Contents

1    Death Is Not, the End

2    Death Has No Sting

3    Let. Not. Your Heart. Be Troubled

4    Jesus Took Away the Fear of Death

5    Sorrow Not, as Those Who Have No Hope

1

Death Is Not the End

You may feel sadness or remorse at the loss of a loved one or a friend right now. God's Word can give you comfort when nothing else can. Let these words be healing to your hurts.

Jesus said, ”I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die” (John 11:25,26).

Dying does not end a person's life. Jesus said that the person who believes in Him, even though he died, would continue to live.

What does this mean? Man is not just a physical, fleshly being. Man is a spiritual, eternal being also. At the moment someone dies, we see their physical body dead. But the spiritual person who lived inside the body is no longer dwelling in the body.

The spirit of a person who knows Jesus goes directly to heaven when the physical body dies.

"For we walk by faith, not by sight: We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:7,8).

In writing this, Paul was saying that he was willing or ready to die. He knew if he died, his spirit would leave his body and he would go to be with Jesus.

Your spirit is the real you. It is eternal, though invisible. The Bible refers to the spirit as the inner man, hidden man of the heart, and the heart.

2

Death Has No Sting

"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" (I Corinthians 15:55-57).

Death has no sting for the Christian. The sting of death is sin. Jesus bore the sins of the world when He died on the cross. "He personally bore our sins in His (own) body to the tree (as to an altar and offered Himself on it) that we might die (cease to exist) to sin and live to righteousness. By His wounds you have been healed"

(1 Peter 2:24—AMPLIFIED VERSION).

Since Jesus paid for your sins, then you are free from them. "Sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace"

(Romans 6:14). Sin has no right to dominate the life of a Christian. The believer is free to serve God and not sin.

The Sting of Death is Sin

What does this mean: "The sting of death is sin"? Sin produces death. It is a sting that will result in death if it is not removed. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6:23). Every human being would have no hope had it not been for Jesus. He paid the wages of sin. He died that you might live!

The moment you accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour, you receive God's forgiveness. Your sins are cleansed! The sting is removed! Your spirit receives the gift of eternal life, and you become a brand new person.

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). The old nature of sin is gone, and the new nature of God enters.

Right With God

You are in right standing with God by faith in Jesus Christ. Unrighteousness brings fear, inferiority, and condemnation. But righteousness produces faith, courage, and freedom from guilt. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" (2

Corinthians 5:21).

The gift of righteousness is available to all who will call upon the name of Jesus in faith. It is as close as your heart and mouth.

"The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:8-10).

Death Has No Sting For You!

Since Jesus is your Lord and Saviour, you have received the gift of eternal life. Right now you are in the

Kingdom of God!

3

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled

Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled: you believe in God, believe also in me.

"In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

"And where I go you know, and the way you know" (John 14:1-4).

You can keep your heart from being troubled through the power of God. No matter what the circumstances you are facing now, Jesus can and will give you peace in your heart.

There are many dwelling places in the Father's house. Jesus has gone ahead to prepare one of those places for you. There is a place for every person who has been born again by receiving Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

Jesus says He will receive you unto Himself. You will be with Jesus where He is. This is the most comforting thing to know for yourself and your loved ones.

To be absent from the body is to be present with Jesus. No wonder Jesus said, "Let not your heart be troubled." With the knowledge that your loved one is with Jesus, you can be at peace.

If you do not have peace now, let Jesus come into your heart. If a loved one has died, you cannot affect their life today. But you can allow Jesus to transform your heart into a heart like His. It all happens by faith.

Faith believes what God has said. Faith agrees with God. Faith speaks what God speaks. Faith obeys God's Word. You can release your faith now by believing and speaking these words:

"JESUS, I BELIEVE IN YOU. YOU DIED FOR MY SINS. I RECEIVE YOUR FORGIVENESS. JESUS, YOU ARE MY LORD AND SAVIOUR. THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME. BECAUSE YOU LIVE, I LIVE TOO."

4

Jesus Took Away the Fear of Death

"Since we, God’s children, are human beings—made of flesh and blood—He became flesh and blood too by being born in human form; for only as a human being could He die and in dying break the power of the devil who had the power of death.

"Only in that way could He deliver those who through fear of death have been living all their lives as slaves to constant dread"

(Hebrews 2:14,15—LIVING BIBLE).

Jesus has taken the fear and dread out of death. You know what is beyond the veil of death. Your eyes have beenopened to see that Jesus is there to welcome you into heaven.

5

Sorrow Not as Those Who Have No Hope

"And now, dear brothers, I want you to know what happens to a Christian when he dies so that when it happens, you will not be full of sorrow, as those are who have no hope.

"For since we believe that Jesus died and then came back to life again, we can also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with Him all the Christians who have died.

"I can tell you this directly from the Lord: that we who are still living when the Lord returns will not rise to meet Him ahead of those who are in their graves.

"For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a mighty shout and with the soul-stirring cry of the archangel and the great trumpet-call of God. And the Christians who are dead will be the first to rise to meet the Lord.

"Then we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with Him forever.

"So comfort and encourage each other with this news" (1 Thessalonians    4:13-18—LIVING BIBLE).

There will be a time when the physical bodies of Christians will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air. Even the bodies of those who have died will be resurrected. Those who are alive will be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.

This is a word of encouragement. The Bible says to comfort one another with these words. There is a great future ahead for you and for all believers.

Yes, death is not the end!

Billy Joe Daugherty is the pastor of Victory Christian Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Table of Contents

1 Death Is Not, the End

2 Death Has No Sting

3 Let. Not. Your Heart. Be Troubled

4 Jesus Took Away the Fear of Death

5 Sorrow Not, as Those Who Have No Hope