In many Nigerian churches, the fear of dying “before one’s time” due to sin, irresponsibility, or spiritual attacks grips believers, fostering anxiety and a distorted view of God’s sovereignty. This belief, rooted in cultural traditions and misreadings of Scripture, suggests that human actions or demonic forces can thwart God’s plan for our lives. However, the Bible declares that God alone determines our days (Psalm 139:16, LSB). This article examines the biblical truth of God’s sovereignty over death, scrutinizes the false doctrine of “untimely death” prevalent in Nigerian Christianity, addresses questions about human responsibility, and calls all to live with gratitude and purpose in light of God’s perfect timing.
God’s Sovereignty over Life and Death
The Bible is unequivocal: God ordains the span of every life. Psalm 139:16 (LSB) states, “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; and in Your book were all written the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.” Before we exist, God has written the number of our days. Job 14:5 (LSB) reinforces this: “Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have set his limits so that he cannot pass.” These boundaries are fixed by divine decree and are unyielding to human or spiritual interference.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (LSB) declares, “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every matter under heaven: a time to give birth and a time to die.” Death is not random but occurs at God’s appointed moment. Proverbs 16:33 (LSB) underscores this: “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from Yahweh.” Even events that seem accidental are under His sovereign control.
This truth rests on the doctrine of first and second causes. God, the first cause, decrees the outcome, which is our death at His appointed time. Second causes, such as human choices, natural consequences, or external events, are the means He uses. For example, a person may die due to reckless behavior, but this is merely a tool in God’s hands to fulfill His plan. No death is “untimely” in His eyes. And this is a point to note. Many Christians desire to have the right understanding about things, about their circumstances, about life generally, but they fail to consistently and sincerely seek, through His revealed word, the perspective of the one who knows all things and is perfectly right in His judgments. When they are able to know His perspective, they struggle to internalize and believe it. It should not be surprising, then, when professing Christians promote the idea of an “untimely death” that consequently questions the sovereign rule of a free God.
Misinterpretations Fueling the Fear of “Untimely Death”
The notion of “untimely death” often stems from misreadings of Scripture. Proverbs 10:27 (LSB) says, “The fear of Yahweh prolongs days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened.” Some interpret this to mean wickedness can cut life short against God’s will. However, any “shortening” is itself ordained by God. Psalm 73:3-12 (LSB) observes that some wicked people live long and prosper, “at ease until they come to death.” Why? Because God, in His mercy (2 Peter 3:9, LSB: “The Lord… is patient toward you, not willing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance”) or for other sovereign purposes, such as displaying His justice (Romans 9:22-23, LSB), ordains it so.
Ecclesiastes 7:17 (LSB) warns, “Do not be excessively wicked and do not be a fool. Why should you die before your time?” The phrase “before your time” does not imply a disruption of God’s plan but the natural consequence of folly, which remains within His decree. These passages affirm, rather than deny, God’s sovereignty over death.
Biblical Examples of God’s Perfect Timing
Scripture provides examples of deaths that seem premature but align with God’s plan. Jesus, crucified at around 33, appeared to die “untimely.” Yet, Galatians 4:4-5 (LSB) states, “When the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son.” Jesus affirmed, “No one takes [My life] from Me, but I lay it down of Myself” (John 10:18, LSB). His death was perfectly timed.
John the Baptist, beheaded in his early 30s (Matthew 14:10, LSB), fulfilled his role as Christ’s forerunner. His death, though tragic, was God’s appointed end. To borrow an analogy, God is like an author writing a novel: every plot point, including the end, is predetermined. No character’s exit catches Him by surprise.
Practices in the Nigerian Church in Light of God’s Word
In Nigerian churches, the fear of “untimely death” manifests in practices blending biblical misinterpretation with cultural traditions. Consider these examples:
- Sermons and Testimonies: Pastors often attribute young people’s deaths to spiritual attacks or unconfessed sin, urging “deliverance” prayers to avert such fates. For instance, in some circles, testimonies claim deaths were caused by “village enemies” otherwise referred to as “village people” or demonic arrows, necessitating spiritual warfare.
- Popular Literature: Books like Prayers Against Premature Death by Nigerian authors misapply Ecclesiastes 7:17 to suggest death can occur outside God’s will, promoting fear-based prayers.
- Cultural Syncretism: Traditional beliefs in curses or witchcraft influence church teachings. A family may attribute a death to an ancestral spirit, prompting rituals to “break” such curses.
- Funerals: Mourners often lament, “He died before his time,” especially for young deaths, seeking spiritual “causes” like sin or demonic interference.
These practices contradict Scripture. Psalm 31:15 (LSB) declares, “My times are in Your hand.” Job 14:5 (LSB) adds, “You have set his limits so that he cannot pass.” Colossians 2:15 (LSB) assures us that Christ “disarmed the rulers and authorities,” rendering demonic powers impotent against God’s will. While Romans 8:38-39 (LSB)— “Neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers… will be able to separate us from the love of God”—primarily addresses eternal security, its broader implication is that no force can disrupt God’s plan, including the timing of physical death. John 10:28 (LSB), “No one will snatch them out of My hand,” reinforces this. These truths dismantle the fear that external forces can override God’s decree.
Addressing Objections: Human Free Will and God’s Sovereignty
Some may ask, “Does this mean I have no say in the length of my life?” or “What about actions like suicide or running into traffic? Are we just pawns in God’s hands?” These questions reflect the tension between God’s sovereignty and human responsibility.
The Bible teaches concurrence: God’s will and our choices coexist. Proverbs 16:9 (LSB) says, “The heart of man plans his way, but Yahweh directs his steps.” God ordains the outcome, but our actions matter. Deuteronomy 32:39 (LSB) affirms, “I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; it is I who put to death and give life.” Even sinful acts like suicide fall within God’s permissive will. For instance, Saul’s suicide (1 Samuel 31:4, LSB) was his choice, yet 1 Chronicles 10:14 (LSB) states, “Yahweh put him to death.” God used Saul’s act to fulfill His plan.
History shows that some attempt suicide multiple times but survive until a different, appointed time of death caused by non-suicidal factors. Others, contemplating suicide, are interrupted by God’s intervention, perhaps through a timely encounter or change of heart, because their time has not come. God is not passive; He “works all things according to the counsel of His will” (Ephesians 1:11, LSB). Reckless acts, such as running into traffic, may lead to death, but only if God has ordained it. Our choices have consequences. Proverbs 3:1-2 (LSB) ties obedience to long life, but they cannot override God’s decree.
We are not pawns but image-bearers (Genesis 1:27, LSB), making real choices within God’s story. Like characters in a divine novel, our actions matter, but the Author determines the end. This preserves both our responsibility and God’s sovereignty.
Living in Light of God’s Sovereignty
Since God ordains our days, we must live each one with gratitude and purpose, knowing tomorrow is not promised. James 4:14 (LSB) reminds us, “You do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.” This calls us to:
- Gratitude: Thank God daily for the gift of life (Psalm 118:24, LSB: “This is the day which Yahweh has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it”).
- Responsibility: Fulfill our roles as sons, daughters, spouses, parents, grandparents, doctors, lecturers, or any calling, without procrastination, as Ephesians 5:15-16 (LSB) urges: “Be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”
- Sanctification: For believers, each day is for growth through obedience, trials, or God’s discipline (Hebrews 12:10, LSB: “[God disciplines us] for our good, so that we may share His holiness”).
To false believers, your hypocrisy is not hidden from God. Hebrews 4:13 (LSB) warns, “There is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are uncovered and laid bare to the eyes of Him to whom we have an account to give.” Today is your chance to repent and truly come to Christ. For unbelievers, 2 Corinthians 6:2 (LSB) declares, “Now is the acceptable time… now is the day of salvation.” Confess your sins, forsake them, and run to Christ in faith, escaping the wrath of God (John 3:36, LSB: “He who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him”) through Jesus, who calls you to Himself (John 6:44, LSB: “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him”). Will you heed His call?
Theological Implications and a Healthier Perspective
The belief in “untimely death” is unbiblical, unhealthy, and untrue. It breeds:
- Fear: Believers dread spiritual enemies or personal failings shortening their lives.
- Guilt: Families blame themselves for deaths deemed “premature.”
- Doubt: It portrays God as powerless against human or demonic forces.
Scripture offers peace. Hebrews 9:27 (LSB) states, “It is appointed for men to die once, and after this comes judgment.” Psalm 31:15 (LSB) assures, “My times are in Your hand.” Like threads in a divine tapestry, every life, however short or tangled, fits God’s perfect design. Embracing this liberates us from fear, fostering trust in His perfect plan.
Conclusion
The fear of “untimely death” in Nigerian churches, evident in sermons, books, and cultural practices, lacks biblical grounding. Psalm 139:16 and Job 14:5 affirm that God sovereignly ordains our days. Human actions, even suicide, are second causes within His will. Let us live with gratitude, fulfilling our God-given roles, and urge false believers and unbelievers to seize today for repentance and salvation. Our times are in His hands: secure, purposeful, and perfectly timed.
