Death Is A Door

We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. II Corinthians 5:8 (New International Version, NIV)

One week ago today, my mother went to heaven, and I’ve been thinking a great deal about the afterlife. It’s normal for us to consider eternity, heaven, and the life to come in a greater way when someone we know passes into eternity. For the believer, physical death is not something to be feared or dreaded. Instead, it is something we know will happen which will usher us from this fallen world to a perfect world where we will be with the Lord forever. For us, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

For sinners, death is not a welcome thing, since only hell and torment await them after they die. They don’t want to look ahead to what comes after this life because they don’t have any assurance of eternal peace, comfort, or joy. However, we can actually look forward to eternity with anticipation and great expectation because we know heaven awaits and we will experience no more pain or sorrow. An added bonus is the fact that Jesus and our saved loved ones who have already died will be waiting there to greet us when we arrive. What a reunion we will have!

So much of life is spent looking back. We look back at our upbringing, at our growth into adulthood, at momentous occasions- like marriage, having children, etc. We look back at things we’ve accomplished. We look back and we remember. Remembering is not totally bad, but we need to be more focused on what lies ahead- especially if we are saved and will eventually be in heaven. We can look forward to the blessing of being with our loved ones and with the Lord Himself, far away from any fear or loss or lack.

Death for the Christian is not supposed to be a painful thing or a scary event. Jesus went through the pain that had been a part of death so we don’t have to go through it. We can pass from life into eternity as if we are walking through a door from one room into another. However, through fear and words of unbelief we can give access to the enemy to make the death experience something unpleasant, but death is actually not something to fear.

“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” I Corinthians 15:55 (New International Version, NIV)

When saints step through the door into eternity, the physical, mental, and emotional pain of this life disappear. There is no downside to going to heaven- only joy awaits. Death is not the end. For us believers who are waiting until our earthly assignment is complete, we must encourage ourselves with the promise of eternal rewards, rest, and rejoicing. We see their death through the lens of loss, but they see it through the lens of gain. Our saved loved ones have simply stepped through the door before us, and we will be with them again. My mom was born-again and loved the Lord, and I am looking forward to seeing her again in that glorious place called Heaven.