“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) is one of the most significant passages in the New Testament. Sin has as a result death. Additionally, Jesus Christ offers everyone who believes in Him the gift of eternal life. There is a question that arises when you recognize this biblical reality. Why do we still need to die if we are to be born again?
If death is the result of sin, then why is there still death when Jesus has forgiven our sins? Even if the Bible doesn’t directly address the question, considering the other option can be beneficial. Envision a world in which Christians would live eternally. There are various reasons why that is not a desirable notion.
- Believers must first die, for otherwise they would always be surrounded by sin and suffering. Disease and natural calamities would cause them to suffer. Worse worse, they will suffer from all the sin they witness in their surroundings. They would see the unending dishonoring of God. As a result, even if they lived forever, they could never be truly content in this world.
- Second, and somewhat in opposition to the first, believers must perish lest they grow overly content in this life. God desires for us to yearn for Him. God desires for us to yearn for the perfection that is only possible in His presence. [God desires that us not feel comfortable in this world]. God shows us that this world is not the end of His plan for us by denying us eternal life here on Earth.
- Third, Christians must perish, or else sin would still have an impact on them. When you believe in Jesus, your sins are forgiven, but sin still has an impact on your life. It is definitely real that God offers you a fresh lease on life when you believe in Jesus. However, this is also true: according to 1 John 1:8, “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” You do not become sinless when you come to faith. You are still in need of God’s pardon. God wants you to be completely free of sin, not to live that way forever.
- Fourth, in order for believers to see God, they must die. No one on this planet has ever witnessed God in all his majesty. Because we adore God, we yearn to know and be with Him. But with this mortal body, that is not feasible.
There is a section in Paul’s letter to the church at Corinth that is quite pertinent to the topic posed here. We are aware that we are apart from the Lord even when we are at home in the body (2 Corinthians 5:6). You feel comfortable in your own skin. The issue, though, is that you are not near the Lord. Paul states that it is therefore preferable to be away from the body and at home with the Lord (2 Corinthians 5:8). For this reason, believers must pass away. Being with God in heaven is preferable to being in this body here on earth. Christians view death as God’s favor that allows them to return home.
But Paul does not condemn the concern about dying and losing your earthly body. For having a body is part of being human, and therefore dying and not having a body in a sense is “being naked” (2 Corinthians 5:3). Therefore it is really important to know that the final destination of believers is not to be in heaven with your soul. It is to be on the new earth with soul and body. That is what Paul means when he says “For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:2). “This tent” is our body. “Our heavenly dwelling” is not our place in heaven, as you might think when you first read it. Because you will put on this heavenly dwelling. It is talking about the resurrection body every believer receives on the new earth.
In summary, it is bad to live on earth without faith in God. It is preferable to live on this planet knowing that your faults are forgiven. It is far better to be in paradise with God absent from your physical body. The best, however, is to have a magnificent new body and to [dwell on the new world in God’s presence]. God wants the best for you, so unless Jesus returns before then, you must experience death in order to be granted a life that is greater than anything this world can provide.
