Claiming the Promise

Preached on the occasion of the death of a sixty-seven-year-old man who died of cancer, who had never had anything to do with the church during his life, but who came in a sincere and genuine faith during his terminal illness.

Dearly beloved in the Lord, grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus.

You are well aware of the fact that __________ had a long battle with cancer. But regardless of how it comes, when death does come to one whom we have known and loved, we grieve the loss. At the same time, however, there is a sense of relief, particularly for __________ since we know he had experienced a great deal of pain these past few weeks. It is hard to watch someone hurt. Since his death was inevitable, it is a relief to know that he hur…