Theology of Death

Continuing the thought in this post, what is your "Theology of Death"?

Death is something we were never designed to deal with. It was not in God's original plan and is the result of the curse brought about by sin. The entire earth is affected by it and it permeates every layer of life, including the non-physical. 

As Christians, our theology needs to be proactive, prepared ahead of time, not reactionary. We must think ahead of time what our reaction to trouble and death will be, what God will expect from us, and what God has promised us.

Some thoughts on this:

• This world is broken and there is ugliness all around. But God is the Great Healer and He is on the move. 
• Revelation is true and He will return and make all things new. 
• God delights in the death of His saints (Psalm 116:15). This verse seems somewhat contradictory, but it points to the reality that He delights when we are in fellowship with Him and what better place to be in fellowship than directly in His presence? 
• Death is a stark reality - one that we cannot avoid. 
• We will never fully understand death and it will always be a "familiar stranger". 
• When our work is done, He will take us home to be with Him. In this, we should find comfort. "I am immortal until God's work for me is done. The Lord reigns." Henry Martyn
• We know not when our death will be, so even in this we must trust in Him. 

That word trust is key here. Trust that He knows what He is doing in every layer of our lives and the lives of everyone around us. Trust that His timing is perfect and purposeful. Trust that He is redeeming all the ugliness in this broken world.

Since death is and will be a stark reality in all of our lives, we must think ahead of time what our theology of death is. Let us wrestle with it now so that when we face it in our lives or the lives of those around us, we can stand on the foundation of our theology and trust in God.

Suggested resource: Beauty Will Rise CD by Steven Curtis Chapman