Westminster Larger Catechism # 84
Commentary by Dr. Chuck Baynard
Q84. Shall all men die?
Answer: Death being threatened as the wages of sin it is appointed unto all men once to
die; for that all have sinned.
References: Rom. 6:23; Heb. 9:27; Rom. 5:12.
Harmony of the Standards: COF 33 (By subject, not directly)
The only two exceptions in Scripture we know are those of Enoch and Elijah, though we
have no reason to not believe they were translated, that is given a new spiritual body for
the trip into the presence of God. In fact from what we know from Scripture and the nature
of heaven and the sureness of God’s word that it is given unto man once to die, then
the judgment, we can be sure that though they appear from earth to have ascended into
heaven without first tasting of death, that this is no different than the saints on the
earth when Christ returns who will be "translated" as they are caught up to meet
Christ in the air. Thus we could give a very emphatic yes in answer to this question and
stand on the solid word of God in so doing.
I don’t agree that death is threatened in Scripture, I think it is a sure judgment
pronounced from the throne of God. The Divines here combine three key Scriptures, and
rearrange the words thereof into the statement before us. Thus every word in the answer is
from Scripture and I would think only the fool would try and cavil with this answer.
To that end though we see the mass of humanity from the beginning try and find another
way than death, to become immortal. That having failed throughout recorded history, man
early on denied the finality of death and that it was the end of the story and in the
fancy of their imaginations began to create schemes whereby there is a succession of life
upon life until man becomes God. We find this same theme of upward movement to godhood in
the Mormon religion for example. Most religions other than that of the Bible and Christ
have such a method for the continuance of life in paradise, whether directly achieved or
through a succession of lives on earth. The only portion of this that has any truth of
course is that this death is not the end, but the beginning of life. Only the Bible
truthfully lays out this truth that for man death is a certainty, and there is only one
way to reach this dreamed of paradise of man which is the reality of life in Christ.
To this end Christianity is an exclusive religion and thus the very present danger to
the church of compromise with so called people of faith from other disciplines.
Christianity is not a learned discipline, but a loving obedience to the one and only
living God. True we teach our children, and study to show ourselves approved, but the
"way" of life is internal with the regenration of the heart and mind. We have an
organic union with Christ that exists both in this life and the one to come. Man was never
destined to become a god, but to glorify the one God of creation. Because God chose to
create man in His own image, with a living soul and ability to reason, along with the will
to do so, man has seen himself even as Satan did, the ultimate not only of creation, but
all things and able even to ascend to the throne of God and usurp the power of the
creator.
The world is filled with denominations that all claim to be the true Christian church.
Not all can be correct. The reformed faith being no different than the rest in this sense,
many of her faithful seem to consider all that do not believe as they do to be in gross
error or completely apostate needing not revival, but evangelism to introduce them to
Christ. I think we err in this and that the Gospel story is very simple and the
requirements of being of the family are much broader in this respect than many of us are
willing to concede. Surely this was (is) the position of the Jew in the day of Christ and
before. They considered all outside the Jewish religion to be destined for eternal
darkness. It was not true then as the advent of the Christ and resulting manifestation of
the new covenant accompanied by a new canon for the church of God have proven. The long
awaited promise to Abraham, to be a blessing to many nations was made manifest.
Even in the day of the apostles we find that the "spirit" of the anti-Christ
was already at work and false teachers abounded to lead the unwary (non-elect) away. Yet
this is not always the case within the overall church of God on earth today. We have a
multitude of differences in our understanding of Scripture, the application and use of the
sacraments, the corporate structure of worship, and the list could continue. The truth
then is that all of the invisble church does not exist within the same visible church.
However, within all true churches we will find a core doctrine of the triune God. May then
the unity of the Holy Spirit so hold dominion over all of the true church that in her
diversity, she still is one, even as God is one.
The big "T" will continue to exist and control all but the elect until our
Lord returns for His bride, the church. Perhaps the biggest "if" in all of
Scripture is found in Matthew 24:24 where we read " For there shall arise false
Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect." Here lies the power of the elect,
because of the indwelling Holy Spirit, to be enabled to test the spirits and know the
truth. In the flesh as it is written the will still abides, and of the will flows all
evil. Nonetheless as the Lord explained at the time He was accused of casting out demons
by the power of the prince of darkness and not of God, less a man first enter the home and
bind the strong man, he cannot rob him. Thus in our union with Christ, we are given power
over sin, for none can bind God and God the Holy Spirit lives within each of the
believers. We are forgiven and justified in the sight of God, given a new position in
Christ and protected from the evil of our own flesh. The sin (evil) is not removed, but
its power is harnessed so to speak, that it no longer can control the elect. It is only
from this position that man can see just how total the depravity is, and that it has an
affect upon all the faculties of man.
Here too we find that blessed assurance so that while it is a truth that all men must
die, for the believer this is not defeat, nor the end of things, but entrance into the
presence of God. Our edifice is not of self, but Christ, and we are set free to accomplish
the one duty assigned by God in the creation mandate, to glorify God, that we might reach
the destiny that accompanies obedience to God for the elect alone, that we enjoy Him
forever. Whereby we can with the apostle proclaim to die for me is gain. How complete, how
beautiful the salvation of the Lord.
Once more I place before us the proposition that where we find one petal of the TULIP,
the other four will flow by necessity. Here petal one once more exists in all its beauty
and glory, and it is no stretch to see the other four are included, that we too may ask,
O’ grave where is your victory, O’ death where is your sting?
Dr. Chuck Baynard -- October 1998
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