THE LAST BREATH
Today, reply is made on fear and thoughts of dying among Christians. Being vulnerable as alive, carnal, and mortal, Christian believers also may experience misgivings, mixed feelings, and uncertainty when considering their own death. However, as the offspring of GOD, and joint-heirs with the Lord, we have been told what to hope (expect). We are not to rely upon emotions, personal opinions and secular knowledge. We are to hold to proclamations, promises, and prophecies from GOD. Where there seems to be missing information, and details we might want do not appear, we are to understand they are neither necessary nor useful for our salvation. What we have been given is sufficient. A fighter using the ID “Billy” at “Yahoo! Answers” (Level 1 with 39 points, a member since August 10, 2017) posted the following:
Does the thought of dying scare you? lets just say it's absolute nothingness. no emotion feelings just pure nothing. does it comfort you?
THE GOLDEN ARROW: “For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!” (Galatians 2: 19-21, New International Version, NIV)
THE DOUBLE DAGGER: No Fear In Love? (05/17/2017); Correct Awe and Respect (02/04/2016); Alway Delivered To Death? (11/06/2015); Why Believers Fear (09/09/2014); Freedom of Foul Speech? (09/10/2014); On Death and Pain (05/08/2014); A “Good” Verse? (05/09/2014); The Dead in Christ? (11/18/2013); Too Much Holy Spirit? (11/19/2013)
“Billy”, here are some points on the understanding of death that should be found among mature followers of Jesus Christ. Because Christian believers are being given endowments of sacred substance from the makeup of GOD (e.g., faith, holiness, longsuffering, lovingkindness, wisdom, wrath against sin) along with such elements as gratitude, hope, humility and joy, their awareness and thoughts on death are always counterpoised against their conviction and thoughts on eternal life. Where sinners will respond to sacred knowledge by becoming “born again”, by making commitment to the Gospel and other godly doctrine, by continually repenting of sin, and by practicing the fellowship, lifestyle and daily routines shared within the community of faith that is the church, “death” takes on new meaning as “sleep”, as “rest”, and as a brief interruption of being a living companion of divinity. Consider again the following that uses language from the Scriptures (Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®) :
(1.) Romans 14: 8, NIV: 8 If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
(2.) Romans 8: 5-9, NIV: 5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ.
(3.) 1st Corinthians 15: 50-54, NIV: 50 I declare to you, brothers and sisters, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—52 in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53 For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. 54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”
There is far more to be said, correctly examined, and spiritually apprehended. (For example, (4.) 1st Thessalonians 4: 13-18, NIV: 13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.) Even so, I trust this fragment will be useful. Be it unto you according to your faith.
THE BLACK PHOENIX
Washington, DC
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