What Happens When We Die?

1. The Reality of Death

Hebrews 9:27 NKJV

27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,

Death is the universal experience of humanity, due to our sin against God. Rom. 6:23 tells us that the wages of sin is death. This means that death is unnatural in the sense that we were not created to die. This is why death is so excruciating for us to think about. However, the message of the Bible is that while we have brought death upon ourselves by sinning, God has come to conquer death and to remove the sting away for us. 1 Cor. 15:55-57 says,

1 Corinthians 15:55–57 NKJV

55 “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades, where is your victory?” 56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

So, since Jesus has conquered death for us, the Christian knows that death is not final, but is like a doorway leading into eternity. This means that death is real, but it is not final for the Christian.

I was in my early-mid twenties when the reality that I would die set in on me. It’s not that I didn’t understand that everyone died, but the weight of it finally settled in on me. This usually happens to people a bit older and they call it “a mid-life crisis,” but it hit me young and it hit me hard. While wrestling through that, I came to learn three things:

First, since life is like a vapor, I want to live intentionally.

Second, since life is like a vapor, I want to live with eternity in mind.

Third, since life is like a vapor, I want to invest in what will be here when I’m gone.

So, death is a reality for us all, it is a consequence of our sin against God, yet God has provided deliverance from the final death through His Son, Jesus Christ and this work should have implications for how we live here and now. Now, that we’ve considered that, we want to ask ourselves, “What happens when we die?” And the first thing we want to learn is that:

2. The Soul Rests With God

2 Corinthians 5:8 NKJV

8 We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Philippians 1:23 NKJV

23 For I am hard-pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.

The 2nd London Baptist Confession says: The bodies of those who have died return to dust and undergo destruction.1  But their souls neither die nor sleep, because they have an immortal character, and immediately return to God who gave them.2 The souls of the righteous are then made perfect in holiness and are received into paradise. There they are with Christ and behold the face of God in light and glory while they wait for the full redemption of their bodies.

This means no purgatory, or soul sleep, but immediate rest, joy, and worship in God’s presence.

Now, the question I have for you is how do us is how do we think that will happen since we won’t have bodies? This is what we call the Intermediate State. I want to explore that for just a minute so we can understand a little better:

A. The Soul’s Immediate Presence with God

Scripture teaches that when believers die, their souls are immediately with Christ, like those two previous verses showed us. Now, this experience is full and conscious. The soul does not sleep or await sensation; it is in the immediate enjoyment of Christ’s presence. But what will that be like exactly? Here are some thoughts:

We will enjoy Communion with Christ in glory, love, and joy.

We will enjoy Freedom from sin, suffering, and the limitations of a sin-marred body.

We will enjoy the Awareness of God’s glory and holiness, not in fear, but in enjoyment.

B. Experiencing God Without the Body

Even apart from our resurrected bodies, the soul can know and enjoy God personally:

Intellect: the mind perceives God’s truth, marvels at His wisdom and works.

Will: the soul freely delights in God, unencumbered by sin or temptation.

Emotion: joy, peace, love, and worship flow perfectly.

Illustration: Think of it like being in a magnificent library — the books are perfect, accessible, and overwhelming in beauty. Your body is absent, but your mind and spirit can fully explore and enjoy the treasures.

3. The Body Awaits Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:42–44 NKJV

42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

At Christ’s return, body and soul will be reunited, transformed, and made fit for eternal life in the new heavens and earth.

Illustration: The grave is like a gardener’s seedbed — what is buried rises more glorious.

Our future hope is not just “going to heaven,” but living embodied in God’s renewed creation.

4. The Unbeliever Is Judged at Christ’s Return

John 5:28–29 NKJV

28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

Revelation 20:11–15 NKJV

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

The final judgment is certain, and the state of the soul at death is fixed.

This is both a warning and an invitation — today is the day of salvation.

Summary

Death is real, but not ultimate.

The soul of the believer enjoys immediate communion with Christ.

The body awaits glorious resurrection.

The unbeliever faces certain judgment at Christ’s return.