If someone you knew told you that they didn’t fear death, but they were excited for it, what would you think?  Maybe you would ask yourself if they were suicidal, or perhaps they believe in a religion which guarantees paradise after this life.  As a true Christian living in fellowship with your creator, you are neither of these but death should still stir excitement in a Christian’s heart.  Reading that, it probably sounds really weird and creepy.  How could death be something positive at all?  If you know 100% that you are going to heaven, a place where “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Rev.21), and where you get to live in community with the very God-man who died then rose on the cross for your sins, eternally, where everything is perfect…It’s pretty exciting. 

There are so many ideas out there about death, a lot that probably aren’t publicized but are thought up on those late nights when so many people toss and turn trying to figure out what the heck is going to happen when they die.  So it begins with what you think death is…how would you define death?  Then again how could any of us know?-we’re still alive!  Is Heaven real or is it just some fairytale made up to make people feel better about their demise?  Is Hell real?  How bad do you have to be to go there?  How good do you have to be to get into Heaven?  All questions everyone has asked at some point in their lives.

The thing so absurd about death is the conclusiveness, and the fact that it can happen anytime, anyway to anyone.  While I am writing this, a plane could crash into our house and instantly kill my family and I.  On this earth, none of us would ever be heard from again…just like that.  It is horrible and depressing to think about.  Though I do not want to die, I can say with full confidence in Christ that I am not scared of it anymore.  I remember asking my mom when I was little, how do you know you are getting into Heaven?  It was not until I developed an actual relationship with Christ, did know where I was going to be when I died.  Not because of how I felt, what I did, or what I heard but simply by the fact that I had to trust in Christ’s ability and words more than my own, trusting what he said in the bible and believing it.  Trusting in something that would never be able to be taken from me, his promises, love and truth.  Not in “good” stuff I did, because the truth is that none of us could ever be good enough.  Nobody can earn their way into Heaven!

As for being excited about death, if you have accepted that you are a sinner but realized how much Jesus loves you and repented of those sins and turned to Christ in faith, giving him your heart and life, God wants to spend eternity with you in Heaven!!  Jesus conquered death.  Paul writes in Philippians that “to live is Christ, to die is gain” (c.1 v.21).  This coming from a dude who used to kill Christians, and was against God.  Heaven is something to be incredibly excited for!  Take a moment and think about the best possible scenario you could be in right now in which you would be the happiest.  If you have Christ, imagine that scenario times infinity…that’s Heaven.  Our minds can’t even imagine how awesome it will be…I sure can’t wait to find out!

Death is not the end…it’s only the beginning in a period outside of time.  And for those in Christ to die is to gain everything!  But for those who do not trust in him, they will live eternally separated from their creator in Hell. God wants to reconcile with us all so bad, he doesn’t want that for any of us!  However, he is a Holy God who must judge sin and he will do so.  Die to yourself, to live in him!