The final transition
O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory? 1 Corinthians 15:55
For those who do not believe in the afterlife, death is the ultimate end. According to Christian belief, death is not an end, but a transition.Each of us will undergo these transitions: the first is the birth of a baby from a mother's womb. We all transit from the womb to this big, big world, a place filled with stimuli known as the earthly realm.
Even so, transitioning from a womb is painful, mothers cry during childbirth, babies cry shortly after they are born, but soon the weeping turns to joy, as the child is welcomed into the world.
In the next and final transition, our souls depart from the earthly realm and enter the eternal realm. There can be pain in the transition, our loved ones on earth may mourn and grieve over our departure, but it is a glorious one because we are finally returning home to be with our heavenly father. Since I was a young child, I was convinced of this truth after life. Upon my father's death of cancer, I was certain that he had just returned to where he truly belongs, reunited with our Father God. Since I knew it was a transition for my dad, I didn't feel that sad when he passed away.
As well as other religions, which also believe death is a transition, a soul enters the law of karma or the cycle of rebirth. However, Karma is not administered by a deity or an external judge. It happens naturally and is the result of personal effort, like actions and merit. It is still unclear where people will go, whether they will transit into an ongoing cycle or reach the final end of liberation.
Also, the other beliefs do not believe that individual personalities and memories will bring us to the “next life". In contrast, Christianity believes our personal identities and consciousness as well as memories continue to eternity. In the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus, both individuals retain their identities after death. They are conscious, aware of their past lives, and capable of thinking, remembering and feeling emotions.
Death on earth is nothing to be feared; the key verse reminds us that death is conquered by Christ's resurrection. Jesus says “I am the resurrection and the life”. Faith in Jesus assures our everlasting life, so believers know where they will go after death.
The promise of resurrection and eternal life is a cornerstone of our faith. We can live with hope and courage when we are not afraid of death, and motivated by our eternal perspective that this life on this earth is merely a transit to our eternal home, where there is no sorrow, no tears, but unending joy in God's presence.
Blessing prayer: Deliver us from the fear of death because we serve God who is the God of resurrection and everlasting life. In Jesus' name, Amen
