A Holy Goodbye

Scripture never treats the death of God’s people as a meaningless tragedy.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.”

That one verse tells us there is something sacred about a believer’s final moments. It is not the end of their story. It is the closing chapter before the most incredible reunion they have ever known.

When you read the Bible’s accounts of saints leaving this world, such as Jacob leaning on his staff to bless his sons, Moses viewing the Promised Land before breathing his last, David charging Solomon to walk with God, and Paul saying he is

“ready to be offered,”

you notice something remarkable. They did not cling to life in fear. They met death with open eyes, open hands, and often open mouths blessing, testifying, forgiving, and entrusting themselves to the Lord who had carried them all their days.

Stephen in Acts 7 is one of the most moving examples. Stones were raining down on him, yet his last words were not curses or cries for vengeance. He prayed,

“Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.”

That is grace in its purest form. When death came, grace came with it.

Here is what we learn from these moments.

First, for the believer, death is not a thief to fear. It is a doorway into the presence of Jesus. Paul could say,

“to depart, and to be with Christ… is far better,”

because he knew what was waiting on the other side.

Second, the way we die often reflects the way we have lived. If we have walked in the awareness of His love, we will be ready to see Him face-to-face. Jacob could worship while leaning on his staff because he had spent his life leaning on God.

Third, the righteous often use their last breath to pass on something eternal, blessing their children, reminding them of God’s promises, or words of forgiveness. They know that spiritual inheritance is far more valuable than silver or gold.

And here is the heart of it. For the believer, death is not a lonely journey into the dark. You are not stepping into the unknown, hoping to find Jesus. He is the One carrying you through it. From the moment you believed, you were placed in Christ, and He in you. That union is not dependent on how well you performed, how perfectly you served, or how strong your faith felt in the moment. It rests entirely on His finished work. Death is simply the next step in that union. You will not be meeting a stranger. You will be stepping into the arms of the One who has walked every mile with you, loved you on your worst days, and held you even when you felt unworthy to be held.

The cross was not only where He died for you, but where you died with Him. The resurrection is where you rose with Him. In God’s eyes, you have already passed through death in Him. What awaits you now is not fear, but fulfillment, the full unveiling of the life you have been living in Christ all along. You are not going to heaven as a prize for living well. You are arriving in the fullness of a relationship that has carried you every day since grace first found you.

This is why we say the best way to die well is to live resting in His love now. Not working to earn it, not performing to keep it, but walking each day securely knowing that “nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Moses did not bless Israel because he had finally achieved enough holiness in his last hour. He had been walking with God for decades, relying on God’s grace in every season. Paul knew he was righteous in Christ, and therefore, he could face death with confidence.

For those of us still breathing, the lesson is clear.

Because for the saint, death is not losing. It is going home to the One who has loved us from the start and never once let go.