Why do Christians die if death is the consequence of sin but our sin is forgiven?

Death is the consequence of sin:

• Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• Romans 5:12 – Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.
• James 1:15 – Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.

But in Christ, Christians are forgiven their sin:

• 1 John 2:12 – I write to you, dear children because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
• 1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
• Acts 3:19 – Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out
• 2 Cor 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

Why then do Christians die if death is the result of sin but their sin is forgiven?

Answer: Christians die because we live in a fallen world. (Don’t be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering. 1 Peter 4:12 (NIV)). Those who remain impenitent endure physical death as one part of the divine wrath they must suffer for their sin (Gen. 2:17; Rom. 6:23). This is not the case for believers, for Christ has been cursed in our place (Gal. 3:10–14).

“Death does not come to believers because God is punishing them, for, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Rather, death is the final outcome of living in a fallen world.” – ESV Study Bible article on “The End Of Life”

God has not yet removed the effects of sin from creation. Creation is groaning, waiting for the adoption of God’s children, which will be plain to all when our bodies are raised from the grave (Rom. 8:18–23). The full benefits of Christ’s work will not be consummated until He returns to manifest the new heaven and earth (Rev. 21).

We live in an era where two ages overlap. The future kingdom has begun but is not yet consummated. Christians live in a great theological tension between two ages. Underlying this tension is a theological structure of the “already but not yet” framework. This theological concept of “already but not yet” holds that believers are now actively taking part in the kingdom of God, although the kingdom will not reach its full expression until sometime in the future. We are “already” in the kingdom, but we do “not yet” experience it in its full consummation.

Considered in and of itself, death is not a good thing. It exists because of the fall.
Yet considered in the broader context of the Christian life, death can be viewed as a positive change. Christ’s death changes death for the Christian. Christians alone have this precious hope, and it is a hope that we should proclaim to all those who do not know Christ.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints” (Ps 116:15). This is an astonishing verse. It unbelievably characterizes death as “precious.” Not just any death but the specific death of believers. The Hebrew word translated as “precious” means “of high worth, value, or cost.” This is an extraordinary characterization of death. In the original Hebrew, the term rendered “saints” refers to the Lord’s faithful followers—those who love and serve God actively and commit themselves to a personal relationship with Him. The statement “precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints” reveals that God is not indifferent about how and when His faithful servants die.

Death for the Christian is vastly different than death for an unbeliever. Jesus Christ died a horrible death for us that we might have the privilge to die well.

Part 3 is here