Death is not the end!

Cemeteries house the remains of the dead. The world calls this their final resting place, but Scripture has another view.

We all have an unavoidable appointment with judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Death is a passage, not the end, because we’re preparing for what happens next every single day.

Eternity looms and no one can escape. One day those seemingly dead cemeteries will come to life as the Lord appears in the air and the books will be opened (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 20:11-15).

In the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world and has plagued mankind ever since (Genesis 3:1-16; Romans 3:23). Yet, God commissioned his Son to be the answer (Genesis 3:15; John 3:16; Romans 5:6-11).

Jesus died but God didn’t leave him in the grave (Psalm 16:10-11). He arose and conquered death (Luke 9:21-27).

We follow the same pattern. We emulate his death, burial and resurrection in baptism (Romans 6:3-4) and in our physical death (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).

When the Lord returns, we will all be changed because flesh and blood cannot enter a spiritual kingdom (1 Corinthians 15:50). The physical body is temporal while the spirit is eternal and will live on in either heaven or hell (Matthew 25:46).

The dead will rise and the living will be transformed “in the twinkling of an eye” into a new spiritual form (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). This will happen very quickly and we cannot know what we will be. Jesus’ post- resurrection body is a clue, but even then we cannot know to what extent.

Our corrupt bodies, both physically and spiritually, are insufficient without Christ. Our relationship with him determines our place in this new existence (Matthew 11:28-30; John 14:1-6).

If we are in him, we will have a home in heaven (Galatians 3:26-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:27). Otherwise, we will go with our father, the devil, to eternal destruction (Revelation 20:1-10).

We cannot know what form we will have, but we can be assured that the Word is certain about the state of our salvation. Unless we repent and live for him, we will be lost forevermore (Luke 13:3).

by Richard Mansel

Leave a Reply