Albert Martin cites two passages that should be memorized by “every Christian who wishes to grieve and die well.”
Second Corinthians 5:6–8. Paul declares to the church at Corinth his conviction that while he is “at home in the body” he is at the same time “away from the Lord.” He also declares his preference to “be away from the body and at home with the Lord.” Paul is absolutely confident that the moment his spirit leaves the body, he will instantly be in the presence of the Lord. And this is true for all who believe in the Lord Jesus:
So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.In every instance, Paul uses “we,” not “I.” Whether his subject is being at home in the body and absent from the Lord, being absent from the body and at home with the Lord, Paul constantly uses the first-person plural. The wonder of being instantly with Christ after death is not something reserved for saints of Paul’s stature. We will all know the same extraordinary joy.
. . .
Philippians 1:21–23. in this second passage, Paul affirms his confidence that death will be gain for him, but he also discloses his internal spiritual tug-of-war:
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.On the one hand, he longs to be in the immediate presence of his Savior. On the other hand, he recognizes the Philippians’ need for his ongoing apostolic and pastoral labors. In the midst of conveying these thoughts he makes a simple and uncomplicated statement: “My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”
Paul clearly does not think of death as ushering in some kind of “soul sleep” or “spirit anesthesia” until the day of resurrection. . . .
Dear child of God, have you faced the fact that you have both a right and a duty to know what is the immediate sequel to death for your dearest loved ones who die in Christ? On the basis of these two texts of Scripture, you have a right and a duty to believe and confidently expect that those who die in Christ are, in the full consciousness of their existence, immediately ushered into the very presence of the glorified lord Jesus Christ. You can know and rejoice through your tears that their death is gain, and that their gain is nothing less than ravishing face-to-face communion and fellowship with the Savior who has won their trust and captured the supreme affection of their hearts.
—Albert N. Martin, Grieving, Hope and Solace: When a Loved One Dies in Christ (Cruciform Press, 2011), 41–45.
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