Where is your victory?
March 2, 2010 (Tuesday)
I participated in the funeral service for Mrs. Doris Howard yesterday. The Howard family-Ben, Doris, Phil and Gary-joined the First Baptist Church of Rockport November 1, 1964. That same day Wanda and I and our two sons, David and Danny, joined the church also, because it was our first Sunday as pastor and family at the church. We have been friends with the Howards since that day, 45 years and 4 months ago. Her death was a strong reminder to me that none of us is getting younger, and all of us will meet our Lord in that “land beyond the river,” so often the subject of gospel songs.
What does the Bible teach us about the death of a Christian?
When Paul discussed the subject, he began by saying, “We shall not all die..” What did he mean by that? He was telling us that, when Jesus returns to raise the dead, every child of God who is living or dead will receive a new body. It follows, therefore, that those living when He comes will not die, because the new body will never die.
When Christ comes, He will bring with Him all those believers who have died. Where were they? They were with the Lord. We know that because the Bible says, “absent from the body, present with the Lord.”
Don’t ever be afraid of death! Because of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, death has been defeated in our behalf. We can stand before the grave and say, “Oh, Death, you have no power over me. You may have my physical body one of these days, but you have no power because you have been defeated by the Lord Jesus Christ!”
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Some Scriptures about The Christian Hope
1 Corinthians 15
2 Corinthians 5
1 Thessalonians 4