Eye Has Not Seen Series

Life After Death – Part 2: No Eye Has Seen

Review why I am doing this series – because so many folks in our congregation have lost a loved one in recent months, and I have overheard some strange beliefs about the afterlife during the wakes. I want to address those beliefs and challenge them with what the bible says about the afterlife.

In Job. 14:14 he asks, "If a man dies, shall he live again?" "

There is a story of a man went on vacation to the Holy Land with his wife and her mother. While in Israel, the mother-in-law died from a heart attack. The couple went to a local undertaker, who explained that they could either ship the body home which would cost more than $1500, or they could bury her right there in the Holy Land for only $150. The man said, "We’ll ship her home. "Surprised, the undertaker responded, "Are you sure? That’s an awfully big expense, and we can do a very nice burial here. "The man said, "Look, 2000 years ago they buried a guy here and three days later He rose from the dead. I just can’t take that chance."

The truth is, there is life after death. This body we have is mortal, but we have an immortal soul that will live forever.

That soul is comprised of our thoughts, our will and our emotions. It includes our personality and our character.

When we die, that soul, filled with our memories, our emotions, our developed personality and etched character does not evaporate and die, but lives on.

In Matthew 10:28 (NLT) Jesus tells his disciples, “Don’t be afraid of those who want to kill you. They can only kill your body; they cannot touch your soul. Fear only God, who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

This passage supports the concept of the immortality of the soul.

Man cannot touch your soul, its destiny lies in God’s hands alone!

We will all “survive” the physical death of our bodies.

That is a hard concept to face for some. Because one minute after death we will be in heaven or hell. Our soul will survive to live somewhere for eternity.

Let’s look at a few key facts about what will be our state of existence after our physical death:

After death, we will experience a real consciousness.

You will be aware of your circumstance and the state you are in. Your soul will be aware and cognitive of its surroundings.

There are some cults including Jehovah’s Witnesses, Spiritualists and others who claim that after the death of the body, the soul becomes unconscious or asleep.

But Jesus told the thief on the cross beside Him, who believed in Him. “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Lk. 23:43). When that thief died, he found himself in God’s glorious presence.

Some others may say, “When you are dead, that’s it. There is no more. There is nothing afterwards. There is no eternal consciousness or existence.”

But the first clear thing you will notice—whether, God forbid, you die in an accident or in a hospital bed—when you have taken your last breath—the first thing you will notice is…it isn’t over!

Pity the man or the woman who reaches for a gun or a razor blade and says, “I can’t take it anymore. I just want to end it all!”

You don’t end your existence by taking your life! How many people will be shocked, when they “open their eyes” on the other side and find out it is real?

When the rich man and the beggar Lazarus die, their bodies are in the grave and yet they are fully aware of their existence, suffering and relief.

There Are Two Distinct Worlds After Death.

There are two distinct and separate worlds after death. The rich man and the beggar Lazarus which I just mentioned (from Luke 16:23-26) were in different places. There is not a third place called purgatory.

The doctrine of purgatory, which is not found in the bible, says that we must pay for any sins committed after baptism and have them purged by fire.

The bible says that the blood of Jesus is sufficient to cleans us from ALL SIN, not just some

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Keep in mind that we are not forgiven by our deeds or by our own suffering; but by the suffering of Jesus Christ. *(AMEN?)

There is nothing you could ever do that could pay for even a single sin you have committed.

The penalty for one sin, one transgression is eternity, not purgatory.

Thank God that Jesus has paid all my debt and not just some of it.