How to Remain Standing Firm in Your Faith at the End of Your Life (and helping others to do the same)
Deathbed Doubts: I have seen on several occasions when someone is dying that he or she has doubts about his or her faith. Normally, in order to help one suppress doubts and be encouraged in his Christian beliefs, I will discuss the eyewitness testimony of the Apostles,[1]
the miracles that Jesus did,[2] who He was,[3] and that all of these things are possible because of the biggest miracle of all.[4]
I differentiate biggest miracle and greatest miracle by the creation and salvation/resurrection. The creation of the universe is the biggest miracle, and salvation/resurrection is the greatest. Because we have the biggest miracle, the greatest miracle is possible. The greatest Miracle, the Resurrection: Jesus was alive, He died, and He rose again from the dead.
The reason I discuss these things specifically is because I want to help suppress these doubts by showing that we have evidence for our faith (an evidence-based faith). We do not simply believe blindly.
I think that what happens when people experience these end-of-life deathbed doubts is because sometimes a person’s mind rushes through thoughts about his life (how he spent it, what happened to him, justifying moral and immoral behavior and so on) and in so doing, he becomes so earth-life minded and negatively self-centered from dwelling on his that doubts creep in and flood the mind. In other words, I think that when one comes to the end of his life, he starts to dwell on it, possibly seeking to justify himself. This act of negative dwelling snowballs into more thoughts and doubts and questions of faith, causing a deep sense of panic.
The Bible Tells Us to Stand Firm
In numerous places in the Bible, we are told to stand firm in our faith:
1 Corinthians 16:13 says, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
Ephesians 6:11 says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
1 Peter 5:9 says, “Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
Philippians 1:27 says, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel…”
2 Thessalonians 2:15 says, “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”
Philippians 4:1 says, “Therefore, my brothers, whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, stand firm thus in the Lord, my beloved.”
1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
James 1:12 says, “Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.”
Galatians 5:1 says, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”
Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”
In Matthew 24:13 Jesus says, “But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”
1 Timothy 6:12 says, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.”
2 Corinthians 1:24 says, “Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith.”
Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
As we can see from this very short list of Bible references that tell us to stand firm in our faith, we should stand firm even when death is at the door.
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How Do We Stand Firm in Our Faith when Death is Near?
Paul tells us the secret to this in Colossians 3:1-4.
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
In 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, Paul says to his beloved Corinthians,
For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.
So, we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.
much focus on the life we lived, but we should instead focus on the new life we will have when we shed our outer garment like a molted exoskeleton and put on a completely new garment, one that we were meant for. When we exit this tent, we will enter a more glorified dwelling, a building, to which we yearn because of the suffering and groaning we experience while living in this tent. Paul says that we know this because of Christ’s Resurrection, thinking from the in-context passage before the above (specifically, 2 Corinthians 4:13-15).
Argument from Degree
I feel like from 2 Corinthians 5:1-10 an argument from degree could be made, so I will briefly address that here. The reason we groan in our tents (our flesh) is because flesh is weak and because it is not enough for us, it is not the greatest situation for us, and we know it. We know that because we waste away, there must be a greater situation. Metaphysically speaking, the lesser situation points to the greater situation. Think about which is better for a moment. A pumpkin pie that your grandmother made, or a pumpkin pie you purchased from Wal-Mart and when you got home you noticed that the expiration date was long overdue. They are both pumpkin pies, so what is the issue? There is obviously a better pumpkin pie, even if you don’t like pumpkin pie. The degree to which pie is better implies something… That there is an ultimate pumpkin pie somewhere that would be the perfect recipe/freshness, even if only for your own tastebuds.
For another example, just like ice is cool to the touch, a truer way to say this is that ice is cold to the touch. The degree itself shows us that there is something better, truer, greater. Similarly, think about the presidential election, or just even voting in general. We often say that we vote for the lesser evil, and this proves that there are degrees to morality. There must exist a being with perfect morality somewhere because the very fact of our imperfect morality points directly toward that which is perfect, where all good morals come from.[6]
We long to be clothed with the better clothing. As we see ourselves age, with new aches and pains, we know that there must exist a better situation, because like goodness, our goodness must come from something somewhere. That something is God. Similarly, our bodies breaking down points to a greater body.
Set Your Minds on Things Above
Set your mind on meeting Jesus, face to face, for the first time, and direct the dying to do the same.
Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. Only let us hold true to what we have attained.[7]
Stand firm, my friends.
© Nace Howell, 2022
[1] See 2 Peter 1:16.
[2] For some examples, He changed water to wine (John 2), healed a man born blind (John 9), walked on water (Matthew 14), raised the dead (John 11), and countless others not mentioned here that are found in the Bible, and even more that are not even found within the biblical text (John 21:25).
[3] See John 10:30.
[4] See John 1:3.
[5] See Philippians 1:21.
[6] If you object to this, the objection itself proves the point that there is a better answer. Peter Kreeft, https://www.peterkreeft.com/topics-more/20_arguments-gods-existence.htm#4. “Question 1: The argument assumes a real "better." But aren't all our judgments of comparative value merely subjective? Reply: The very asking of this question answers it. For the questioner would not have asked it unless he or she thought it really better to do so than not, and really better to find the true answer than not. You can speak subjectivism but you cannot live it.”
[7] Philippians 3:13-16.
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