When we are first born into this world, we have already started dying. When we are born, our bodies have already started to undergo the process of decay. Cells are already killing themselves and are being replaced. This means that, even though we are technically alive, death is already happening within.
When we are born, we are already starting to age. Our cells are breaking down and they regenerate in an imperfect fashion. Our bodies are moving toward entropy, which is when there is no more thermal energy in the body to convert into mechanical work. This means disorder and randomness. From birth, an infant is already experiencing DNA damage. From the beginning, we can already physically see that our time here on this earth is limited. From birth, our telomeres (the repetitive DNA end-caps of our chromosomes) are already shortening, biologically limiting the amount of life left in a human body. When diseases, genetics, and other external factors are added, the process is only further accelerated.
Each and every day, there are billions of cells dying, as well as billions of new cells being born to replace them and balance the body out. Cell death is also known as apoptosis or “programmed cell death.” Apoptosis is basically a form of cellular suicide. In Latin, apoptosis means “to fall off.” Cells can be compared to leaves falling off of a tree. Once the leaf falls from the tree, it is no longer connected to its life source. Without that life source, the leaf is dead. This is similar to the cells. But in the body, cells decide to say cow-a-bunga and jump down from the tree of the human body to their death. The craziest thing about this whole process is that it is normal and, for the most part, a good thing! But how? Apoptosis is the controlled way that unwanted, harmful, damaged, or possibly harmful cells are excreted (gotten rid of) from the body. This process plays a major role in embryonic development and aging.
Normally, this process is good and a helpful part of bodily processes. But, just like most mechanisms in the human body, this also can go wrong. When apoptosis goes wrong, disease occurs. These diseases can be so severe that death is a result. Some of the diseases that can be caused by haywire apoptosis are cancer, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Huntington’s Disease, and Lou Gehrig’s Disease. With all of this information, we can further see how inevitable death is for human beings.
Now that we have gotten all of the science behind this down, what spiritual applications are there for us?
Sin is the reason for our mortality. We know that sin brought death into the world. From the beginning, God warned Adam and Eve not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, because that would cause death. When they ate of the tree, spiritual death occurred, which meant physical death would also follow. Romans 5:12 says, “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:” Sin corrupted the creation, meaning that death was now inevitable.
Sin meant that a curse was brought upon the Creation. Sin had brought a spiritual separation from God, but it also impacted the physical world. Creation suffers under the weight of sin. Romans 8:22-23 reads, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” The processes of aging, disease, and death are all consequences of the brokenness caused by sin.
We know that we are going to die, but what does the Bible say about mortality? Genesis 3:19 speaks about the curse because of the fall and reads, “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” We know that there will be a time when we will leave this earth by death. Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 reads, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted…” Death is also a transition from this earthly life of sin to an eternal, heavenly life of perfection. John 5:24 reads, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”
Even though there is a very real reality of death, we have Jesus as our hope beyond death. I Corinthians 15:55-57 says, “O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Jesus says in John 11:25-26, “I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.” We have the hope that even though we will die physically, we will live forever spiritually. Jesus is the one who gives us eternal life, so we live in that hope.
Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” By faith, we believe that Jesus Christ will come again and resurrect our bodies and glorify them. 2 Corinthians 4:10-12 says, “Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. So then death worketh in us, but life in you.” Further in 2 Corinthians 4, verse 16, we read, “For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.” We can trust that even though our physical bodies die, our souls are being renewed and being prepared for life in eternity.
Living With The End in Mind
How can YOU live knowing that you are dying?
We need to live life with purpose. We are pilgrims and strangers here on this earth for only a short time. In all things, our goal must be to bring all of the praise, honor, and glory to God alone. We need to put our time toward spiritual things rather than on temporary achievements. We need to rest on the hope of eternal life and strive for spiritual growth spiritually.
Conclusion
Our bodies begin dying at birth, but this does not mean that we are left without purpose or meaning! Death is not something to be feared. Live for the Lord. Prepare spiritually for no man knoweth the hour which the Lord will come again.
Reflection Questions: How are we to spend our limited time on this earth? Are we investing in things that last beyond physical decay? What does it mean to be truly alive, even as we move toward death?
Written by: Kierra A. Hauck
Young Calvinists 