DESIRING TO DIE? (Heb. 9:27,28) Heb. 9:27 It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. On Thursday, fifty-eight year old Tim Nicklinson lost his High Court case to allow doctors to end his life without fear of prosecution. Previously, before he had taken the stroke that had so devastated his life, he was a successful and very active business man. In the midst of his tears and obvious distress, he said, Although I didn t want to raise my hopes, it happened anyway because a fantastic amount of work went into my case and I thought that if the court saw me as I am, utterly miserable with my life, powerless to do anything about it because of my disability then the judges would accept my reasoning that I do not want to carry on and should be able to have a dignified death. I don t think any of us could be untouched by such an appeal. What would you want if you were in such a predicament? Should Mr. Nicklinson s request be permitted under certain circumstances? We are not going to turn our time this evening into an opportunity for discussing Christian ethics. God s Word simply upholds the sanctity of life, and He alone, - none other, - has the right to bring it to its conclusion, Job 1:21 Naked came I out of my mother s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. We come, this Lord s Day evening, to study God s Word together concerning this uncomfortable subject but in particular to give prominence to what He says in relation to an appointment we all must keep. We ll begin our study with the first part of Heb. 9:27, it is appointed unto men once to die. IT IS UNDENIABLE No one in their right mind can deny that death is a reality. Every one of us, - at some time or another, - has been affected by losing a loved one. The psalmist described the heartache associated with it, Ps. 55:4 My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. 5 and horror hath overwhelmed me. Bildad, who accompanied Job in his distress, spoke of death as the king of terrors (Job 18:14). The writer to the Hebrews (2:15) wrote about the fear of death. I don t need to extend this section of our study. Death is a horrible subject that tears at our hearts. It is undeniable.
2 IT IS UNAVOIDABLE it is appointed unto men once to die. It is an appointment every living person must keep. Even the unbelieving atheist and humanist accept it is unavoidable. Those who believe in reincarnation acknowledge that life comes to a close. It doesn t matter what you believe concerning the after-life death is an inevitable consequence that awaits all who enter this world. Some people would like to think that if they could somehow store their bodies, there might come a day in the future when they might be made to live again. But, as far as the teaching of the Bible is concerned it is appointed unto men once to die There is no way to elude this appointment that waits at the end of this life. Death is undeniable, and it is unavoidable. IT IS UNAPPEALING I don t want to state the obvious, but no-one wants to die. It is not mainly the process, but it is being parted from our loved ones. I don t even believe Mr. Nicklinson wants to die not really. He sees it as a way out of his present misery but he has a wife and two daughters who he loves, and who love him. Yes, I know he is in a terrible state but what kind of a person wants to leave their loved ones?! Even as a believer, I know one day I shall go to Heaven but it is the process by which I would leave this earthly scene that would be most unattractive. And leaving behind loved ones must be the most tremendous wrench! You often hear people saying about the deceased, He/she didn t deserve to die. They mean the deceased was such a lovely person such a kind person And sometimes also you hear them saying, they died before their time. From the Bible s perspective, why was death introduced? Where did it come from? Death came as a direct consequence of disobedience to God. It entered this world as a judgment upon man s sin. God s creation was perfect. When He saw all He had made, He recorded in His Word, Gen. 1:31 behold, it was very good. There was no sin. It was all absolutely perfect. There was no pollution in the oceans or in the atmosphere There was nothing spoiling His handiwork. And then, at the conclusion of His creation, He formed man from the dust of the earth, and He made that man perfect.
3 In His wisdom, He blessed that man with the ability to work freely in God s creation. He gave that man a free will, and with his free will that man was responsible to enjoy all God had provided for him, and it was his privilege to serve His Master in keeping it. However, Adam took advantage and, along with his wife, - the gift God had given him, - he destroyed that free will and he fell into bondage to sin. As a consequence, God s warning, - Gen. 2:17 Thou shalt surely die, - became a reality, and Adam and Eve were the first to discover the terrible judgment of God that it is appointed unto men once to die and that the wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:27). Since, therefore, all have sinned (Rom. 3:23), sin is the reason we must die. You see, death is not part of the natural process, it is the judgement of God upon sin. The second part of our verse in Hebrews 9:27 goes on to tell us that after death comes the judgment. Some people say there is nothing after death, - you die, and that s it! But God s Word doesn t say that. It says, it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. It s very clear. It s not leaving room for any other possibilities. After death, there s the judgment Who s the Judge? Where does it take place if you re dead?! Rev. 20 tells us, 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. The Bible is very definite about the subject of death and the judgment. I wonder if Mr. Nicklinson, - for whom we have the greatest of sympathy, and those who argue for euthanasia, - take into consideration what God says! I fear for people who would use the argument to end their lives not knowing what awaits them if they do not know peace with God. Often when I m in someone s home and there has been bereavement they would tell me, It s far better for them. They are at peace now. I wish that was always the case, but the sad fact is that when a soul enters out into eternity without Christ, they are without hope. We cannot prepare for death without Him. Many think they can live life wrong, and die right but that is not what God s Word teaches. If you live without Christ, you will die without Christ! And for those who die without Christ, - it is a choice they have made It was their decision!
4 I have found that even Christians don t like to hear about this and it is most certainly not a popular theme But how can you say you love someone if you don t warn them about the dangers that lie ahead! Christ warned about Hell, because He loved the people to whom He spoke! It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment It is undeniable, unavoidable, and unappealing. But let s continue v.27 it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. UNPRECEDENTED The problem with what we term the substitutionary atonement of Christ, - His death for us on the cross, - is that it is so unbelievable It doesn t add up. It doesn t make sense! Why would God send His Son to suffer for me?! Why would His Son take my place, and die for me? There is no answer, except for this, - Titus 2:14 [He] gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar [special] people. God did not ignore our sin. He did not become oblivious to it in order to populate Heaven. Though there are many things about death we do not know, - and the unknown can be frightening, - the Word of God gives us sufficient information to face the journey from this life into the next. John Flavel (c. 1630-91) was a Puritan who wrote very graciously and very practically on this subject, in particular, the Christian view of death. ( Now, I know the most of us don t like talking about this subject, but it is a subject we need to prepare for and the place where we prepare for it is from the Word of God.) He began his sermon by making a very brash statement that applies in the twenty-first century, as it did in the seventeenth, I shall offer several considerations calculated to help the people of God to keep their hearts loose from all earthly objects, and cheerfully willing to die. He began by making it plain, Death is harmless to the people of God and he asked, Why then are you afraid? Now, I don t often pay attention to authors who deal with real-life issues, without having any serious grounding in the way they write.
5 But Flavel had a great respect for the subject he was preaching on because he was all-too aware it was a subject that affected every one of his hearers. And, if you are not saved, - if you have never placed your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, - the consequences of sin are harmful Robert Murray McCheyne, If you die wrong the first time, you cannot come back to die better a second time! But if Christ has blotted out your sin if He has conquered death on your behalf, and should you even have to suffer bodily pain, it will finish, and at that point, death becomes the forerunner of Heaven for you! Flavel put it like this, if death will be to you the forerunner of heaven, - why should you be afraid? Why not bid it welcome? It cannot hurt you; it is easy and harmless; it is like taking off your clothes, of taking rest. Obviously, Mr. Nicklinson seems to have no fear of death, - I don t know what he believes concerning the subject of eternity, - but you and I believe the very moment we become absent from the body, in that very instant, we shall be present with the Lord (II Cor. 5:8)! A second point Flavel made Death must do you the kind office to remove this veil of flesh - which separates you from God, - before you can see and enjoy Him fully. Thomas Brooks, another Puritan, wrote, Death to a saint is nothing but the taking of a sweet flower out of this wilderness, and planting it in the garden of paradise. David, in the Psalm 55 we quoted from earlier, wrote, v.6, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. We know the story of William Cowper and his depression. He wrote some of the loveliest hymns one of which was, There is a fountain filled with blood. The final verse of that hymn says, Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be, For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me! Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine, To sound in God the Father s ears no other name but Thine. The Song of Solomon described the similar days, The voice of my beloved! Behold he comes, leaping over the mountains, skipping over the hills! Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away (2:8,13). Flavel then explains how the Scriptures teach us we enter the glory of Heaven the very moment we leave this scene of time. We don t have to wait for a resurrection, - our souls don t sleep The very moment we leave this life, we are fully conscious in the presence of the Saviour in Glory.
6 D.L. Moody spoke about it as his coronation day, and he told his congregation, Some day you will read in the papers that D.L. Moody, of East Northfield, is dead. Don t you believe a word of it! At that moment I shall be more alive than I am now. Another point Flavel made It may increase your willingness to die, to reflect that by death, God often removes his people out of the way of great troubles and temptations. For example, Methuselah died the very year before the flood The apostles died before the destruction of Jerusalem (all except John, whom the Lord had removed to Asia Minor). How often we have seen the Lord taking the soul of a loved one before something terrible came upon, - or was introduced into the family! The issues with which John Bunyan had to contend caused him to comment, Death is but a passage out of a prison into a palace. Read some of the messages great men of God uttered near the conclusion C.T. Studd, Be sure to celebrate my funeral scripturally and send Hallelujahs all round. It is a better day than one s wedding day Adoniram Judson, When Christ calls me home, I shall go with the gladness of a boy bounding away from school Andrew Bonar, Lord, give me Simeon s dismissal: Christ in my arms! Flavel then concluded his sermon by addressing an issue that I trust lies heaviest on our hearts, - our unsaved loved ones. If they remain outside of Christ, the awful truth is that we shall be parted forever. That is a terrible predicament! Perhaps Luther s words might be of comfort to us. In his last will, he wrote, Lord, Thou hast given me a wife and children, I have nothing to leave them, but I commit them unto Thee. He committed them to the Lord. You and I cannot convert them. Try as hard as we may, we cannot cause a single anxious thought but while we cannot convert them, - and this is a point Flavel made, - God can make your prayers and counsels effectual when you are dead. From another angle Perhaps you feel you haven t completed your work for the Lord and there is so much more you want to do for Him That is commendable, but when King David had to flee from his son Absalom he wasn t sure what the future held for him if indeed, he would have a future. Nonetheless, David was prepared to accept the Lord s will, II Sam. 15:26 behold, here am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.
7 David knew the prospects of the higher service that awaited him, Ps. 23:6 I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever. Then, finally, there are also some who fear, I m not good enough. I m not sure if I was to die I would go to be with God in Heaven That is an honest confession. The way you can be sure is to have invited the Lord Jesus into your life to become your Lord and Master. Such a decision will then affect the way you live, because you will live to please Him. If you listen to Him, He will direct your thoughts, He will guide and guard your tongue and your mind You will see in your life the change that is the evidence of knowing Him as Saviour and Lord. The old things you used to hang on to they won t mean anything to you any longer. Christ would then be the Centre of your life, and you would express Him to others by the way you live. Then, when He calls for you, - regardless of the circumstances through which you will be required to travel, - you will step out into Glory with Him. In her final few weeks and months battle with cancer, Connie s daughter (Andrea) wrote an article for her church magazine in which she concluded, Thank you most of all to the great God we serve Who never ceases to seek the lost and wondering soul and make all that we may ever experience or go through worth it. To Him be glory forever! Heb. 9:27 it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: 28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. May God s purposes be fulfilled and glory brought to His Name as we have sought to faithfully consider this most sombre of subjects! Amen.