Reflecting on Death

My oldest brother Scott died last night of cancer. It came upon him suddenly and viciously. By the time treatment began, it had the upper hand. So I am thinking about death and my own mortality. Death can help me to think more clearly by facing the fact that I too will eventually die.

Death reminds of my own mortality. I could die at any moment from cancer or a car accident. Every breathe I take is given to me by God (Acts 17:28).

Death reminds me that sin is the source of all forms of evil. Adam led the human race into our fallen and sinful condition. Everything terrible about this world is because of sin. Our selfishness, crime, hate, war, disease, fear, and envy and everything else is because of sin.

Death reminds me that my condition from birth is sinful and alienated from God. I need someone else to reconcile me to God and that is Jesus Christ.

Death reminds me that this life is short lived and eternity is forever. I am to live to enhance my eternal condition, namely joy, and fight against the tendency to live to enhance this short life.

Death reminds me that because of Christ and his death on the cross for my sin death has lost its sting. I am not afraid of death because to die is gain (Phil. 1:21b).

Death reminds me that the goal of beating cancer is not because I value this life as ultimate but because I value my spiritual life as ultimate. The former is only significant because of the latter. The only life worth living is one where I can honestly say, ‘to live is Christ (Phil 1:21a).’

Death reminds me that I do not grieve as one who has no hope (1 Thes. 4:13).

Dear friends, consider the claims of Christ. My life has never made more sense nor been more meaningful and more joyful since I became a follower of Christ.