The Inevitability of Death: Why Must We Prepare for It?

Published On: November 10, 2025

Death is the one appointment no one can cancel. It appears on every human calendar, yet most of us live as if we have unlimited time to prepare for it. Our culture treats conversations about death as morbid, uncomfortable, even taboo—something to be avoided until absolutely necessary. But what if preparing for death is the most life-affirming, hope-filled, and wise decision we can make?

The Christian tradition offers five compelling answers to why preparing for death preparation isn’t optional—it’s essential.

1. BECAUSE SCRIPTURE COMMANDS IT

The Bible doesn’t tiptoe around death. It confronts it directly and repeatedly commands us to do the same. When Moses prayed, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12), he wasn’t being pessimistic—he was being realistic. He understood acknowledging our mortality is the gateway to wisdom, not the path to despair.

The writer of Ecclesiastes goes further: “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2). Notice that phrase—“the living will lay it to heart.” Confronting death doesn’t diminish life; it clarifies it. James reminds us our life is “a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14). These aren’t depressing truths—they’re liberating ones. Biblical realism about death isn’t pessimism; it’s the clarity that enables us to live properly.

2. BECAUSE DEATH REVEALS WHAT TRULY MATTERS

Scripture emphasises God’s sovereignty over all things, including the number of our days. When we seriously grapple with death’s inevitability, something remarkable happens: the trivial falls away, and what truly matters comes into sharp focus.

This is why the Puritans practiced memento mori—“remember death”—not from a place of fear, but from a place of faith. They understood death is a clarifying lens. When we acknowledge our time is limited, we stop wasting it on pursuits that won’t matter in a hundred years. We invest differently.

We prioritise relationships over achievements. We pursue character over comfort. We store up eternal treasures rather than temporal possessions that we can’t take with us. The person who thinks seriously about death loves more deeply, forgives more readily, speaks more truthfully, and lives more intentionally. Death preparation isn’t about becoming morose—it’s about becoming wise enough to distinguish gold from glitter.

3. BECAUSE ONLY PREPARATION BRINGS TRUE PEACE

Here’s where the Christian faith offers something the world cannot: genuine peace in the face of death. The Heidelberg Catechism begins with this question: “What is your only comfort in life and in death?” The answer: “That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Saviour, Jesus Christ.”

This is the heart of death preparation. Peace doesn’t come from denial or distraction; it comes from reconciliation with God through Christ alone.

There are two dimensions to proper preparation:

The spiritual dimension is paramount: being right with God through faith in Christ’s finished work on the cross. No amount of practical preparation matters if this foundation is missing.
But there’s also a practical dimension that reflects good stewardship: putting our earthly affairs in order—wills, relationships, unfinished business, words that need to be spoken.

The contrast is stark. Those unprepared face death with terror or desperate avoidance. But believers who’ve prepared can face it with the confidence of the Westminster Shorter Catechism: “The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory.”

4. BECAUSE PREPARATION TRANSFORMS HOW WE LIVE NOW

Here’s the paradox that surprises people: preparing for death doesn’t make us live less—it makes us live more. Charles Spurgeon captured it perfectly: “He who is prepared to die has learned how to live.”

When we’ve come to terms with our mortality and secured our eternal destiny in Christ, something shifts. We develop a holy urgency about sharing the gospel—after all, others are dying too. We experience reduced anxiety over temporal losses because we know what we can’t lose. We feel deeper gratitude for each day as an undeserved gift. We gain boldness to take godly risks because the worst thing that can happen—death—has lost its sting.

The Reformed understanding of “already but not yet” applies here. We live in the tension between Christ’s decisive victory over death at the resurrection and our own future passage through death’s door. But Paul’s words in Galatians 2:20 show us the way: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” We who’ve already “died to self” have nothing left to lose and everything to gain.

5. BECAUSE THE ALTERNATIVES ARE SELF-DEFEATING

But wait—doesn’t acknowledging life’s brevity lead some to a completely different conclusion? “If we’re all going to die anyway,” the argument goes, “why not just live for today? Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die. The religions can’t even agree on what happens after death, so why bet on any of them? Let’s just maximise pleasure now.”

This perspective sounds liberating, even logical. And indeed, the Apostle Paul himself acknowledged it: “If the dead are not raised, ‘Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die'” (1 Corinthians 15:32). But here’s the problem: this philosophy collapses under its own weight.

First, it doesn’t actually work. Pure hedonism produces emptiness, not fulfilment. History’s most pleasure-saturated people—from Roman emperors to modern celebrities—often report the deepest despair. Why? Because we humans aren’t wired for mere pleasure; we’re wired for meaning, and meaning requires something beyond ourselves.
Second, the “religions disagree” argument proves too weak. Yes, worldviews differ on the afterlife, but they also agree on something crucial: this life matters enormously, and how we live it has consequences. The disagreement isn’t whether death preparation matters—it’s about what proper preparation looks like. Dismissing all spiritual preparation because traditions differ is like refusing medical treatment because doctors sometimes disagree on diagnosis. The stakes are too high for intellectual laziness.
Third, and most importantly, the resurrection of Jesus Christ isn’t just another religious opinion—it’s a historical claim that can be investigated. Scripture doesn’t ask us to prepare for death based on blind faith, but on the evidence of an empty tomb, transformed disciples, and 2000 years of changed lives. The question isn’t whether religions agree, but whether Christianity is true. And if did Christ conquer death, preparing to meet Him isn’t optional—it’s the only rational response.

THE INVITATION TO PREPARE

Preparing for death is the ultimate act of faith and wisdom. Death is the great equaliser that strips away every pretence, every excuse, every delusion. Better to face this sobering truth now, while we have time to respond, than later when our options have run out.

But Scripture offers more than sober realism—it offers resurrection hope. Paul’s triumphant question echoes across the centuries: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:55). For those in Christ, death is a defeated enemy, the doorway to perfect joy.

So let’s examine our relationship with God through Christ today. If we’ve never trusted in His finished work on the cross, now’s the time. If we have, let’s put our temporal affairs in order. Reconcile broken relationships. Have those difficult conversations. Live each day with eternity in view.

Those prepared to die are the ones who’re truly free to live.

RELATED FAQs

What happened to famous figures who embraced the “eat, drink, and be merry” philosophy? History provides sobering examples of hedonism’s bankruptcy. Voltaire, the famous French sceptic who mocked Christianity and lived for worldly pleasure, reportedly suffered terrifying anguish on his deathbed, with his nurse later stating she wouldn’t attend another infidel’s death for all of Europe’s wealth. Oscar Wilde, the brilliant wit who pursued aesthetic pleasure above all, died in squalor and pain, having converted to Catholicism in his final hours after years of dismissing religious concerns. In modern times, celebrities like Anthony Bourdain and Robin Williams—who seemingly “had it all” in terms of worldly success and pleasure—ended their own lives in despair. These aren’t isolated cases; they reveal the pattern that living only for present pleasure leaves the soul unprepared for its ultimate appointment.

What did John Calvin specifically teach about preparing for death? Calvin emphasised that meditating on the future life is essential for Christian living, devoting an entire chapter of his Institutes to it. He taught we cannot properly despise this present life (which he saw as necessary) without contemplating the life to come, and that this meditation produces both courage in suffering and moderation in prosperity. Calvin argued thinking rightly about death frees us from enslaving fear and redirects our affections toward eternal goods. His point wasn’t morbidity but liberation—only those who’ve learned to die well can truly live well.
How do we interpret Hebrews 9:27—“It is appointed for man to die once, and after this comes judgement”? Reformed exegetes understand this verse as establishing three non-negotiable realities: death’s universality (it’s “appointed”), death’s singularity (we die “once”—no reincarnation), and death’s consequence (judgement follows). The word “appointed” (apokeimai in Greek) carries the sense of something laid up or destined, emphasizing God’s sovereign decree over the timing and fact of death. This makes death preparation not merely prudent but mandatory, since what follows death is immediate evaluation by God, not soul sleep or a second chance. The Reformed interpretation stresses that this appointment cannot be rescheduled, making present readiness the only logical response.

Does Christian tradition affirm deathbed conversions, or is it “too late” at that point? The Reformers affirmed genuine conversion can occur even at the final hour, pointing to Jesus’ promise to the thief on the cross: “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). However, they strongly warned against presuming on deathbed mercy. Martin Luther cautioned that waiting until death approaches is spiritually dangerous—pain and fear cloud judgement, mental faculties fail, and Satan intensifies his attacks when we’re most vulnerable. The Reformed position is clear: God’s grace is never limited by timing, but presuming to repent later is the height of folly and often results in a hard heart that cannot repent when the moment comes. Prepare today while you have clarity, strength, and time.

What is the Puritan ‘art of dying’ tradition, and is it still relevant? The ars moriendi was a body of Christian literature and practice focused on preparing for death well, which the Puritans developed extensively. It included practical guidance on making spiritual preparation, settling temporal affairs, resisting Satan’s final temptations, receiving the sacraments worthily, and encouraging fellow believers in their final hours. Puritan pastors like Richard Baxter wrote entire manuals on dying well, viewing it as the final exam of the Christian life. This tradition remains profoundly relevant today precisely because modern culture has abandoned death preparation entirely, leaving people terrified and unprepared. The Puritan approach offers time-tested wisdom for facing life’s only certainty with grace, faith, and hope.
How does the Reformed view of God’s sovereignty over death differ from fatalism? While both acknowledge death’s timing is outside human control, they differ radically in their implications. Fatalism says, “Whatever will be, will be,” leading to passivity and purposelessness—if the outcome is fixed, nothing matters. Reformed theology says God sovereignly appoints our days for His purposes: this means everything matters intensely. God’s sovereignty doesn’t eliminate human responsibility; it establishes it. We’re called to prepare spiritually, live faithfully, and steward our days wisely precisely because God has ordained both the ends and the means. Far from producing apathy, Reformed theology generates urgency—God’s sovereignty ensures that our preparation and faithfulness serve His eternal purposes.

What does the Bible say happens immediately after death—is there consciousness? Reformed theologians, following careful biblical exegesis, affirm the intermediate state: immediate consciousness between death and the final resurrection. Jesus told the thief, “Today you will be with me in paradise”—not after a long sleep. Paul writes that to be “away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:8), and that departing this life means being “with Christ, which is far better” (Philippians 1:23). These passages indicate immediate transition to conscious existence in God’s presence for believers, while the wicked face conscious separation from God. The body sleeps in the grave awaiting resurrection, but the soul is immediately alive—which is precisely why preparation cannot be postponed.

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