Dundee Home

A Happy Life?

For around ten years, my children grew up in the company of loving parents, grandparents, great uncles and great aunts.   They were always there, or there was always the next visit to look forward to.   Despite their impression that everyone would continue to be there, inevitably they were to experience loss.

Firstly, it was the pet gerbil - nothing to get upset about, you might say, but to young children, the loss of a living creature can be an emotion not previously experienced. So you help them to understand - perhaps suggesting that it could be replaced with another one from the pet shop.

Experiencing Loss
Harder was to come. Close relations, old and not so old, succumbed to illness and died.   This was more difficult for them to deal with.   Death was suddenly more real to them.   No more could they see and have fun with a loved relative.

Understanding Death
As parents, we had experienced the death of relatives and so could understand their emotional response.   Certainly we could help them manage the symptoms of grief.   But how could we help them understand what death is, and to understand why we die?   Children can be very good at asking 'Why?'   - so just explaining the relative had been ill could just lead to the question "Why were they ill?" and so on.  

The Handbook for Life
To understand death, we also need to look at life. There is remarkable evidence that life did not just come about by chance, with no particular purpose for it. Rather, life resulted from the work of the Creator, God. Life was created for a purpose.
Today, if we buy a machine or piece of equipment, we expect to get instructions with it. Instructions tell us how to make the best use of our purchase. It should come as no surprise that there is an instruction book, a Handbook for Life, written by the Creator. It is known to us as the Bible. So, what can we learn from the Handbook?

What is Death?
Here is a very direct, easy to understand statement:
For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion.   For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward ; for the memory of them is forgotten. Ecclesiastes 9:4 (KJV)

So there is no awareness, no reward in death. In the Psalms we read more of what happens at death:
Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. Psalm 104:29 (KJV)

Is there nothing better?
Before we get too depressed with the thought that death is the absolute end, there is something else to be considered. The psalmist also wrote of something beyond the grave:
But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave: for he shall receive me. Selah. Psalm 49:15 (KJV)

What did he mean by this? Can we find other references to a hope or a promise of something beyond a normal span of life?

Promises, Promises
In the early chapters of the Bible, we read of a man called Abram (later called Abraham). God promised him a land for ever if he obeyed God. You can read of the promises in Genesis chapters 12, 15, 18 and 22.   In the New Testament, we find a comment on this man and his promises:
By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.    ...These all died in faith, not having received the promises , but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. Hebrews 11:8, 13 (KJV)

Abraham had died 2000 years before the time these words were written - and he had not seen the benefit of the promise. There was no immediate reward for him.   So what did the Psalmist mean by redemption from the grave?

We turn to the Lord Jesus for an explanation. Here is what he said when speaking to a dear friend whose brother had just died:
Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:23-25 (KJV)

How Does Belief in Jesus help?
The quote above indicates the involvement of Jesus Christ in resurrection (redemption) from the grave. The apostle Paul, writing to the believers in Rome, explains that there is a similarity between the action of Adam (sin) that resulted in the introduction of death, and the actions of Jesus (sin-less life) that results in the gift of life being made available.   Here is an extract from his argument:
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.   For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Romans 5:18-19 (KJV)

This route to eternal life is reiterated in a letter to those at Corinth:
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; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. 1Corinthians 15:22-23 (KJV)

Note that he says 'in Christ'. How does this happen? If we follow through the spreading of the gospel, we find that those who believed were baptised (note the order: belief THEN baptism).

For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:27 (KJV)

Being 'in Christ' is like being 'in' clothes - you have to put them on.   What is your outlook?

Free booklet -  
After Death, What?
Read more (with your Bible in hand) by requesting the above 20 page booklet, giving full details of your name and address and mentioning this newsletter, from any of the contact points below (FREEPOST address does not require a stamp or any other details - ('Offer available to residents of UK only' - outside of UK please email us with your request and where possible we will send you an electronic (eg PDF) version)):

The Christadelphians
5 Rattray Street
DUNDEE DD1 1NA

Or

regular mail: FREEPOST CHRISTADELPHIANS

e-mail: christadelphians@21blake.freeserve.co.uk

Recent Presentations...
Please email us if you have any interest in these subjects...