The Nature of Death
Death is a blessing for believers, a passage to paradise where they experience perfect holiness and happiness.
Robert Haldane preaches about the transformative nature of death for believers in Christ, where it changes from a curse to a blessing, leading them from sin and troubles to perfect holiness and happiness in the presence of the Lord. Death becomes the passage through which believers enter their heavenly inheritance, akin to the children of Israel crossing the Jordan River into the promised land. Just as the ark of the covenant was with the Israelites, Jesus Christ is with His people in their journey through death, ensuring they are not overwhelmed but safely carried to the paradise of God.
Text
"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness" (Rom. 8:10).
The nature, then, of death, is changed to believers by Jesus Christ, so that 'the day of their death is better than the day of their birth.' Death to them is no more a curse, but a blessing, which puts an end to their sins and troubles, causing them to pass to perfect holiness and happiness, and from being absent from the Lord to carry them into His presence in paradise. From being strangers on the earth, it introduces them into their heavenly inheritance. From their wanderings and agitations here below, it brings them into the haven of everlasting rest.
If the children of Israel, when they arrived at the river Jordan, were dismayed at the overflowings of its waters, had they not reason to rejoice when they beheld on the other side that fertile land which God had promised them, and into which they were about to enter to enjoy its fruits? But, above all, had they not cause of encouragement when they saw that the ark of the covenant was in the midst of Jordan? Death is the passage of Jordan by which believers enter the heavenly Canaan. In order that its waves may not overwhelm them in passing, Jesus Christ arrests them, since He is in His people, and consequently with them.
This was David's support, 'Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me. 'When the devouring lion roars around His people, ready to destroy them, Jesus Himself is still nearer to defend them; and He commands His angels to encamp about them, who have in charge to bear their spirits to the paradise of God.
Sermon Outline
- The Nature of Death for Believers
- Death as a Passage to Paradise
- Jesus Christ as Support in Death
- He arrests the waves of death in believers
- He defends them from destruction and bears their spirits to paradise
Key Quotes
“Death to them is no more a curse, but a blessing, which puts an end to their sins and troubles, causing them to pass to perfect holiness and happiness, and from being absent from the Lord to carry them into His presence in paradise.” — Robert Haldane
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me.” — Robert Haldane
“Death is the passage of Jordan by which believers enter the heavenly Canaan.” — Robert Haldane
Application Points
- Believers should view death as a blessing, not a curse, and trust in Jesus Christ's support and protection.
- Death is a transition to a better life, where believers will experience perfect holiness and happiness.
- Believers should focus on their heavenly inheritance and the ultimate destination of paradise.