He Faced Death with a Smile

[Steve Myers] My friend Jim was one of those people everybody just liked. He had this calm, steady presence about him and a dry, clever sense of humor that would kind of sneak up on you. Even when he got sick, really sick, he never lost that quiet strength or that sharp sense of humor. Toward the end, Jim was in hospice. I remember visiting him on a freezing winter night. It was cold, quiet. His daughter was sitting right by his bed holding his hand, and you could see it in her eyes. Grief, worry, all of it just sitting there. At one point, she looked at him. The voice was kind of shaky, and she said, Dad, are you scared of dying? Well, Jim slowly opened his eyes and looked at her and gave just a little smirk, and he said, Well, one of us isn't getting out of here alive, and it looks like it's me. That was classic Jim. His daughter kind of laughed through her tears, and I think she really needed that moment. We all did. Even on his deathbed, he was comforting others. That's just who Jim was. Then he said something I can't forget. He said, It's okay. I'm not afraid. I know I'll be sleeping until Jesus returns. That's what really matters. And the way he said it, calm, so sure, just stuck with me. You could feel a kind of peace in the room, like he wasn't afraid at all, because he knew he was going to be okay.

You know, most of us grow up hearing all sorts of ideas about death. Some say you go straight to heaven. Others talk about hell, eternal torment, or that your soul drifts off somewhere else forever.

But what does the Bible actually say?

The truth is death is more like a sleep, and there's a promise, a resurrection, waking up to a new life. That hope is the very center of God's plan. And it can give you strength and purpose right now.

So let's take a look at that hope together. Let's dive into what the Bible really teaches about death, resurrection, and eternal life. And let's discover why the truth should change how you live today.

You know, maybe you grew up like me. I was taught that everyone is born with an immortal soul. And at death, some part of you keeps going, either in the good place or the bad. But Scripture tells a different story. You don't naturally have eternal life.

Romans chapter 6:23 tells us, for the wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. You earn death because of sin. But eternal life? That's something very different. You don't have it. It's a gift. God has to give it to you. The Bible says, God is the one who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light. That means you and I don't have it. We're mortal. Our lives are temporary, unless God gives us the gift.

Scripture tells us exactly where that gift comes from. 1 John 5:11 reminds us, and this is the testimony that God has given us eternal life. And this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life. He who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

The bottom line? It's not about an immortal soul floating off to heaven or being tormented in hell at death. It's about a future resurrection, a transformation that only God can give.

Now you've probably heard someone say, rest in peace when someone dies. The Bible actually uses that image to describe death, not as just a nice saying, but as a real biblical truth. Death is like sleep, a temporary unconscious state of rest.

Jesus said this when a little girl died. He said the girl is not dead, but sleeping. And when Lazarus died, Jesus told His disciples, our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.

You ever wondered about that? Lazarus was dead for four days, but when Jesus raised him, Lazarus didn't say a word about what he saw. No visions, no bright light, no stories about heaven, nothing. Why not? Because he wasn't conscious. He wasn't in heaven or anywhere else. He was dead. Ecclesiastes 9.5 reminds us, for the living know they will die, but the dead know nothing. So when Jesus says Lazarus was asleep, He meant He was completely unconscious. No awareness, no soul floating around, not looking down from heaven. He was waiting for Jesus to wake him up, to resurrect him.

So think about this. If Lazarus had gone to heaven, Jesus wouldn't have brought him back. That would be cruel. Jesus wasn't pulling him out of heaven because the hope of the Bible isn't about going to heaven. It's about the hope of the resurrection.

So Lazarus was raised back to physical life. But that wasn't the ultimate promise. The real hope, something far greater, a resurrection to immortal spirit life, to be a part of God's family forever.

Now that's the goal of God's plan, not just to be physical, have physical life again, but to live forever as a glorified child of God.

Now that's a gift given to those who truly follow Jesus Christ, who obey Him and live by His Word. It's a spiritual resurrection into God's family, becoming part of His eternal kingdom. Now that's what we read about in the Bible. In 1 Thessalonians 4:16, we're reminded, for the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout. And then it goes on saying, and the dead in Christ will rise first. So death, it's a pause, a sleep. But for those who are faithful, obedient followers of Jesus, there's a promise. And He returns, He'll wake you up, not to a temporary physical life, but to everlasting spirit life as a glorified child of God in His kingdom.

Now that's what my friend Jim believed. And that calm, confident hope, it didn't just comfort His daughter, it comforted all of us. You know at His funeral, yeah, there were plenty of tears. But it wasn't all gloom. It felt like hope. People connected to what Jim knew. Death isn't the end. It's a kind of nap before the most incredible awakening. And that stuck with me. And now, when I feel grief or loss or just plain uncertainty, I can think of Jim. I think of that little smirk and then that truth that cut through that moment. I'll be sleeping until Jesus returns.

You know when you have that kind of faith, dying doesn't have to be a scary thing. God has a plan.

And if you're in Christ, your story isn't over. The Bible doesn't teach that you're a ghost or a disembodied spirit floating around after death. It teaches a complete transformation into an immortal, incorruptible body fit for eternal life.

1 Corinthians 15:54 gives this amazing promise. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Now imagine that. Death itself, defeated. You know, it even gets better. Here's a promise for your future. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain.

So you see, it's not about going to heaven or torture in hell. It's about a future where you can live forever in God's Kingdom as a part of His divine family.

Now maybe this challenges what you've always believed. Well, you're not alone. Many of us sincerely inherited ideas about an afterlife that simply don't come from the Bible. Now if you want a deeper insight, check out ucg.org/bt501.

You can find our free study aid, Heaven and Hell, What Does the Bible Really Teach? There's all kinds of material there to really help in your studies. They're clear. It's Bible-based and will help you unpack what Scripture really says about the soul, about judgment, about death and eternal life.

So why does it matter? Well, here's the big truth. This hope isn't wishful thinking for some distant future. It's a present power that can change how you live today. Knowing the truth about what lies beyond death can change how you face the toughest moments in life. It can take away fear, despair and the paralyzing worry about what happens when you die. Instead, it can fill you with faith, with endurance and a renewed sense of purpose.

You know, Jesus said it best, Most assuredly I say to you, He who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life.

So what's your next step? The hope of the resurrection should change how you live. So don't just believe. God calls you to live a holy, meaningful life right now. A life that should be driven by the hope that God's kingdom is coming and that eternal life is within reach through Jesus Christ. It removes fear. It strengthens endurance. It inspires a life worth living.

But here's the catch. It is a gift. And like all gifts, it must be received. Now that means responding with faith. That means responding with commitment. It means responding with obedience.

So what should you do? Commit to learn the truth. Grow closer to God and live according to His will. Remember, your future resurrection depends on your relationship with Jesus Christ. As Revelation 2:10 says, Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

So live now in the light of God's promises. Look forward to the day when death is swallowed up in victory. Choose to live with hope, rooted in God's promise of resurrection. Learn more about God's way.

Go to ucg.org/bt501. Read our resources there. Learn the truth. Discover what God's plan is truly all about. Because ultimately, when Jesus Christ returns, God can awaken you. And He'll awaken you to real, everlasting life.