A month ago I received the news that a church member and friend had passed away after a long, hard battle with chronic lung disease. The next week, I was informed that a life-long friend had passed away unexpectedly with a brain aneurysm. Earlier this week I learned of the passing of a wonderful saint of God who had reached the age of 83, and this morning I was called with the news that my wife’s first cousin had passed away at the age of 50. Death – cold, unrelenting, without partiality, taking some at extremely young ages while allowing others to live long, productive lives. However, no matter how long we live, we will all face this same reality. So far the statistics on death are pretty alarming: 100% of all persons born will eventually die. No exceptions. The rich can’t buy their way out of it. The powerful can’t escape it. The health enthusiast cannot hold it at bay. Everyone – each and every one – will die.

Morbid? Perhaps to some. However, it doesn’t have to be. The Bible is clear and direct on this subject. Death is a part of life. Please note that I did not say death is the end of life. It is not. It is a part of life. Scripture states matter-of-factly, “It is appointed to all men once to die, and after that comes judgment.” Let’s begin by talking about the first part of that verse – the appointment with death. A preacher from a previous generation made the statement that most people spend their lives trying NOT to think about death. We want to stay as far away from it as possible. When we are confronted with the cold, icy fingers of death, we try to get away from it as quickly as possible, to once again put it out of our minds until we are forced to face it once again. It is not usually a topic of social conversation. We all rather talk about life and living than to speak of death and dying. And yet, it is all around us, all the time. We all have an appointment with death.

And the second part of that verse leads us to believe that death is not the end. It states rather tersely, “After that [death] comes judgment.” So, there is something beyond death. It is but a part of this thing we call life. Life doesn’t end at the time of physical death. We might think of death as a doorway into the next phase of life. To view this from a Christian perspective, taking our instruction from the Bible, we understand that man was actually created to live forever. God placed His first human creation, Adam and Eve, in a perfect paradise in which they enjoyed the presence of God in that pristine garden. God gave them everything – EVERYTHING! They had the prospect of living in that perfect paradise forever. And yet, because they chose to forfeit the perfection of that fellowship with God, and the perfection of the place He had lovingly created for them, they were given the sentence of death. They were banned from the garden, forced to battle the forces of nature in a world that no longer enjoyed the blessings of God’s protection, and eventually experience physical death. And so, the sentence was passed on to all humanity.

But we must keep in mind that this was never God’s desired will for His human creation. His desire is for us to enjoy Him, and for Him to enjoy us, forever. So here is where we have to deal with that part of the verse that speaks of judgment beyond death. We are all accountable, and will give an account, to God. Some will give an account at what the Bible refers to as the Judgment Seat of Christ, and others at the Great White Throne Judgment of God. Those who have accepted God’s gracious gift of forgiveness will stand before Jesus Christ to be judged for those works we have done since receiving His precious gift of life. Those who have rejected that gift will stand before God at the White Throne Judgment to hear the pronouncement of their sentence of eternal death.

God’s grace is truly amazing, and His offer of grace is extended to everyone. Knowing that death is the doorway to the best part of life for the believer does not take away the sorrow and grief we experience when a loved one passes from this life, but it does give us hope that sees beyond that grave. At the time of death the spirit goes back to God, while the body goes back to the earth. The term, ‘passed away,’ is a very apt term, as the loved one has passed on to the next life, and we will be able to pass that way, too, if we have accepted God’s gracious offer of eternal life.

Have you accepted this offer of grace? It has been purchased through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this act, He conquered death, hell and the grave. He did that for you. Truly amazing grace. It is by this grace that we are able to face the inevitability of our own impending death. It is by this grace that we can see beyond the brutality of death, and see, through the eyes of faith, the glorious life that is beyond that grave.

It is, as the Bible says, the reality for each of us. We will all die. I have been reminded of this truth once again in the past few weeks, and I will be reminded again in the future. But I have seen beyond – through the teachings of God’s word and through the eyes of faith, I have seen the reality of that which lies beyond the grave, and I can now rest assured that one day I, too, will pass that way. But it will only be a passing through. Are you prepared? If not, why not today, right now, this very moment. Why not entrust your eternal well-being into the hands of the only One who can assure you of the life you were meant to live. It only comes through Jesus Christ, and it is available to you and for you.