The Christian’s Hope in Death[1]
By
D. Patrick Ramsey
Richard
Baxter felt the unwanted invasion of deep heartache that only death can deliver
when his beloved wife Margaret passed away.
He described his experience as being “under the power of melting grief.”[2] J.I. Packer noted that Baxter’s use of the
word “melting” perfectly captures the effect of being grief-stricken. Packer explained, “The capacity for
initiative and enterprise melts-dissolves- away, and so does the power of
empathy with and response to others. A
half-numb apathy, frequently alternating with bouts of tears, sets in.”[3]
Grief,
even the power of melting grief, afflicts Christians when their loved ones fall
asleep in Jesus. But we do not, as Paul
says, grieve as other people do because we are able to grieve as those who have
hope.
Christians
have hope in death. We have certain hope
in death. We often use the word “hope”
in reference to something that we want but may never experience. Hope in this sense is equivalent to wishful
thinking. I hope that my favorite sports
team wins the game means that I want them to win or expect them to win but it
doesn’t mean that they will definitely win.
Biblical hope is different. It is
used with reference to what will definitely happen because God has told us that
it will definitely happen.
What
biblical hope do we have in death? Drawing
heavily upon the Puritans, this article will look at the Christian’s hope at
death, after death, and for eternity.
