The Sting of Death

On Wednesday night, February 14th, after a day full of walking (6.3 miles), studying God’s Word, writing and preaching, my dad, Larry Clements, closed his eyes in sleep and awoke in the presence of his Savior. My family and I are devastated, still reeling from his unexpected departure from our lives. Death stings, stirring up feelings of anger mixed with deep sorrow. 

What should be the target of our anger when death takes away our loved ones? Many people become angry with God, and certainly God is sovereign over death, but death was not His original plan for His creation. Just because death may be common to all mankind does not mean God is its author. God’s Word tells the story of the beginning and end of death, giving us the real target for our justified anger—sin—and providing us with hope for death’s ultimate annihilation—our risen Savior, Jesus Christ. Heed the Word of God: 

“In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Genesis 1:31). “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die” (Genesis 2:16, 17). “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat” (Genesis 3:6). “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:12). “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow” (Psalm 116:3). “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). 

“Whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?” (John 11:26). “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:19-21). “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:14). “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away” (Revelation 21:3, 4). “For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God” (Job 19:25, 26). “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:58). 

It is okay to be angry at sin and its wages, death. But death itself will soon die. Until then,  we pick up the gospel ministry mantle of Larry Clements, ask God for a double portion of his spirit and work until Jesus comes. 

“O land of rest for thee I sigh, when will the moment come 

When I shall lay my armor by and dwell in peace at home? 

We’ll work till Jesus comes, we’ll work till Jesus comes, 

We’ll work till Jesus comes, and we’ll be gathered home.” (Elizabeth Mills) 

Respectfully submitted, 

Mark Clements 

Editor in Chief, Bogard Press