Why Death?

WHY DO WE ALL HAVE TO DIE? God did not create us to die! In the beginning, when "God created the heaven and the earth" (Genesis 1:1), He created man to live forever in a perfect relationship with Him. Death did not come on the scene until Adam and Eve, the first people, doubted God's Word and disobeyed God (Genesis 3). As a result of their mistrust and disobedience, all of us today are self-centered and sinful. Instead of loving God, trusting in Him, and honoring Him by living our lives in accord with His holy commandments, we by nature think first of ourselves, doubt that God knows what is best for us, and seek to honor and gratify our own selfish and sinful desires. The Bible says: "By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Romans 5:12). And so, the Bible tells us that we all have to die because we are sinners who do not love God and keep His commandments as we should. Indeed, it would be a terrible thing to live forever in sin and disharmony with God!

Even though we all are sinners and deserve to die and suffer forever in hell (cf. Romans 3:23; 6:23), God does not want us to die; He wants us to live in fellowship and harmony with Him! That is why God sent Jesus Christ, His own dear Son, into this world to suffer and die for us--so that God could forgive our sins against Him and give us life everlasting with Him in the new heavens and earth which He will create. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). Those who turn to God in faith, believing that He forgives and accepts them for the sake of Jesus' holy life and innocent sufferings and death in their stead, will live forever! Read John 11:25-26: "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.'" Sure, their earthly body will suffer death and decay if this world goes on much longer; but their soul will go to be with Jesus, and their body will be raised up on the Last Day to live forever with God, our Maker (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). Trust In Jesus, your Savior, and even temporal death will lead to life everlasting with Him!

The Still Small Voice