What does the Bible say about death?

Death lies upon men everywhere as the fruit of sin; it is sin's wages, as Rom. 6:23 tells us. Had sin not intruded itself into God's fair creation, not a grave would ever have been dug, not a tear of bereavement would ever have been shed... For those who fail to seek divine grace and pardon the death of the body is only the prelude to "the second death, the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:14). The righteousness of God demands that if any are to be spared the last dread sentence then death must fall upon another instead.

Death is a word of large meaning. In one sense death came in upon man when by sin he was utterly separated from God. The death of the body occurs when it is separated from the spiritual part of man. The second death is when lost men are finally separated from God. The full wages of sin includes death in all three senses.

Man was naturally made at the outset to live. Death was sin's wages, not then a physiological necessity... For what greater misery, or moral anomaly, than an everlasting life of sin? Death therefore is in no way a debt of nature but of sin... Now that man is a sinner, it is the one event that happens to all in the seen world; in the unseen there will be another still more solemn. "For it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment" (Heb. 9:27).

"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery" (vv. 14-15). It should be clearly pointed out that the word "share" as applying to each one of us means we were in that condition as our common lot; whereas the words "took part," which refer to Christ, carry the force that He came into a condition of things outside of Himself personally; He was always the holy, sinless One.

In this Scripture our Saviour is represented as having abolished death (here personified, as sin is in Rom. 7). Of course this does not mean that men no longer die as a fact, but that He has annulled the title of death as regards His own... But He has done more: He has brought to light life and incorruption (the body being in question, and not the soul only) through the gospel.

The One who has the power of resurrection and who is "the life" is before her. Not only will He raise the dead, but He communicates life to the believer — eternal life. All will be raised, but only the believer will be raised to the resurrection of life. Unbelievers will come out of the grave to the resurrection of judgment (John 5:29). The resurrection life is a life beyond the power of death, and sin, and judgment.

What did Paul have in view when he said, "to depart and be with Christ is far better," and "to die is gain"? (Phil. 1:21-23). Surely he was not longing for two thousand years of unconsciousness? How could this be "far better" than enjoying the love of Christ in the middle of work here? But he himself tells us in 2 Cor. 5:8 that to be "absent from the body" is to be "present (or, at home) with the Lord."

Do not misunderstand these words. Saints are not forbidden to sorrow. Not at all. God would not have His children unfeeling. He would have us feel the circumstances of the way, but would not have us swallowed up by them, as others are. "The Hope" comes into the Christian's sorrow... The sleeping saint, instead of being a loser, is only the more like his Lord. And what God did for Christ He will do for all who are His.

It is sin which gives not only occasion, but its sting, to death; and the law, however righteous, could work no deliverance for the guilty... therefore the apostle breaks forth into thanksgiving as he sees God giving us the victory so completely and for ever, through our Lord Jesus Christ... Christ's resurrection is the pledge of ours, the witness of salvation, the pattern of deliverance, and the spring of hope in the middle of labour as well as suffering for Christ.