That Through Death He Might Destroy Him
Through the death of Christ, death has lost its sting and is no longer a source of fear, but rather a transition to eternal glory.
C.H. Spurgeon emphasizes that for the child of God, death has lost its sting because Christ has conquered it, urging believers to embrace death with joy rather than fear. He encourages a deep understanding of Jesus' sacrifice to find strength in facing death, portraying it as a sweet return home rather than a banishment. Spurgeon reassures that the transition from life to eternity is instantaneous, comparing it to a ship swiftly reaching its haven after a storm. He reminds believers that death is merely a passage to glory, where they will be present with the Lord. Ultimately, he calls on Christians to view death as a covenant blessing and a joyful reunion with loved ones in heaven.
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O child of God, death hath lost its sting, because the devil's power over it is destroyed. Then cease to fear dying. Ask grace from God the Holy Ghost, that by an intimate knowledge and a firm belief of thy Redeemer's death, thou mayst be strengthened for that dread hour. Living near the cross of Calvary thou mayst think of death with pleasure, and welcome it when it comes with intense delight. It is sweet to die in the Lord: it is a covenant-blessing to sleep in Jesus. Death is no longer banishment, it is a return from exile, a going home to the many mansions where the loved ones already dwell.
The distance between glorified spirits in heaven and militant saints on earth seems great; but it is not so. We are not far from home--a moment will bring us there. The sail is spread; the soul is launched upon the deep. How long will be its voyage? How many wearying winds must beat upon the sail ere it shall be reefed in the port of peace? How long shall that soul be tossed upon the waves before it comes to that sea which knows no storm? Listen to the answer, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord."
Yon ship has just departed, but it is already at its haven. It did but spread its sail and it was there. Like that ship of old, upon the Lake of Galilee, a storm had tossed it, but Jesus said, "Peace, be still," and immediately it came to land. Think not that a long period intervenes between the instant of death and the eternity of glory. When the eyes close on earth they open in heaven. The horses of fire are not an instant on the road. Then, O child of God, what is there for thee to fear in death, seeing that through the death of thy Lord its curse and sting are destroyed? and now it is but a Jacob's ladder whose foot is in the dark grave, but its top reaches to glory everlasting.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Power of Death Destroyed
- A. The devil's power over death is broken
- B. Death is no longer a source of fear
- II. The Blessing of Dying in the Lord
- A. It is a covenant-blessing to sleep in Jesus
- B. Death is a return from exile, a going home to heaven
- III. The Nearness of Heaven
- A. We are not far from home
- B. A moment will bring us to heaven
- IV. The Instantaneous Nature of Death and Glory
- A. Death is not a long process, but an instant transition
- B. When the eyes close on earth, they open in heaven
Key Quotes
“Absent from the body, present with the Lord.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“When the eyes close on earth they open in heaven.” — C.H. Spurgeon
“It did but spread its sail and it was there.” — C.H. Spurgeon
Application Points
- We should cease to fear dying and instead look forward to it as a transition to eternal glory.
- We should ask for the grace of God to strengthen us for the moment of death and to help us see it as a return from exile to heaven.
- We should remember that death is not a long process, but an instant transition to eternal life with God.