Life After Death - What Does the Bible Say?

I'm not big on statistics and as a matter of fact I think I failed my first statistics test but here is a stat that is fairly easy to grasp and hard to deny. One hundred percent of people who are born will die. Now I know Enoch and Elijah were taken up to heaven without dying but I think that will work itself out in the Tribulation. . . but I digress.

People are certainly intrigued and not surprisingly curious about what happens to us when we die. Movies like Paranormal Activity, Ghost, The Sixth Sense and books like The Shack have been wildly popular. There are many beliefs regarding the afterlife such as heaven, reincarnation, purgatory, wandering the earth as spirit beings, absorption into the cosmic energy, a wild party with seventy virgins, and I'm sure you can come up with a few more but what does the Bible say about life after death? What would you say to someone who asked? What did Jesus and his disciples say about it? Let's take a look into the Word of God for some answers! This is a topic for a lengthy book and some of it is unclear but let's at least get our feet in the door. I'm sure I'll get a bunch of emails from folks who will not like what we find but remember that these aren't my words. I'm just delivering the mail. So don't shoot the mailman.

First, the Bible says that there is a different destination for those who are "in Christ" from those who are not. There is also a difference between those who died prior to and those who died after the resurrection of Christ. Prior to the Resurrection of Christ, all of the dead (their souls) were said to have been in Sheol (Hebrew). This seems to be true for those who had faith (looking ahead to the Messiah) and also the lost but Jesus tells a story in Luke 16 that points to a separation or chasm between the saved and unsaved in Sheol.

Luke 16:23-24

In hell (Sheol),where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

Paul tells us, for believers who die after the resurrection of Jesus, that when we are absent from the body we will be present with the Lord (see 2 Corinthians 5 and Philippians 1). Likewise, when the man on the cross next to Jesus said "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus comforted him by telling him that "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Jesus spoke these words in John chapter 11, " "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." So, until Jesus returns, the souls of those who died in Christ will be with Him in heaven and their bodies will remain in the ground until the resurrection of the dead.

So what about unbelievers (the unsaved) who died after the resurrection of Christ? The book of Revelation reveals that the unsaved will be confined until the day of judgment in Hades which is the same as Sheol in the Old Testament. There is also the word Gehenna which was a literal burning waste dump outside of the walls of Jerusalem but is translated "hell". It is a picture of the lake of fire we will see about soon.

Revelation 20:13

The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.

The grave, the sea, death, and hades all were used seemingly to designate a place of the dead until the Day of Judgement. In 2 Peter we see that the angels who rebelled with Satan are also held until the day of judgment in a place called Tartarus.

Then what?

We'll the Bible tells us that one day the Lord will return for his bride (the Church). It describes an event in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4 that many call the "Rapture". Now before you say, "The word 'rapture' is not in the Bible!" I would tell you that neither is the word "Bible". For now just listen to Paul's description:

The Coming of the Lord

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

The phrase "caught up" is from the Greek "harpadzo" from which we get the word "harpoon". It can be translated "snatched up" as well. The same word translated in the Latin is "raptus" or "rapturo" which is where the term rapture comes from. So the point being, when Jesus comes for his Church, the bodies of those who died in Christ will literally rise and be joined again with their souls that have been with Christ. Those who are alive at the time of the event will be instantaneously transformed (given imperishable bodies) and taken to be with Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

Confused yet? Probably, so let's get to some clearer waters.

It is clear that, for now, our bodies go into the grave and our souls either go to be with the Lord or are held until the Judgement Day. So the question is "What then?" There is a term that we hear eight times in the Bible from Psalm 69, Philippians 4, and in the Book of Revelation. That phrase is the "Book of Life", also called the "Lamb's Book of Life" in Revelation 21. In all cases the Book of Life contains the names of the saved, the righteous, those belonging to the Lamb of God. The second concept that appears a number of times is the "wedding feast" or "wedding banquet". Jesus tells the story in Matthew 22 and Matthew 25. It's a picture of the final destination of believers but also the separation of the condemned:

Matthew 22:11-13

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Revelation 19:9

Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God."

So where does that leave us? After Jesus comes for his Bride he will then return not as a little baby in a manger but as a King riding on a white horse to make war with Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. He won't be alone but will be with his bride (the church). He will be victorious and will bind Satan in the great Abyss for one thousand years during which time he will rule and reign on the earth. After the thousand years are over Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and the final Judgement will take place.

Revelation 19

The Rider on the White Horse

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

After the thousand year reign of Christ, the Bible tells us that at the Judgement "books" will be opened and all people great and small will be judged according to what was written in the books. We already mentioned the Lamb's Book of Life. The names in that book are there not based on their own righteousness but on the righteousness of Jesus received by grace through faith in him. Everyone who's name was not written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire along with death and Hades.

Revelation 20

The Dead Are Judged

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Wow! Hope you're still with me. Almost done. This is the best part:

Revelation 21

The New Jerusalem

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Well, that's a whole lot of info for a blog post but it doesn't work without the whole picture. I've left a bunch out and probably have you scratching your head but go back and take it slowly and get into the Word. Pray for God's discernment and wisdom. Lastly, if you are still in the land of the undecided or the land of the lost, God wants all people to come to repentance. The Word says, that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Have you called on Him?

Peace,

David

How Far is the East from the West?

I was talking with a young man recently and he repeatedly used the word "Christian" in his conversation.

For instance:

"He is a Christian."

"She grew up in a Christian home."

So, I thought to myself, "Hmmm? I wonder what he means by that." I had a sneaking suspicion what he meant so I asked him, "What do you mean when you say the word 'Christian'? I then gave him a scenario. "If a friend, who happened to be an atheist, came up to you and told you that he was interested in Christianity and asked you 'What does it mean to be a Christian?', what would you tell him?"

The young man began to tell me that it meant having integrity, honesty, and doing the things Jesus did. So I pressed just a little farther. "So, do you mean that to become a Christian you just start to do good things, use Jesus as a role model, and then just go to a 'Christian' church on Sunday and WALLA you're a Christian?" He thought for a moment and then wasn't sure what to say. "No", I said. You aren't a Christian because you were raised in a "Christian " home. You aren't a Christian because you signed a membership card at the Church on the corner. You aren't a Christian because you listen to "Christian" music. You aren't a Christian because you do good things and wear a WWJD bracelet.

So off we went to the Scriptures and looked at what Jesus said and what his disciples said. We saw that becoming a Christian is a real transaction that occurs in the Spirit realm when a person who was separated from God by their sin and is "dead in their trespasses and sins" is forgiven, reconciled (To reestablish a close relationship) to God, and are "Born Again". This happens as a result of repentance and faith in the One who paid the penalty, who gave his life, and who was raised from the dead. I helped him to see that becoming a Christian is something that God does in us through our faith and not something we become by "signing up for" or "joining" like we would the Rotary Club or the fraternity house. We saw that integrity, honesty, love, peace, patience, and our good deeds are the fruits of that rekindled relationship not the prerequisite to it.

With that said, I want to share a few really awesome promises that the Bible gives us regarding the amazing work that occurs in those who trust Jesus Christ as Lord. I want to focus mainly on sin and what happens to all that ugly junk in our lives when that transaction takes place. It's instantaneous and it's permanent.

1) Psalm 103:11-13

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him."

2) Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

3) 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

4) Romans 8:1

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

So, let me ask you a geography question. Exactly how far is the East from the West? OK, so you might not have the answer on the tip of your tongue so I'll give you an experiment that might help. Go out to the garage and find the tape measure in the tool box (It's probably under a pile of work gloves, a hammer, and two saws.) Now use a compass to find East. Start walking until you get to the beginning of East, nail down the end of the tape measure, then begin walking towards the West. Keep going until you get to the end of West. (You might need a few more tape measures.) Alright, I know that was ridiculous but the reality is that the distance is infinite and so is the distance from a Born Again believer to his or her sins. Will you sin again after you are saved? Likely, but two things are true about that: The Holy Spirit in you will "convict" (To make aware of one's sinfulness or guilt) you of that sin and the Bible says that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. How much cleansing? All of it!! Last thing to notice. Were all of these promises unconditional? Nope. Go back and look again but this time notice these words, "Those who fear him", "Let us reason together", "If anyone is in Christ", "For those who are in Christ Jesus"

So I hope and pray that if you consider yourself a Christian that you look an see if this actual transaction has occurred. The offer is open to all who call on the name of Jesus but without it you might just be wearing the label. The label is not good enough but the grace that comes through faith is all sufficient!

Peace,

David

A Time to Rest

Well, after 48 weeks of writing this Blog I finally missed a Saturday post. This past weekend I found myself in a little cabin in the open fields of North Dakota and guess what? No Internet. I think God knew that it was time for a Sabbath, not from the writing, the teaching, the worshiping, or any of that but from the busyness of the world. God's Word reminds us that we need to rest. It reminds us that God has designed us to be with him and to bask in his goodness. I realize now, more than ever, how much noise there is in our lives. Noise that keeps us from hearing God even as we seek to serve him.

As I laid back in the grass, in the darkness of early morning, looking over an old pinto bean field strewn with a couple dozen goose decoys, I realized that I didn't hear anything except the slight cold breeze whisking past my ears. The eastern horizon was beginning to glow a light blue when I began to hear the sound of thousands of snow geese coming off the water of the nearby lake. They were heading off to feed in the fields before making they're way south for the winter. It was good. God is so good. Then I looked south and could see the constellation Orion which has always been like a trusted old friend that faithfully comes to visit me every winter. There was a small part of me that was unsettled because I knew that the Blog wouldn't go out as it had for the past 48 weeks then I thought, "Maybe no one will notice. Maybe no one will care." I hoped that they would, not because I needed to feel appreciated but because I hoped that what I felt God had called me to do mattered. I think in that moment I understood that it matters most to God. He doesn't really need me per se (after all he is God) but he loves me and he wants me and as given me the opportunity to share in his Kingdom work. Now he was saying, "Rest David." Wow, it was good to rest! Thanks God!

I hope and pray that you will stop for a moment and rest as well. Turn off the TV, the Ipod, the Xbox 360, the cell phone, the computer (after you finish reading this of course), and then just rest. Talk to God. Listen to God. Enjoy God's presence. You'll probably have to go out of the house to get away from the stuff. Maybe you can get away for the weekend or maybe just for a couple hours in a nearby park. But you need to rest.

Psalm 62:5 says, "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him."

Thanks again for following as we seek to know God and to draw nearer to him and thanks for listening to the babblings of a sentimental guy who loves God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and who loves you as well.

I look forward to being back in the swing on Saturday morning, God willing.

Peace,

David

God loves us but is his grace unconditional?

There is a qualifier that I often hear when people discuss their faith and describe the characteristics of the God they follow. This qualifier allows them to mold and shape God into one they can comfortably believe in and one that may be easier to share with others. The qualifier is: "For me. . . ."

"For me, God is love."

"For me, God is universal energy."

"For me, Hell is our time on earth."

"For me, Jesus' teachings can be boiled down to 'love your neighbor as yourself."

But here is the problem: Sincerity does not equal truth. I had a group of senior high school students in a room when we were discussing the concept of truth. I focused on the law of gravity. I was specific. "In Grand Rapids, Michigan, on January 23, 2009 gravity does indeed exist and a coin dropped from the balcony will fall to the ground. So the statement, 'For me, gravity isn't real.' is invalid even if you really, emotionally, and sincerely believe it.

Maybe God is not a personal creator being but instead is universal energy but the answer has little to do with you and me, at least the truth is not determined by our beliefs. Truth just is.

With that in mind, I want to share a concept that was discussed recently in a spirited dialogue I had with a group of people online. It centers around the concept of grace. Now the idea of a God who provides unlimited and unconditional grace is one that is appealing because it really takes the pressure off and negates any responsibility on my part. God loves me and he would never withhold his grace from me, right? Well, I think we need to first find out what in the heck grace is. When I was growing up I thought grace was the cursory prayer we said before chow and I guess that definition still holds true for some. But, in a greater context, "grace" is God's unmerited favor bestowed on an individual or a group of individuals. It is Jesus taking our sins and our punishment even though we didn't deserve it. God's grace is just that grace. But some will receive it and others will die in their sins, never having known his grace.

The discussion began with a comment describing God's grace as being unconditional. Is it? Is that what the Bible says about the grace of God? I want to first make a distinction between God's love and God's grace. Love is God's character and his motive. I love my kids. I love my wife. Now God's love is perfect and not flawed with sin or selfishness like my love. The Bible says God loves the world (The people not the planet).

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

You've probably heard John 3:16 before. But what about his grace and forgiveness. Well some would move down to the next verse and conclude God's grace is universal and unconditional.

John 3:17 "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." So then is grace just a given for the world? No worries. We're all forgiven, we're all under his grace and mercy. Or is it still conditional?

Let's first look at the next verse of John chapter three remembering that when Jesus spoke these words they weren't divided into chapters and verses but he spoke the statement as a unit.

John 3:18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

OK, Jesus was saying that he came into the world to save us because we, by nature were in a condemned state to start with. He puts a qualifier to the receiving of grace - "believes". "Whoever believes" Jesus says. God loves the world but the grace which is by definition not deserved or earned is received by faith or by belief. This belief is not an intellectual accent but a heart's belief based on the understanding of the need for it.

In Jonah chapter two there is a great example of God's grace being conditional:

Jonah 2:8 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

God's grace available for them . . . idolatry prevents them from claiming it.

Here is the deal friends. You and I do not deserve God's love. We certainly don't deserve his forgiveness. God is just and doesn't just say, "Hey no worries, just don't do it again." Jesus said he came to prevent us from perishing. Why were we perishing? Because we sinned. Here is where grace comes in. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of man not after we cleaned up our acts but "while we were yet sinners." Grace says, "You don't deserve it but I'll do it for you because I love you" God says, my grace is available to you through faith in my one and only Son. That is a condition of grabbing hold of the promise.

One last thing. Who comes to the Son by faith? Those who know they have a need to come. (Jesus also said, those who the Father draws to him but that is the topic of another post) Grace and forgiveness requires a humble and contrite spirit. Now I know this will open a discussion and I look forward to it but for now I hope you can see that love is more of who God is and grace is more of a thing he offers. This isn't a "For me . . . " issue. It's an issue of what is true. It is not that clean and neat but it's generally a reasonable way to look at it. God can not fail to love but because he is just, is not obligated to provide grace. I'm glad he loves us and oh, how he does!

Peace ,

David