To Live or Die
We have just lost a dear sister in the Lord. She was a missionary wife, and along side her husband spent many years in pursuit of spreading the gospel. Even during the time that she was back in the states, there was the ever present friendship with others who didn't know the Lord so that her hope in the Lord would perhaps lead them to Christ. She will be missed - especially her warm and friendly smile. Paul the apostle understood this need to be with others as expressed in the book of Phillipians.
Philippians 1:21-26 (NASB)
To Live Is Christ
[21] For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. [22] *But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know *which to choose. [23] But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; [24] yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. [25] Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy *in the faith, [26] so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.
Now she is present with her Lord, where there is no pain or sorrow. She leaves behind those who grieve for her but know that eventually they will meet again. To be absent from these bodies is to be present with the Lord, a far better circumstance. And that gives us pause, because we know that we need to be pleasing to Him that is Lord of all.
2 Corinthians 5:6-9 (NASB)
[6] Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— [7] for we walk by faith, not by *sight— [8] we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. [9] Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
We don't need to fear that we will not be with our loved ones in the life everlasting because of the promises within His word. This is especially true when He calls us home.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NASB)
Those Who Died in Christ
[13] But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep *in Jesus. [15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive *and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a *shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive *and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore comfort one another with these words.
- LW
Philippians 1:21-26 (NASB)
To Live Is Christ
[21] For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. [22] *But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know *which to choose. [23] But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; [24] yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. [25] Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy *in the faith, [26] so that your proud confidence in me may abound in Christ Jesus through my coming to you again.
Now she is present with her Lord, where there is no pain or sorrow. She leaves behind those who grieve for her but know that eventually they will meet again. To be absent from these bodies is to be present with the Lord, a far better circumstance. And that gives us pause, because we know that we need to be pleasing to Him that is Lord of all.
2 Corinthians 5:6-9 (NASB)
[6] Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord— [7] for we walk by faith, not by *sight— [8] we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord. [9] Therefore we also have as our ambition, whether at home or absent, to be pleasing to Him.
We don't need to fear that we will not be with our loved ones in the life everlasting because of the promises within His word. This is especially true when He calls us home.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 (NASB)
Those Who Died in Christ
[13] But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. [14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep *in Jesus. [15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive *and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. [16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a *shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. [17] Then we who are alive *and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. [18] Therefore comfort one another with these words.
- LW