Over a month ago, on October 16, the internet was shaken by the news that Liam Payne had died tragically in Buenos Aires, Argentina. On November 20, the tragedy finally came to a resolution when his funeral and burial took place in London, England, in the presence of his family, friends, and many well-known celebrities.
The tragic death of this young man might not have had much impact on people unfamiliar with the band that launched him into celebrity status overnight—One Direction. However, I know that many people from my generation, especially younger ones, were taken aback by the horrifying news. Not only had this man died at the age of 31, but he had fallen (perhaps intentionally) from a third-floor balcony in a country far from his own.
Many knew he gained fame after participating in the famous British show The X Factor, where he and four other teenagers formed a boy band that achieved unprecedented success. Some might not have even been able to recall his name when they first heard the news of his passing until they realized he was a member of the now-split British band One Direction. Regardless, I believe many of us were drawn to reflect on how a life can be lost so suddenly—and in such a tragic way.
It is known that Liam Payne’s fame came with a cost: being exposed to drugs, alcohol, and immorality from a very young age. As happens with many teenagers thrust into the spotlight too soon, he developed a dependency on drugs and alcohol. And although he openly shared that he was trying to overcome his addictions, it was ultimately his drug dependency that led to his death.
And that gives us so much to reflect upon…
Consequences of our (Sinful) Actions
In the finite realm, we can see how making the wrong decisions, embracing sin, and numbing your conscience can only lead to deeper darkness. Nothing good will ever come from giving in to sin and living as a slave to vices.
When faced with the news of this famous artist’s passing, many of his friends and former girlfriends came forward to say amazing things about him. And though it is natural to speak well of a person who has passed, it can also be said that his death was tragically connected to his sinful lifestyle and long-term patterns of addiction that he gave in to.
A pattern of licentious, immoral living ultimately led to the death of a person.
What should worry us, though, is not that sinning can lead to our physical death, but rather the meaning behind death and what comes after it.
Nobody Knows the Time of their Death
Here we face the fact that no one knows the time of their death, though we can be absolutely certain that it will come. And isn’t it strange that, even though we know every single person on earth will perish, we can still feel saddened and afflicted when a loved one dies? There is a reason for this.
Before Adam sinned against God, there was no death—only life and a perfect relationship between God and man. However, when Adam sinned, sin entered the world, and with it, death. In Genesis 3, God explains to Adam and Eve the consequences of their sin:
To the woman he said,
“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing;
in pain you shall bring forth children.
Your desire shall be contrary to your husband,
but he shall rule over you.”
And to Adam he said,
“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife
and have eaten of the tree
of which I commanded you,
‘You shall not eat of it,’
cursed is the ground because of you;
in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you;
and you shall eat the plants of the field.
By the sweat of your face
you shall eat bread,
till you return to the ground,
for out of it you were taken;
for you are dust,
and to dust you shall return.”
“You are dust, and to dust you shall return”.
Death is a curse to man from God, and we must accept it as such and be drawn to meditate on what will happen to us after we die, especially because we don’t know when that will happen. So here’s a truth that should frighten us and give us hope at the same time.
When we die, we will all face God, the supreme Judge, and we will be held accountable for each and every one of our transgressions against God, who is holy, holy, holy, and demands holiness. We will all, without exception, stand before God. For the sake of our souls, we must stand before the Creator having peace with God.
There will be people who stand before God and are condemned to an eternity of God’s wrath. And what a terrible day it will be for them when the Lord of Lords righteously punishes them for a life of revelry against His commandments and of loving sin and wickedness. Revelation 6:15-17 explains how they will react on the day of judgment:
Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
That is certainly frightening. However, there is good news to be shared: No one can fulfill God’s commandments in perfect holiness to earn salvation from eternal condemnation. And that is why God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. He sent the Son to live a perfect life and to sacrifice His life for sinners like you and me just as its promised in Genesis 3:15:
“I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
Jesus died in our place, paying our eternal debt that we brought upon ourselves for our transgressions, and we can be declared righteous in the eyes of God by believing in Christ. By believing that He, who is God Himself, paid for our sins and reconciled us to God the Father, we are justified forever.
What a great day it will be then—the day of judgment—when we face God and He does not see our sin but the righteousness of Christ that was imputed to us through faith and grace. We will be awed by the glory of God, but it will be a reverent fear, not a fear of condemnation. How great it is to think that we will not only eagerly meet our Savior and know that we will be with Him forever in glory, but that we will rejoice that He will bring justice.
Friend, if you have not put your faith in Christ, the Son of God, the only one who can free you from sin and reconcile you to the Father, what are you waiting for?
“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
