HOW TO LIVE AND DIE WELL

 “Abraham gave up the ghost, and died in a good old age, and full of years; and was gathered to his people.”—Genesis 25:8

There are three take-a-ways in Genesis 25:8 relative to Abraham’s death; things that should give us all good, wholesome and profitable pause for reflection.

IN THE FIRST PLACE, NOTICE THE RESIGNATION ABRAHAM EXPRESSED relative to his death.  The Bible says that he, “gave up the ghost.” Death didn’t worry him. He’d lived with a strong faith in the wisdom and goodness of God, and with the reality that , “It is appointed unto men once to die” (Heb. 9:27).

Most importantly, Abraham lived and died with a forward-looking faith in the Messiah that God had promised would come. He is called “the father of all them that believe” (Rom 4:17) because he had, without reservation, placed his faith in the One (Jesus) who would come and purchase his salvation through His own death and His own victorious resurrection from the dead (1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rom. 10:9-13).

Abraham “gave up the ghost.” He was resigned to death, and ready to leave this world and enter another one where God had a place prepared for him (Heb. 1 John 14:3; Rom. 4:1-5). How about you?

SECONDLY, NOTICE THE REPUTATION ABRAHAM HAD EARNED while he lived. He wasn’t a perfect man, even after he trusted in Christ, But, in the eyes of God, the “fruit of the Spirit” was overridingly characteristic of Abraham’s life (Gal. 5:22, 23; 2 Cor. 5:17). Abraham had this testimony: Genesis 25:8 says, he “died in a good old age.” And, he died having lived a full and fruitful life— an “old man, full of years.”

Abraham was an imperfect man who lived with the consciousness that he had received the gift of a perfect and permanent salvation. And this consciousness made him strive for practical, personal perfection in life for the sake of Him Who had loved Him and would come to wash away his sins with His own blood ((Eph. 2:8, 9; Rev. 1:5; John 8:56; Matt. 5:48).

What matters aren’t the years in our lives that can be counted, but the life in our years that we make count in bringing glory to God, and good to others. God’s people who die as peacefully as Abraham died, are those who live as purposefully as Abraham lived.

LASTLY, NOTICE THE REUNION THAT ABRAHAM ENJOYED after he died.   He “was gathered to his people.” Someone has written:  “Death gathers us to our people. Those that are our people while we live, whether the people of God or the children of this world, are the people to whom death will gather us.”

The “people of God” are those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. The people of this world are those who have not done so. Who are your people—the people to whom you will be gathered at last and for forever?