DEATH
By Pastor Robert R. McLaughlin

Dying is a part of life.

Death is not something that we should live in fear of or have regrets for.

We know that because there is a supernatural book that says that the earth is round, Isa 40:22 It is He who sits above the circle of the earth

There is a supernatural book that says that the earth is suspended in space, Job 26:7.

There is a supernatural book that talks about airplanes before the horse and buggy, Isa 40:31, 60:8.

There is a supernatural book that talks about chariots driving fast in the streets, Nahum 2:4.

There is a supernatural book that talks about boats existing under water, like the submarine, Amo 9:3.

There is a supernatural book that says that the Messiah would have His hands and feet pierced in Psa 22:16.

That they would cast lots for His garments, Psa 22:18.

That not one of His bones would be broken, Psa 34:20, fulfilled in Joh 19:34-36.

That He would be betrayed by a close friend, Psa 41:9, Luk 22:47-48.

That the Messiah's side would be pierced, Zec 12:10.

That there would pierce His hands hands and feet, Zec 13:6.

Now, this dame book says that physical death is a matter of the sovereignty of God, Job 1:21, Psa 68:19.

Job expressed this in Job 1:21, "the lord gave, the lord takes away; blessed be the name of the lord."

In other words, the lord decides!

David expressed this in Psa 68:19, "God is to us a God of deliverance, and to Jehovah the lord belongs escape from death."

Until the lord is ready to take us home to be with himself, we are going to continue to live on planet earth.

And the very moment that the sovereignty of God decides to take us home, nothing will keep us here.

Ecc 8:8 No man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death;

So how do you solve the problem with death?

2. The believer must realize that physical death is precious in the sight of the lord, Psa 116:15.

Psa 116:15 "Precious [valuable] in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints."

that refers to all his saints, winners and losers.

The death of any believer is valuable in the eyes of the lord.

The death of the believer is valuable, important, and precious to the lord.

Solomon voiced this same principle in Ecc 7:1, a good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.

So how do you solve the problem with death?

3. The death of every church age believer, both winner and loser, also means to be face to face with the lord, 2co 5:8.

this is described in 2 Cor 5:8, where we are said to be "absent from the body and face to face with the lord."

What is left behind is the biological part of you, your body.

You don't need that body any more.

And we have no idea of the perfect happiness that will come to us when we check out of these bodies.

So how do you solve the problem with death?

4. We know that it will be a state of perfect happiness because everything related to your body that can produce pain is gone, Rev 21:4.

Rev 21:4 "And he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes [comfort]; furthermore, there shall no longer be any death, no longer will there be any mourning, and no more crying, and no more pain; the first things have passed away."

You use your body for mourning, for pain, for many unpleasant things and some pleasant things.

Our resurrection body will have none of these unpleasant things.

So how do you solve the problem with death?

5. You accept the fact that death is an appointment with God that all members of the human race have to keep, Heb 9:27!

Heb 9:27 "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment [for the unbeliever]." You will only die once.

Only unbelievers will be judged and cast into the lake of fire.

Ecc 3:2 A time to give birth, and a time to die;

How do you solve the problem with death?

6. You realize that death is simply a shadow and a valley to pass through to enter into the eternal state.

David said in Psa 23:4, "yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death."

Note "I walk;" not "we walk."

All your life you're accustomed to being herd-bound, having someone to hold your hand.
But in dying you go it alone!

But you have the greatest encouragement in the world, something far greater than anything anyone could say to you: You have the ten problem solving devices and epignosis doctrine in your soul.

How do you solve the problem with death?

7. You realize that death has lost it's power
Over believers, Isa 25:8, 1Co 15.

Isa 25:8 He will swallow up death for all time, and the lord God will wipe tears away from all faces,

1Co 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;

1Co 15:17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

1Co 15:18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

1Co 15:19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

1Co 15:20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
1Co 15:21 For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

1Co 15:23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at his coming,

1Co 15:24 Then comes the end, when he delivers up the kingdom to the God and father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

1Co 15:25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

1Co 15:26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death.

So death has lost its power over believers.

Look at vs 51! 1Co 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1Co 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

1Co 15:53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1Co 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "death is swallowed up in victory.

1Co 15:55 "O death, where is your victory? o death, where is your sting?"

1Co 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;

1Co 15:57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the lord.

So how do you solve the problem with death?

8. The believer also realizes that people have been held in bondage and slavery all their lifetime because of not understanding the victory over death, Heb 2:15.

Heb 2:15 And might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

And so having confidence while living will give you confidence while dying.

so the apostle Paul said, 2ti 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

2Ti 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;

ECC 12:1 Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, "I have no delight in them";

ECC 12:2 before the sun, the light, the moon, and the stars are darkened, and clouds return after the rain;

ECC 12:3 in the day that the watchmen of the house tremble, and mighty men stoop, the grinding ones stand idle because they are few, and those who look through windows grow dim;

ECC 12:4 and the doors on the street are shut as the sound of the grinding mill is low, and one will arise at the sound of the bird, and all the daughters of song will sing softly.

ECC 12:5 Furthermore, men are afraid of a high place and of terrors on the road; the almond tree blossoms, the grasshopper drags himself along, and the caperberry is ineffective. For man goes to his eternal home while mourners go about in the street.

ECC 12:6 {Remember Him} before the silver cord is broken and the golden bowl is crushed, the pitcher by the well is shattered and the wheel at the cistern is crushed;

ECC 12:7 then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it.

JOB 1:21 "Naked I came from my mother's womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord."

JUD 1:24 Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,

JUD 1:25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

For the Psalmist said in Psa 116:15 "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints."

The death of any believer is very valuable in the eyes of the Lord.

And that is because death is not really an end in itself but a change of status for everyone!

For the believer death means to be absent from the physical body and face to face with the Lord Jesus Christ, as Paul said in 2Co 5:8.

In fact, what is left behind is simply the biological part of you, your body.

You don't need that body anymore!

And we have no idea of the perfect happiness that will come to us when we check out of these bodies.

Jam 4:13 says Look here, you people who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to such and such a town, stay there a year, and open up a profitable business."

Jam 4:14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Or as our Lord said in MAT 16:26 "For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?

The writer of the book of Hebrews says death is an appointment with God that all members of the human race will keep.

For we read in Heb 9:27 "It is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment [for the unbeliever]."

However, only unbelievers will be judged because believers have believed that TLJC who was judged for them in their place.

This is something that our Lord said just before His death!

In LUK 23:27 And there were following Him a great multitude of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him.

LUK 23:28 But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

Don't weep for me, I now have perfect happiness, but for those of you who are not sure whether or not you have eternal life, weep for yourselves.

For the Bible says behold, now is "the acceptable time," behold, now is" the day of salvation "

For the Bible says ACT 16:31 "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved,

Dying is a part of life.

Dying is a part of Christian experience which does not depend upon the volition of the believer, but on the sovereignty of God.

And if you like living in God’s plan, you will love dying.

In the living phase of God’s plan, the believer has control over his life for successes or failure, for execution of God’s plan or failure to do so.

Therefore, the believer approaches dying as a winner or as a loser, as an invisible hero or as one who has fragmented his life.

In the dying phase of God’s plan, the believer has no control over the time, place, or manner of his death.

The physical death of the church age believer is a matter of the wisdom, integrity, and sovereignty of God.

And because the integrity of God cannot be unfair or unjust, the time, place, and manner of our physical death is a perfect decision from him.

And because of the infinite and eternal wisdom of God, he cannot be wrong in any decision he makes.

This means that anytime you become critical or upset, blaming God for the departure of a loved one, you're in a state of blasphemy.

Because it isn't a matter of when we think the death should be; it is a matter of when God has decided.

And God cannot be unfair.

His decision about the death of any person is never unfair.

Some die healthy; some die ill.

And if God decides to take you out by some terrible disease, all the health food and vitamins in the world won't help you; you will die of disease.

the point is that nothing will prolong your life beyond God’s time for your to die.

Now, this does not imply that long life means that you have advanced spiritually.

It simply means that God in his own wisdom has made the decision regarding the death of each one of us.

All of us will die with the exception of the rapture generation.

Prin-since the omniscience of God knows all the facts in each individual case, the time, place, and manner of our physical death is a wise decision.

And all decisions from the sovereignty of God are made in perfect and eternal wisdom, including the time, place, and manner of dying.
so, for the believer who has the ten problem solving devices, dying is the ultimate experience of all.

The problem solving devices are just as pertinent in dying as they are in living.

The person who has been using them while living is ready to die.

Therefore, the death of every believer, winner or loser, is always God’s victory.

Psa 116:15 "precious in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints."

Death is always God’s victory.

Some believers will die as losers; some will die as winners.....however, all go to heaven.
And since it is God’s decision when and how we die, it's his victory.

It's impossible for God to be unfair, to make a mistake or a bad decision.

Therefore, when it's your time to die, that is the perfect time for you to die.

Your timing may be off in life, but it will never be off in death.

Now, the death of the church age believer includes the manner of his dying, which is a matter of the sovereignty, wisdom, and integrity of God.

God has perfect integrity and perfect wisdom, and therefore he makes a right decision in the case of every believer, whether he is as winner or loser.

and because of the infinite and eternal wisdom of God, he cannot be wrong in determining the time, manner, or place of our death.

We will depart just exactly where, when, and how he determines.

all decisions from the sovereignty of God, including death, are made in perfect righteousness, eternal wisdom, and gracious love.

God is eternal, immutable, and perfect, therefore, his wisdom never makes a mistake in the time, manner, or place of our death.

So, in Christian death, we experience what God has provided for us.

Therefore, the dying and the death of the believer is a matter of the sovereignty of God.

Now, only in the living phase do you have the option to make good decisions from a position of strength which will result in your receiving the most wonderful dying blessings.

then you will be able to say with Paul (phil 1:21), "for me, living is Christ and dying is profit."

Dying is profitable for the believer who advances to spiritual maturity through the perception of bible doctrine.

all decisions with regard to the Christian way of life as to whether we are winners or losers are made by us; these decisions are related to our intake of doctrine.

But our death is not our decision.

the exception to this of course is suicide, which is the blasphemy of superimposing your own will over God’s will, saying you know better than God your time to die.

Psa 31:15 my times are in thy hand;

Once you settle in your mind this very simple principle that God decides perfectly the time and manner of your death, then you no longer have a problem with death.
So how do you solve the problem with death?

1. Physical death is a matter of the sovereignty of God, Job 1:21, Psa 68:19.

job expressed this in job 1:21, "the lord gave, the lord takes away; blessed be the name of the lord."

In other words, the lord decides!

David expressed this in Psa 68:19, "God is to us a God of deliverance, and to Jehovah the lord belongs escape from death."

Until the lord is ready to take us home to be with himself, we are going to continue to live on planet earth.

And the very moment that the sovereignty of God decides to take us home, nothing will keep us here.

Ecc 8:8 no man has authority to restrain the wind with the wind, or authority over the day of death;

So how do you solve the problem with death?

2. The believer must realize that physical death is precious in the sight of the lord, Psa 116:15.

Psa 116:15 "precious [valuable] in the sight of the lord is the death of his saints."

That refers to all his saints, winners and losers.

The death of any believer is valuable in the eyes of the lord.

The death of the believer is valuable, important, and precious to the lord.

solomon voiced this same principle in Ecc 7:1, a good name is better than a good ointment, and the day of one's death is better than the day of one's birth.

So how do you solve the problem with death?

3. The death of every church age believer, both winner and loser, also means to be face to face with the lord, 2co 5:8.

this is described in 2 Cor 5:8, where we are said to be "absent from the body and face to face with the lord."

What is left behind is the biological part of you, your body.

You don't need that body any more.

And we have no idea of the perfect happiness that will come to us when we check out of these bodies.

So how do you solve the problem with death?

4. We know that it will be a state of perfect happiness because everything related to your body that can produce pain is gone, rev 21:4.

rev 21:4 "and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes [comfort]; furthermore, there shall no longer be any death,

no longer will there be any mourning, and no more crying, and no more pain; the first things have passed away."

You use your body for mourning, for pain, for many unpleasant things and some pleasant things.

Our resurrection body will have none of these unpleasant things.

So how do you solve the problem with death?

5. You accept the fact that death is an appointment with God that all members of the human race have to keep, Heb 9:27!

Heb 9:27 "it is appointed unto man once to die, and after that the judgment [for the unbeliever]." you will only die once.

Only unbelievers will be judged and cast into the lake of fire.

Ecc 3:2 a time to give birth, and a time to die;

How do you solve the problem with death?

6. You realize that death is simply a shadow and a valley to pass through to enter into the eternal state.

david said in ps 23:4, "yea, though i walk through the valley of the shadow of death."

Note "i walk;" not "we walk."

All your life you're accustomed to being herd-bound, having someone to hold your hand.
But in dying you go it alone!

But you have the greatest encouragement in the world, something far greater than anything anyone could say to you: you have the ten problem solving devices and epignosis doctrine in your soul.

How do you solve the problem with death?

7. You realize that death has lost it's power
Over believers, isa 25:8, 1Co 15.

isa 25:8 he will swallow up death for all time, and the lord God will wipe tears away from all faces,

1Co 15:16 for if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;

1Co 15:17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.

1Co 15:18 then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

1Co 15:19 if we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.

1Co 15:20 but now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.
1Co 15:21 for since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.

1Co 15:22 for as in adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.

1Co 15:23 but each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ's at his coming,

1Co 15:24 then comes the end, when he delivers up the kingdom to the God and father, when he has abolished all rule and all authority and power.

1Co 15:25 for he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

1Co 15:26 the last enemy that will be abolished is death.

So death has lost its power over believers.

Look at vs 51! 1Co 15:51 behold, i tell you a mystery; we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

1Co 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

1Co 15:53 for this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.

1Co 15:54 but when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "death is swallowed up in victory.

1Co 15:55 "o death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"

1Co 15:56 the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law;

1Co 15:57 but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our lord Jesus Christ.

1Co 15:58 therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the lord.

So how do you solve the problem with death?

8. The believer also realizes that people have been held in bondage and slavery all their lifetime because of not understanding the victory over death, Heb 2:15.

Heb 2:15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.

And so having confidence while living will give you confidence while dying.

so the apostle Paul said, 2Ti 4:6 for i am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

2Ti 4:7 i have fought the good fight, i have finished the course, i have kept the faith;

The dying testimony of the greatest winner in all the church age, the apostle Paul, is found in Phi 1:20.

Phi 1:20 according to my earnest expectation and hope, that i shall not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ shall even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.

Phi 1:21 for to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

Paul knew that he was a winner, and that everything in the future would be the best.

he knew the best is saved until last: dying, death, heaven, resurrection, and the eternal state.

Paul would not be put to shame in dying, in death, in living in heaven, in resurrection, or in living in the eternal state.

Why?

because through epignosis doctrine and advancing to spiritual maturity, Paul came to the realization that God had saved the best for him until last.

We know he had a wonderful life and that's why he said, "for me, living is Christ;"

You can't have a more wonderful life than that!

That is occupation with Christ which equates living with dying and adversity with prosperity; that's the ultimate in happiness.

and "dying is profit" because dying is the beginning of the last, and the last will last forever.

God saves the best for last, to include dying, death, heaven, resurrection, and the eternal state.

There's nothing better!

The dessert, as it were, goes on forever.

Now, why did he say, in vs 20, "Christ is exalted in my body?"

Why didn't he say "Christ is exalted in my soul" where all that metabolized doctrine is?
Or why not "in my human spirit"?

The answer is because the body experiences dying.

the last body experience you have is dying.

And Christ is exalted in the body in dying because he chose the time, the place, and manner of that death.

It's all his decision.

For the individual with the ten problem solving devices, it is the most fantastic experience in the world.

It doesn't matter whether it's short or prolonged;

Now, death is really very private.

Only you go through the valley of the shadow of death.

and while you're going through it, that epignosis doctrine makes your death very profitable.

It makes your death far, far greater than living!

You may have had a lot of fun in life, but dying will be even more fun.

If you like living, you will love dying.

God has saved the best until last.

Those who enjoy living are winners, and love dying,

So in dying, God has saved the best until last.
rom 14:8 "for if we live, we live for the lord; or if we die, we die for the lord. Therefore, whether we live or whether we die, we are the lord's."

There is the utilization of one's personal sense of destiny.

Prin-winners utilize the ten problem solving devices of the ppog, both while living and while dying.

The winner enjoys dying because he has accumulated in the living stage a tremendous inventory of bible doctrine.

He has +h while living and +h while dying.
Therefore, he loves both living and dying.

He is occupied with Christ while living; he is occupied with Christ while dying.

He has a personal sense of destiny while living, and he has a personal sense of destiny while dying.

He has personal love for God the father while living; he has personal love for God the father while dying.

He has impersonal love for all mankind while living; he has impersonal love for all mankind while dying.

He has grace orientation while living; he has grace orientation while dying.

He has doctrinal orientation while living; he has doctrinal orientation while dying.

He has faith-rest while living; he has faith-rest while dying.

He has the filling of the spirit while living; he has the filling of the spirit while dying.

He uses rebound while living; he uses rebound while dying.
we have now covered four categorical problems in our study of problems and problem solving;

A. Distraction from self and others,
B. Fear and other emotional problems,
C. The problem of rejection.
D. The problem of death.