While death is sometimes considered a taboo topic, have you ever wondered how much the Bible actually talks about it? It begins in the Garden of Eden, where an animal had to be sacrificed to clothe Adam and Eve, and ends in Revelation, where the Lamb that was slain sits on the throne. It was Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection that atoned for our sins, and this is also what water baptism symbolises. Each time we take part in Communion, we remember his death until he returns.
As Paul said in Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.’ He also said, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain”. Therefore, being absent from the body means being present with the Lord. He was not suicidal; like many other early believers, he found the key to living for Christ in righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.