson gets us into the nitty gritty of life. What happens when we die? More importantly what happens to our faith when we die? Well the good news is that nothing happens to our faith in fact it actually improves and becomes perfect. But what about our bodies? Even better news there. According to this morning’s Shorter Catechism answer to question 37 our physical bodies, the stuff you can pinch right now, remains united to Christ just as it is while you are alive. Without getting into the mechanics of that (philosophers love to waste time on how the spiritual works when adoration and thanksgiving are the more proper responses) the reality is we will all die, unless the Lord returns first, but even in the case of the eschaton’s arrival (which I don’t think will be for a while) the same truth is our peace and comfort. We belong body and soul to our Redeemer and there is nothing that can take that away from us, even death itself. It may be the separation of the soul from the body, but nothing can ever separate us from the love of God in Jesus Christ. So let’s get into the questions: 

Q. 37. What Benefits Do Believers Receive From Christ at His Death?

A. The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ, do rest in their gravest till the resurrection.

Q. 38. What Benefits Do Believers Receive from Christ at the Resurrection?

A. At the resurrection, believers being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted in the day of judgment, and made.

This section of the catechism is continuing to work through what it calls the “benefits” that believers receive from Christ. We’ve read about effectual calling, justification, sanctification, adoption, and now are hearing a bit on the eternal blessings which come from faith. As noted above there is a sense in which when we get down to the brass tacks of why we do what we do in the Christian life it’s less because of the right now and more about the not yet. Our Lord Jesus came to die so that we would live. It makes sense then that the culmination of the Westminster Divines writing on salvation would focus on what takes place when we leave this mortal coil.

The era in which our catechism was written was full of death. While not a member of the Assembly, a Puritan contemporary John Owen lost eleven children before the age of maturity, most as infants. He had one daughter survive to adulthood. Yet in the midst of all this suffering here is what he has to say about the believer’s relationship to death, “It is the duty of all believers to be preparing themselves every day to die cheerfully, comfortably, and, it may be, triumphing in the Lord.” In other words the Christian lives every day to die in faith. We pray in our private devotions that God would strengthen us for the daily trials we face. We seek the Lord in the reading of the Scriptures to find out what it is He would have us to do in life and the answer is always the same: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33.

 Without stepping on too many toes it is my opinion that the reason why we have seen such a formation of a mass psychosis in our situation over the last couple of years is that our culture is afraid of death. Its functionally atheistic worldview comes out in the fear that overwhelms people, because if this is all there is then anything which threatens that brief time is the greatest of enemies. However, as the catechism makes clear above for the Christian death is nothing to concern ourselves with. That does not mean we act foolishly and welcome it, but we also need not be anxious in the face of it. Look back up at Question #37 for a second. Meditate on what it says about what happens to us when Believers take their last breath. Let’s break it down a bit:

1)      …believers are at their death made perfect in holiness.

So first of all the iniquities that impede us in this life are taken away. All infirmities are healed. We are made perfect in holiness at death. It is a freeing mercy without compare. All the pleasures of this life are nothing to that moment when the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit is complete. It is not a selfish thing to desire that beautiful blessing which we have in Christ. We all experience the corruption brought about by Adam’s sin, both in our spirit in regards to the fight we have with the old man in sin, and in our body as we watch it break down and deal with disparate disease and the realities of old age and overuse. Death frees us from this, and because of who we are in Christ our comfort is that all the physical/spiritual trials we face are temporary.

2)      … and do immediately pass into glory.

Couple things to point out that some teach falsely about what happens when we die. First of all we don’t “go to sleep” until the final resurrection. No, as Christ told the thief on the cross instantly upon death our souls enter paradise. Second, the catechism rejects the Roman Catholic teaching called “Purgatory”. As the above clause makes evident we are made perfect at death, not through a time of cleansing in a middle state between Hell and Heaven. Our way to the Throne Room of God is not made clear by the intercession of saints, loved ones still on Earth, or any other created being. Our ticket to Heaven has been punched by Christ and His life, death, and resurrection is all we need to gain entrance into the land of Glory.

In many ways we could probably talk about this forever, and guess what? We do get to do that in Heaven! I want to leave you with a Bible passage to think more on today as you go about your chores or work in order to remember that no matter how hard life is, it is possible in Jesus.

“For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's.” – Romans 14:8

Here is a bit more to read on John Owen and his experience with suffering:

https://www.crossway.org/articles/why-death-is-the-final-stage-of-salvation/

Blessings in Christ,

Rev. Benjamin Glaser

Pastor, Bethany ARP Church