The Christian definition of death.
Death is both the physical death of the body and the spiritual death of the soul. Adam’s physical body was not living until God breathed his soul into it. “Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being” (Genesis 2:7 NIV). When Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their physical natures changed so that their bodies would start to deteriorate and eventually would physically die so that their souls would separate from their bodies. However, at the time they disobeyed God, they both immediately died spiritually in that their souls were separated from God. (Genesis 2:16-17, 3:1-19).
In addition, when a person dies, the spirit (soul) returns to God. “The dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7 NIV). The apostle Paul explained that for a person’s soul to be spiritually separated from God is to be spiritually dead because of person’s “disobedience and many sins” and refusal “to obey God” that subjects the person to “God’s anger” (Ephesians 2:1-5 NLT).
But because of God’s great love, rich mercy, and grace, God made it possible to spiritually save a sinful rebellious person through faith in Jesus’ sacrificial death as a gift from God that the person must accept, and cannot earn” (Ephesians 2:4-5, 8-9). The second death leads to the ultimate destination for people who fail to repent of their sins and rebellion against God and accept God’s gracious gift of Jesus’s sacrificial death on their behalf. These people are banished from God’s presence in hell after death for eternity (Matthew 10:28; Revelation 21:8, 27).
Hank Hanegraaff, After Life: What You Need to Know About Heaven, the Hereafter & Near-Death Experiences (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing, 2013), 143-145; Kenneth D. Boa and Robert Bowman Jr., Sense and Nonsense about Heaven and Hell (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007), chapters 4 and 5.
Christians do not need to fear death
Most people avoid talking about death because of the fear of the unknown associated with death and the depression that results if they don’t believe in God and the afterlife. Instead, they distract themselves from death by trying other ways to live on in eternity beyond their death. They may have their brains and bodies frozen and preserved at death (cryonics). They may try to be famous so they will be remembered after death. They may try to live on after their death through their children or devote their lives to a good cause that will have a positive impact on society after they die. However, you don’t need to fear death or be depressed that there may be no afterlife.
Christianity provides a realistic perspective on death and a method to overcome the fear of death through the hope of the Christian’s resurrection after death and relationship with God for eternity.
Death as the enemy.
First, Christianity views death realistically as the enemy. Death is the unwelcome separation of the body from the soul, which God regards as the curse of sinful rebellion against God. (Genesis 3:19; Romans 6:23). God goes so far as to emphasize this truth by assigning corpses to the class of unclean things in God’s purity laws for the Israelites (Numbers 19:11-22). Today, Christians should remember and recognize that the consequences of sinful rebellion against God is death (Romans 5:12).
God will overcome death.
Second, Christians can realistically look forward to a time in which God “will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears” (Isaiah 25:7-8 NLT). The apostle John also looked forward to the day in heaven where there would be no more death. “He (God) will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever” (Revelation 21:4 NLT).
The resurrection of Christians gives them hope of eternal life after death.
Third, God’s promise to Christians that God will resurrect them after death gives them hope in eternal life after death (John 11:25-26). Christians should “not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14 NLT, see also 1 Corinthians 6:14)). Without the resurrection of Jesus, Christians would have no hope in eternal life after death (1 Corinthians 15:16-20). Therefore, Christians can realistically acknowledge death as the evil enemy, but still have hope that God will overcome, defeat, and take the sting out of death (1 Corinthians 15:55). God’s resurrection of Christians demonstrates that death cannot separate them from God’s love for them (Romans 8:38-39). Therefore, they can be free from the fear of death (Hebrews 2:14-15).
A growing relationship with God overcomes fear of death.
As Christians grow in their relationships with God, their fear of death is relieved. The apostle Paul’s relationship with God was so deep that he was mentally torn between living for Christ on earth and dying to be with Christ after death. “For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live.” (Philippians 1:21-24 NLT).
Hank Hanegraaff, After Life, 145-148; Lee Strobel, The Case for Heaven: A Journalist Investigates Evidence for Life After Death (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2021), chapter 1; Clay Jones, Immortal: How the Fear of Death Drives Us and What We Can Do About It (Eugen, OR: Harvest House, 2020), chapters 1 to 5.
Five biblical figures of speech to understand God’s view of death.
God has also provided five figures of speech in the New Testament to help you understand how God views death as a transformation event from one phase of life to another phase of life that Christians do not need to fear. The author of Hebrews wrote, “Because God’s children are human beings-made of flesh and blood-the Son (Jesus) also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying” (Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT). The devil, Satan, does not have the power over death to determine who will die, but Satan does use the fear of death to discourage you from investigating spiritual matters leading to your investigation of God’s view of death. The following are some of the biblical figures of speech that will help lessen the fear of death.
An exodus or departure.
Jesus modeled facing death for you and referred to his coming death as an “exodus” (NLT) or “departure” (NLT) when he took Peter, John, and James with him up on a mountain to pray. Jesus appeared to them in his transfigured state with Moses and Elijah on the Mount of Transfiguration and spoke “about his departure (or exodus) from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31 NLT). Just before Jesus’ death, he told the disciples he was going where they could not come at that time. Peter asked him where he was going and Jesus replied, “You can’t go with me now, but you will follow me later” (John 13:36 NLT). Jesus’s death, resurrection, and ascension to heaven proved that he could can safely lead you to heaven. You can have courage to die because you know you will follow Jesus to heaven if you are a Christian.
A restful sleep.
Jesus referred to the dead ruler’s daughter as sleeping (Luke 8:52) and that Jesus’ dead good friend, Lazarus, as having fallen asleep (John 11:11) before he raised both of them from the dead. When the apostle Paul taught that some Christians would not die before Jesus would return to the earth and resurrect the dead, he used the same figure of speech of death as a restful sleep, “Behold, I am telling you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed“ (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 NASB).
Some Christians believe that no one is conscious after death because the “soul sleeps” until the resurrection of the body. “For the living know that they will die, but the dead know nothing” (Ecclesiastes 9:5 ESV). However, Solomon also concluded later in Ecclesiastes that when people die, “the dust returns to the ground it came from, and the spirit returns to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7 ESV). In addition, this soul sleep view contradicts many clear Bible passages. Moses did not sleep until the resurrection because he was fully conscious when he appeared with the transfigured Jesus on the mountain (Luke 9:31). Just before Stephen was stoned and killed as a martyr, he did not ask the grave to receive him so he could sleep, but said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” (Acts 7:59 NASB). Jesus told the dying thief on the cross that repented, believed in Jesus, and asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus came into his kingdom, “Truly I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43 NASB). Paul expected to be with Jesus immediately after his death, “having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better” than remaining alive (Philippians 1:23 NASB). Similarly, Paul wrote, “but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8 NASB). There are many examples in the Bible of the body asleep in death (1 Kings 2:10, 11:43; Psalm 13:3; Daniel 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:18, 20; Ephesians 5:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15). Therefore, sleep is used an illustration of death in the New Testament because the body sleeps until it is resurrected, not the soul.
Finally, people who follow the Satan’s beast (antichrist) are those who “have no rest day or night” (Revelation 14:11), but Christians that die are blessed “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them” (Revelation 14:13 NASB). For Christians, their death will be a joyful rest of fulfillment as they are blessed and rewarded in heaven for their Christlike labors and deeds.
A destroyed tent.
Your present body is like a tent where you spirit dwells that is being destroyed by the elements. “For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands” (2 Corinthians 5:1 NIV). If you are a Christian, your death will transform your current tent body into an eternal house in heaven. You can look forward to your eternal house body built by God, because it will not have any defects or need repairs like your current body.
A sailing and departing ship.
Paul used the picture of a sailing and departing ship to describe death. As stated above, Paul expected to be with Jesus immediately after his death, “having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better” than remaining alive (Philippians 1:23 NASB). The word “depart” here is used to describe the loosening of an ship anchor to put the ship out to sea. However, Paul did not die at that time. A few years later, Paul again spoke about his death as a departure, but this time he felt his death was imminent. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith“ (2 Timothy 4:6-7 NASB).
The author of Hebrews uses the same imagery of death as a ship anchor. “This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and reliable and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek“ (Hebrews 6:19-20 NASB). If you are a Christian, your spiritual anchor to heaven is Jesus, not anything within yourself, feelings, or experiences. Jesus assures you there is nothing to fear about death.
A permanent home.
Jesus said he would leave his disciples and build a dwelling place for them. “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many rooms; if that were not so, I would have told you, because I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to Myself, so that where I am, there you also will be” (John 14:1-3 NASB). If you are a Christian, Jesus awaits your arrival to your permanent home with him in the new heaven and new earth.
Erwin Lutzer, One Minute After You Die: A Preview of Your Final Destination (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1997), 43-60.