What Happens When We Die

Friends & Family Sunday What Happens When We Die Various Scriptures 11.24.24

when I was young I was dying to become a teenager. When I became a teenager I was dying to finish high school and start college. And then I was dying to finish college and start working. And then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough for school so I could return to work. And then I was dying to retire. And now, I am dying... and suddenly I realize I forgot to live.”

What happens when we die is an age-old question. And I want to talk about it because death is all around us, we all face it, and I think most people are scared to death of it “Pun intended” I think most people are scared, confused, and uncertain. And we either look for answers that make us feel good, or busy ourselves with the stuff of life, so as not to look at all; So as not to think about dying. When we die what’s happens?

I think that describes most people when it comes to death; Even believers and I don’t want you to be among them; I want you to know the truth, and be a source of truth; I want you to have a quiet confidence about your death… And look forward to it like the Apostle Paul. So what does the Bible Say really happens when we die? The first point I want to establish, is that . . . 1. We’re all going to die (Rom 5:12, 18-19) I know, I know. You came all the way to church for that. But it’s true and bears repeating. Because we don’t talk about it much. It’s a tender topic for some, and a scary one for others. Unless Jesus returns in our lifetime,we’re all going to take a final breath. It’s painfully obvious from experience, and clear in the Scriptures. Death spread to all mankind because all sinned. We’re all going to die. And even more succinct is 1 Cor 15:22 – in Adam all die. As part of his lineage, we’re all going to perish. In fact, it’s appointed for man to die Hebrews says (Heb 9:27). The Bible is clear, and experience proves it. That much is obvious!

What’s not so obvious, is why. Why do we die? Sure, we deteriorate physically. Our bodies slow down and eventually give out. But the Bible gives other reasons. Spiritual reasons.

We’re all going to die . . . • Because of sin Sin, as in disobedience, unbelief, and rebellion against God. Missing the mark or falling short of his holy standard. It results in death. Romans 6:23 – The wages of sin is death. The consequences of sin. Physical death and spiritual death. The end of our physical existence on earth; and apart from Christ, the beginning of our suffering in hell. But in Christ, it’s just physical. There are no spiritual consequences. Nor is our physical death some leftover aspect of our punishment, our punishment for sin. That’s been paid in full.

The question is, what happens when we die? And the answer is, that depends. It depends on whether you’re a follower of Jesus, or not --- A believer, or unbeliever.

Let’s start with believers.

2. The souls of believers go immediately to heaven (2 Cor 5:6-8; 1 Th 5:10; Phil 1:23)

2 Cor 5:6-8 [6] So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight. [8] Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

The implication being that when we die, our souls are separated from our bodies, and go to be with the Lord in heaven – b/c that’s where he is right now. And there’s a sense of continuity to it; That to be away from the body is to be home with the Lord. No gaps; No breaks. There is a sense of continuity.

Not only that, but there’s a sense of immediacy to it as well something 1 Thess 5:10 gets at, where Paul says – [Our Lord Jesus Christ] died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep [a metaphor for death] we might live with him. We might be with him; In life or death; There’s no separation, and no waiting which is why Paul could say in Rom 8:38 – I am sure that neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God. There’s a sense of immediacy, and continuity; That to die and be away from our bodies, is to be alive and at home/present with the Lord. Now remember there is no one in heaven wishing they were here. They are perfected! Our human minds tend to think, oh they are missing their child’s graduation, they are missing the wedding of a loved one. No, they are not up there wishing they were here! They are perfected!! Heaven is big and beautiful all the time.

And then there’s

Phil 1:21-23- where Paul says – For to me to live is Christ [IOW my life is one great big opportunity to glorify him], and to die is gain.

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Why? B/c once again, he gets to be with him; And then look at what he says in v23 I am hard pressed between the two [between living and dying]. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.

When you die –if you’re a believer, if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ through faith and repentance . . . You’ll go immediately to heaven when you die***** Your soul will leave your lifeless body and go immediately to life-giving presence of Jesus. ILL: Nigel telling me he’s traveling!! The souls of believers go immediately to heaven (2 Cor 5:6-8; 1 Th 5:10; Phil 1:23)

Which means . . .

There’s no such thing as soul-sleep.

Soul sleep is a belief in some religious circles, that when believers die, they go into a state of unconscious existence until Christ returns.

And they usually base it on Scriptures that describe death as a lack of activity.

Like Eccl 9:10 – Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol [the grave], to which you are going. There’s no earthly activity when you die or how about Ps 115:17 – The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any who go down into silence. There’s no praise and no sound and when you connect those verses to others that refer to death as sleep, it seems kind of legit; That instead of going immediately into the presence of God when we die . . . We exist in a state of limbo.

The problem is, such a conclusion runs contrary to the NT verses we looked at earlier - Verses that clearly indicate an immediate transition from death to heaven.

The resolution to which, is realizing that the perspective expressed in Ecclesiastes and Psalms, is from our standpoint, not God’s; It’s not the full biblical perspective.

When we look at death, we see a dead body; There’s nothing going on – no activity, no speech, no nothing, but when we look at death from God’s perspective, like we saw in 2 Cor 5 and Phil 1 – it’s a momentary transition, (snap) just like that, into his presence.

There’s nothing unconscious or inactive about it*****

There’s no such thing as purgatory.

Purgatory is the supposed place where the souls of believers go, to be further purified and punished for sin, until they’re ready to be admitted into heaven.

The problem is there’s absolutely no biblical support for it.

It’s a purely man-made belief that was declared as “truth” in 1438, and justified by the thought that the Catholic church has the authority to do ---- which is another man-made truth.

The biggest problem is that the doctrine of purgatory flies directly in the face of clear biblical teaching about the atonement, and our release from punishment/guilt. Found in Scriptures like Rom 8:1 – There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. There’s no more prospect of punishment or guilt, for those who are saved.

There’s no such thing as soul-sleep. There’s no such thing as purgatory.

*There’s no use praying for the dead.

Once again, this doctrine is based mostly on church tradition, and a reference in the Apocryphal book of 2 Maccabees.

But just like purgatory, there’s nothing in Scripture that indicates we should do such a thing, nor was the Apocrypha considered inspired by the early church.

In fact, it wasn’t even considered inspired by the Catholic church until the 1500‟s

And that was largely a response to the Reformation; That time in Europe, where people were returning to the Scriptures, and Scripture alone – as their rule for faith and life.

There’s nothing in God’s Word to support it, or warrant it, or encourage it.

In fact, the example of King David refutes it 2 Sam 12 tells of his fervent prayer and fasting for his infant son – until he died.

Then he got up, washed up, worshipped, went home, and ate.

IOW, he got on with his life b/c there was no point in praying for him after he died. His eternity was sealed.

All of which means, that praying for the dead is a moot point – there’s no biblical support for it, the examples indicate otherwise, and there are no second chances.

It’s appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment (Heb 9:27)

So what happens when we die… As Christians we can have the assurance… The souls of believers go immediately to heaven (2 Cor 5:6-8; 1 Th 5:10; Phil 1:23)

God is welcoming Rev 4 . vv. 1-2 [1] After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven! And the first voice, which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.” [2] At once I was in the Spirit, and behold, a throne stood in heaven, with one seated on the throne.

Really, incredibly, startling, God is welcoming. Do you believe that? I mean [that] just really blows me away. It’s right in the text Revelation 4:1 “…After this… a door standing open…” That phrase is in a certain tense in the original language that the one seeing the door open did not open the door. Who opened the door to heaven? God the Father opened the door through His Son, Jesus Christ. I just don’t want to rush over that. The door to heaven is open. The way is open to God. A personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ is available. Alright? Everyone say, “The door is open.” That’s the gospel and it’s easy as ABC You’ve got to… (A.B.C.) Accept the fact that you’re a sinner. | You have to…Believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sins. | And you have to…Confess Him personally as your Savior.

That said, the 3rd truth isn’t so comforting; Namely, that . . .

3. The souls of unbelievers go immediately to hell (Lk 16:19-26; 2 Pet 2:9)

In between the time when Jesus rose again, and when he returns – right now . . .

The souls of believers go immediately to heaven, and the souls of unbelievers go immediately to hell – a place of eternal conscious punishment for the wicked.

And I say immediately, b/c that’s what’s implied by the fact that there’s no soul sleep . . . And that to die, is to be absent from the body.

But it’s even more apparent in Lk 16:19-26

This is where Jesus is speaking to the Pharisees in a parable, condemning them for their religious posturing and errant views on wealth.

Pointing out, that it will do them no good when they die; That’s the main point

But embedded in it, are some truths about the plight of unbelievers when they die.

Lk 16:19-26: 19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side [which indicates that he was a believer, b/c he went to heaven; and did so as soon as he died].

The rich man [meanwhile] also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades [or hell], being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side [indicating that the rich man was an unbeliever, b/c he went to hell when he died].

And before I get to the immediacy of it, I want you to understand 2 things about hell

1. Hell is the destination of those who reject Christ

Jn 3:18 says – Whoever believes in him [Jesus] is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.

2. Hades and hell are the same place – they both describe the same thing

Hell, coming from the Greek word Gehenna, which is derived from the Hebrew word Gehinnom – which is the name for the valley outside of Jerusalem . Where, in OT times, child sacrifice took place among some of the pagan cultures.

And by the NT era, it was a smoldering garbage dump.

Meanwhile, hades translate the Greek word – hades

And Jesus seems to use both words, interchangeably.

Referring to a place of suffering/punishment, after death, for sin/unbelief, in life.

Hell is a place of eternal conscious punishment for those who reject him where they… Suffer for all eternity (Rev 14:11; Mt 25:46)

Suffering, b/c of words like punishment, torment, anguish, and flame – Lk 16:24

And he [the rich man] called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue [Jesus is presumably using physical descriptors here, to describe spiritual/emotional suffering], for I am in anguish in this flame [that’s suffering; extreme suffering]. ‟ 25 But Abraham said, „Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish [there it is again, suffering].

Suffering that goes on for all eternity.

26 And besides all this [Abraham continues in the parable], between us and you a great chasm [a great divide] has been fixed [IOW it’s permanent], in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able [in their desire to show mercy], and none may cross from there to us [in their desire to escape]. ‟

The suffering can’t, and won’t, be alleviated; It goes on for all eternity.

Mt 25:46, referring to those who live for themselves, as opposed to those who live for him.

These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

The worst part of which, is that it’s . . .

Apart from God’s presence (Mt 7:23; 25:41)

Which Jesus was adamant about in Mt 7:23; Saying to those who did religious things, but without his heart . . . I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness; And in Mt 25:41, referring to the same group, he linked it to hell, saying – Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

Once again, go to where I’m not.

The souls of unbelievers go immediately to hell (Lk 16:19-26; 2 Pet 2:9)

where they… Suffer for all eternity Apart from God’s presence

*With no second chance (Heb 9:27; Lk 16:26)

There are no second chances in hell.

Heb 9:27 says – It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.

After death, comes an irreversible decision by God, as to where you’ll spend eternity.

Irreversible b/c of what we saw in Lk 16:26. Where a great divide permanently separates heaven and hell, and no one can cross it – not even temporarily.

When unbelievers die, their souls go immediately to hell – and suffer for all eternity, apart from God’s presence, with no second chance*****

And if that’s disturbing to you, you’re in good company.

And if you’re saved, it should not only give you cause for great thanks, that you don’t face that future – but cause for great zeal, to reach those who do.

And if you’re not saved, if you don’t believe in Jesus, the only Son of God – you’re in dire straits; You’re condemned to an eternity of suffering, apart from God, with no second chance. Which means… 4. What you decide now makes all the difference later.

That means what you decide now, what you believe now – makes all the difference later; whether you decide to repent of your sin and believe in Jesus now . . .

Makes all the difference in your eternity (Summary)

And I’m going to give you an opportunity to do that as we pray.

An opportunity to repent, believe, and receive – receive God’s free gift of forgiveness, and salvation, and life.

I’m not talking about feeling bad about your sin, I’m talking about turning from your sin. From your way of living and thinking, to his way of living and thinking.

Nor am I talking about belief for the purpose of fire insurance – a cheap kind of get out of hell free card?

I’m talking about belief for the purpose of living for him – for his purposes and his glory; Belief to the point of doing what he wants you to do and being like him.

That’s the kind of belief and repentance I’m talking about.

So that you can receive his forgiveness, and salvation from condemnation, and life forever with him. If you need to do that, if you’re facing hell – I’m going to lead you in a prayer right now.

A prayer to repent, believe, and receive.

Prayer of Salvation God, I admit that I’m a sinner and need to be saved. I’m condemned and facing hell. But I believe. I believe in Jesus to save me. To give me life to the full and life forever. So, I repent. I repent of my sin. Please forgive me and help me turn from it. I’m sorry for living my way and want to live for you. I repent. And I receive you now, into my life, as Savior and Lord. Fill me and lead me for all eternity. I admit, I believe, I repent, and I receive.