We turn in the Word of God to 1 Corinthians 15. 1 Corinthians 15 and from verse 50. 1 Corinthians 15 and from verse 50. 1 Corinthians 15, verse 50. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O Death, where is thy sting? O Grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord." Amen. So our theme is, why do Christians die? Why do Christians die? The core issue this evening is this, if Christ has delivered his people from sin and from its consequences, Why do Christians still die? The reason there is physical death in the world is because of sin. All mankind, by their fall, lost communion with God, are under his wrath and curse, and so made liable to all miseries in this life, to death itself, and to the pains of hell forever. Shorter Catechism Answer 19 Then we might say, since Christ has borne the guilt of sin and triumphed over the grave, surely his people should not be liable to death itself? This is our question this evening. First of all then, death passed upon all men as part of the wages of sin. Romans chapter 5 verse 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned, after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. Death, the separation of body and soul, is not part of that final state of the damned, because there is a resurrection of damnation, John 6, 29, when soul and body will be cast into hell, Matthew 10, verse 28. Then soul and body will be reunited in the damned in a manner suited to vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. Nevertheless, we can still say that physical death is a consequence of the guilt of the sin from which the people of God have been redeemed. So that still leaves the question, death became universal because of man's sin, but why is it still universal to the redeemed? Secondly, death is universal and is meant to be. Death is universal and is meant to be. In Hebrews 9 verse 27, we see that death is no mistake. Hebrews 9 verse 27, and as it is appointed unto men, wants to die, but after this, the judgment. So death is appointed unto men. It is appointed unto men by God himself wants to die. Death passed upon all men. It is called the way of all the earth by Joshua in Joshua 23 verse 14. When he was going to die, he said, I go the way of all the earth. And Psalm 49 verse 10, from which we sang, Psalm 49 verse 10, For he seeth that wise men die, likewise the fool and the brutish person perish, and leave their wealth to others. So men die, all men die, and that brings us thirdly, Christians are meant to die. Christians are meant to die. This automatically follows. All the heroes of the faith of the Old Testament, for example, in Hebrews 11, they all died. The genealogies in the Old Testament, some of them say how long each man lived, and then it says, and he died, and he died, and he died. Robert Murray McShane once preached on that phrase and he died to get across the constancy and the universality of death. We are to be ready to die through faith in Christ the Saviour. The rich fool was not ready to die. He was not ready for God to say thou fool this night, thy soul is required of thee." And so the people of God are wise unto salvation and they are ready for death. The Apostle Paul was ready to die. He talks of being ready to depart, which is far better. Philippians 1 and verse Philippians 1 and verse 21. For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. So he anticipated death. The Apostle Peter in 2 Peter 1 talks about putting off this tabernacle as the Lord Jesus has showed me. And so he anticipated death. the Lord Jesus told him by what death he should glorify God. We are to anticipate that we will in fact die. 2 Corinthians 5 and verse 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. And the Apostle in 2nd Timothy 4 verse 6, it seems his latest, his last letter, he says, for I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand. In that case, he anticipated dying a martyr's death, but whether by what we call natural causes or by violent causes, the people of God do die. Sickness is the forerunner of death and it existed in the New Testament Church. 2 Timothy 4.20 says, Trophimus have I left at my litem sick. 1 Timothy 5.23 Paul tells Timothy drink no longer water but take a little wine for thy stomach's sake. and thine oft infirmities." So that even in the apostolic age when the gift of healing was, the genuine gift was present, there was still sickness and there was still death. Paul is not here. His contemporaries are not here. They all died by one means or another. And it was not due to unbelief, as if had they had enough faith they would never have died, no, it was appointed that they should die. How dieth the wise man? As the fool. Ecclesiastes 2 verse 16. So fourthly, Christians die according to God's program of redemption applied. Christians die according to God's program of redemption applied. We speak of redemption accomplished as what Christ has done for his people in giving his life for them and redemption applied as Christ what he does to them by the Holy Spirit. In Romans chapter 8 and verse 30 we read, Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called, and whom he called, them he also justified, and whom he justified, them he also glorified. And the glorified part of that unbreakable chain, except for the last generation to live on earth, is in two stages. At death, the soul is perfected in the presence of Christ. He said to the thief on the cross, today shalt thou be with me in paradise. So the souls of believers are glorified with Christ at death, but at the last day the body is to be raised to glory. John 6 verse 30 Sorry, verse 39. And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. That is, the last day is the day beyond which there are no more days. It brings in the eternal state. And in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 22, we read of death as the last enemy. 1 Corinthians 15 verse 22, For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order, Christ the firstfruits, after a day that are Christ's at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father, when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." Now when it speaks of the last enemy being death, it's not speaking about the last great challenge to faith at the end of our individual lives. That is certainly true that death is called the king of terrors in Ecclesiastes, but we look at that in a minute. But the last enemy here is the last enemy to be overcome by Christ in applying redemption to his people. the last great benefit he has purchased for them, that is the resurrection of the dead. And if you look at the context in 1 Corinthians, you'll see that that is the meaning. The last enemy, the last stage in redemption applied is the bodily resurrection. And in this chapter the apostle assumes that that an everlasting kingdom must be a kingdom that includes deliverance for the whole man and therefore he doesn't even contemplate deliverance for the soul without ultimately the deliverance of the body as well. So believers, except those alive at Christ's coming, are meant to die even at the same time as they are perfected in holiness. It's quite a thought that as death comes, the soul is perfected in holiness, that's a new stage in redemption applied, but redemption is not applied to the body until the last day. And this is God's appointment, that great spiritual blessing purchased by the Lord Jesus is applied and yet although one blessing, perfection in holiness, is bestowed, the physical resurrection is not bestowed until the last day. They are to sleep in Jesus between death and the resurrection. So 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 And verse 14, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. So between death and resurrection, they sleep in Jesus. That is to say, not that they are unconscious or their souls are asleep, but the body lies in the grave as if asleep awaiting the resurrection. and the soul is with Christ. Fifthly, Christians die so that all may be by faith and not sight. Christians die so that all may be by faith and not sight in this world. Any difference evident between the believer and the unbeliever is in the believer's faith showing itself in godly confidence, like Stephen, into thy hands I commend my spirit. But it's not in the physical. The same illnesses can bring death about for the believer as the unbeliever. The same supposed accidents in God's providence, even martyrdom for the Christian involves the same physical properties that would kill a non-christian if applied to him. So if a non-christian was stoned it would kill them the same as steven. So the outcome of death for the believer compared with the unbeliever can only be known by faith not by some physical difference. So we know that when a believer dies in the Lord, that they go to be with Christ. But how do we know? Not because God makes a difference in the manner of their death, but because His Word tells us that those who die in the Lord go to heaven to be with Christ. Just as Christ never performed a miracle to order, so it is that the time when the unbeliever will be forced to admit the truth of the Word is at the last day, not before. So the unbeliever can look at the Christian dying and the non-Christian and say there's no difference. And physically there is no difference. And God does not, as it were, put him so that he cannot deny the truth, not until the last day. At the last day, the unbeliever will know forever that the gospel is true, that gospel which he despised. Until then, in this world, there is no sign which will, as it were, aim to convince the unwilling, the unregenerate, that the gospel is true. And it must be, the gospel must be embraced in faith. It must be believed. the realities of God and of Christ the Mediator and of Heaven and Hell are believed on the basis of the Word of God, not by any physical distinction between the believer and the unbeliever in death. If there was some kind of distinction, it would be on a par with with Lazarus going back from the dead. The brothers of the rich man were so told they would not repent or one go back from the dead. They might be terrified, they might be alarmed, but they wouldn't genuinely repent. And so if there was some distinction made between the believer and the unbeliever in death, then It may be that the unbeliever, the unregenerate man, would be stirred and awakened and alarmed. But unless he is born of the Spirit, he won't truly repent and believe on Christ. And if he won't listen to the Word of God, it won't make any difference should there be a distinction in death between the believer and the unbeliever. So we know that the believer goes to heaven and the unbeliever to hell, even though they experience the same death, we believe the word of God. And God has so ordained it in his schedule of redemption applied that there will be no distinction and that both believer and unbeliever will pass through physical death and If we want to know what happens to the believer or the unbeliever, we are dependent on the Word of God. And then sixthly, Christians die to show God's power in causing faith to triumph over the fear of death. He has appointed that Christians face death and to demonstrate his power in their being able to face death. Hebrews 2.14 For as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. There is such a thing as God's grace in the hearts of men. Job persevered under severe trial and didn't deny God. Satan said he would Job chapter 1 and verse 10 and 11. Hast thou not made an hedge about him, and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance is increased in the land. But put forth thine hand now, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face. And the subsequent account shows that although Job under severe trial, he didn't always speak advisedly, but he kept the faith and he showed that the insinuation of Satan was untrue. and that the word of his friends was untrue when God vindicated him. And Christians facing death and facing it well are proof of the power of God shown through the gospel which is the power of God unto salvation. May we all die well to the glory of God and face death by the grace of God in a manner which displays the invisible power of the Spirit of God. Romans 14 and verse 7 and 8 Romans 14 and verse 7 and 8 For none of us liveth to himself And no man dieth to himself, for whether we live, we live unto the Lord, and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's. And there it's not simply the fact that we are the Lord's in death, but it's the idea of serving the Lord as his possession in living and in dying. to die to His glory. Jacob, which we read of earlier on, although we didn't read the actual death of Jacob. Genesis 49. Genesis 49 and verse 33. Genesis 49. and verse 33, And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people. There is a calm confidence about Jacob's death. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit. for they rest from their labours and their works to follow them. So then, why do Christians die? Firstly, because it's God's appointed schedule that for all generations prior to the second coming of Christ, his people should pass through death. Secondly, to make no visible distinction between believers and unbelievers, that it may be by faith that we believe the word of God and its testimony concerning what lies beyond the grave. And thirdly, to show the power of God's grace in bringing his people to the desired haven through death Christ himself tasted death. Christ suffered death in order to redeem his people. He didn't take on him the nature of angels to redeem fallen angels, but he took on the seed of Abraham. He became a man to redeem fallen men and to bear the wrath of God in his body and his soul. in order to deliver them, body and soul, from the just judgment of God upon their sins. So God will glorify us, body and soul, but the soul at death, in the immediate presence of Christ, and then at the last day the body will be changed, this vile body, to be made like unto His glorious body with that same power whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself. Amen.