Key Verse: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" - Hebrews 9:27 KJV
Death is one of life’s greatest certainties, yet it is also one of the most misunderstood subjects. For the child of God, the Bible paints death not as the end, but as a doorway to eternal life in Christ. The Word of God is clear that “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Death is not the conclusion of existence—it is a transition. The body returns to dust, but the soul goes on to meet God.
Death is a punishment for sin, beginning with the original sin. In Gen 2:17 God said, "But of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day
that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Eve first disobeyed God then Adam did also and brought death to themselves and all mankind after them. But there is hope.
For those who belong to Christ, death is not something to be feared. Jesus Himself said, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:25-26). In Him, death has lost its sting and the grave its victory (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).
The psalmist reminds us that “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints” (Psalm 116:15). To God, the passing of His children is not tragedy—it is a homecoming. Death ushers the believer into His presence, where there is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).
Yet, Scripture also warns of the sobering reality for those who reject Christ. Revelation 20:14 speaks of “the second death”—eternal separation from God in the lake of fire. This is why the gospel is so urgent: “The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
For the Christian, then, death is both a call to readiness and a source of comfort. Readiness, because we do not know the hour when we will be called home. Comfort, because we know to be “absent from the body” is to be “present with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8).
Let us live each day with eternity in view. May our hearts echo the words of Paul: “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).
