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The Human Soul

The text explores the concept of consciousness, discussing its relationship with the body, spirit, and soul from both scientific and biblical perspectives. It argues that while natural materialism reduces humanity to the body, biblical teachings emphasize a multi-faceted existence. Death is viewed as unnatural, separating spirit and body, necessitating a heavenly counterpart.

From a scientific standpoint, we speak of such things as consciousness as being the mysterious part of the human experience. Is consciousness an illusion? Is it just the chemical and electrical activity among our neurons or is there something more?

The Bible talks about our spirit, soul and body. Natural materialism wants to reduce us to one thing–a body. The Bible speaks of three. The body is easy to identify. The spirit seems to be something not of this three-dimensional space, but rather something connected to the body during our lifetime. The “soul” is sometimes used as a synonym for the spirit like here:

28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28 (ESV)

This passage is interesting because it speaks of destruction, which apparently doesn’t refer to elimination. It also speaks of a body in Hell. Even the lost get a resurrected body, but it seems to be turned to ash according to Malachi 4. This must be a body for the space of Hell, the counterpart to a Heavenly body for the redeemed. The necessity of an accompanying body to our spiritual component is what is relevant to my blog today.

Paul says,

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23 (ESV)

Here Paul is either being redundant or he is making a distinction between soul and spirit. The soul seems to be the interaction of spirit and body. It may be what you see when you image a brain. The soul could include our consciousness or just be an element of it. Where do such things as cognition, memory, self-awareness reside? When we are as we are created to be, a body and spirit united, then the answer is all of the above. Our memories are stored in our brain (a part of the body). The soul is the functioning of spirit and body together.

Death is an unnatural thing when compared to how God designed us. It is because of God’s sentence on sin that spirit and body are torn apart. Cognition, memory, consciousness go with the spirit. Be we are not whole without a body. We are “found naked” .

5 For we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this tent we groan, longing to put on our heavenly dwelling, 3 if indeed by putting it on we may not be found naked. 4 For while we are still in this tent, we groan, being burdened—not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

2 Corinthians 5:1-4 (ESV)

“Unclothed” must be a ghost-like state, lacking the benefits of spirit-soul-body. It is because of this passage that I am convinced we have a heavenly body. The idea that Heaven is a part of an other-dimensional space than Earth helps this to make sense. Our bodies that we possess now are constrained to occupy the three-dimensional space of this universe. A parallel universe, like Heaven could be, would require a different body. Perhaps Hell would require a different one yet.

With each body-spirit combination comes a soul. The interaction of body and spirit. The description of our resurrected, earthly body as being “spiritual” (1 Corinthians 15:44) may refer to the ability to unite them both–our spirit with both the resurrected, earthly body and the heavenly body.

How far can science probe this? Not very. It can measure the explosion of energy when the spirit and body disconnect-likely the temporary disappearance of the soul. But science is also constrained to examining these dimensions. It certainly points to the existence of others through quantum mechanics, but that is all.

Revelation from God, though sometimes cryptic, gives us a greater insight into ourselves–an exciting insight.

Will Judgment Day Recount All Our Deeds?

The content discusses the concept of forgiveness from God and the impact of sin. While God’s forgiveness frees individuals from eternal judgment, temporal consequences of sin remain. Judgment Day will assess believers’ deeds, not for salvation but for reward. Actions matter, motivating individuals to live humbly and purposefully in faith.

It feels very good to know that you are forgiven by God. Many of our common, day-to-day type sins don’t bother us nearly as much as they should. Big mistakes that alter our lives and the lives of others can remain a millstone around our necks for the rest of our lives. Feeling forgiven is nice. Not having an eternal judgment on us is much better.

We receive forgiveness from eternal judgement in one way only. Jesus experienced our eternal judgment (being forsaken by God) for us on the cross. As long as we are connected to Jesus by the mystical union that God creates at our baptism, then that part is done. Is there any consequence of sin that is not done?

Certain sins definitely create problems in this world that are not undone by God’s forgiveness. Crimes still have their penalties. Damage to relationships may persist. This is what we call the “temporal” consequences of sin. They don’t impact eternal judgment once forgiven through Jesus.

What I want to write about is the Judgment Day impact for even forgiven and saved individuals like myself. For those saved by Jesus, Judgment Day is not about whether we are going to Hell or not. The Bible still does refer to Judgment Day as a judgment of our deeds (Psa. 62:12, Jer. 17:10, Mat. 16:27, 1 Cor. 3:10-15, 2 Cor. 5:10, Rev. 20:12,22:12) The question is whether this is a “filtered” list of deeds for those covered by the blood of Jesus or an embarrassingly unfiltered list?

The passages above use words like “reward” and “deserve”. As sinners saved by grace, we can rightly say that just being saved is more that we “deserve”. Still, to say that the conduct of our lives is inconsequential either positively or negatively doesn’t seem to fit the whole of Scripture. The “reward” isn’t entry into Heaven and the New Earth. That is a gift. I have written about Judgment Day for the redeemed here: https://afterdeathsite.com/2023/10/03/judgment-day-for-the-redeemed/ I now want to explore just one aspect. Are the sinful aspects of our lives just burned up and forgotten or do we have to face them in some way?

Our motivations for doing good with a humble servant’s heart are many. I love God. I love others. I believe in and desire to do good. It is my God-given purpose. God commands it. I may be rewarded. The one motive not on this list is to merit my salvation or God’s love. Is there the motive to not have to face my sinful action or inaction on Judgment Day?

There are the Old Testament promises,

as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Psalm 103:12 (ESV)

I do have to note that on a sphere East and West do meet again. Then there is this:

17 then he adds,

“I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.”

Hebrews 10:17 (ESV)

The context is about the need for further sacrifice, however. Jesus has made the sacrifice and that is done. Remembering the deeds seems applied to the Law and eternal judgment.

The theory that all of our deeds now disappear, and we are just seen as an extension of Christ doesn’t seem to reconcile with 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. The context of this passage is about the fruit of specifically called workers. Their life’s work can be wood, hay or straw. In other words, false teaching, no teaching, worthless actions, minimal or no impact for the Kingdom. Or it can be gold, silver and costly stones (truthful teaching, active use of time, good stewardship, loving actions, humble service of Christ). Their actions matter on Judgment Day. They are not merely judged in light of Christ when it comes to their reward.

In light of more general passages about the judgment of deeds like those listed above or the stewardship of life like the Parable of the Talents, I think 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 fits us all. This is not just a process for called preachers. We are all the product of teachers to an extent, but we are then able to teach others and put that teaching into practice.

If this is the experience is for all of those who are built on the foundation of Christ, what will the “revealed by fire” be like? Maybe it passes quickly leaving only the good. If the amount of good is small, we are ashamed of it. I expect that it will be more detailed, if only for our benefit. We will not know for sure until we experience this ourselves. The implication for our life remains. I am motivated to know the truth purely, put it into practice humbly but vigorously, not count anything as my entitlement, and leave as little as possible undone.

Encountering Jesus in Heaven

Sometimes I am very jealous of the original disciples. They got to see what I only read about. The probably saw more than what is recorded. Their relationship with Jesus was much more tangible than mine. But Jesus said right before He ascended, “Behold, I am with you always to the very end of the age.” That message was clearly not just for them. It was for us too. Jesus is with us. He is not aloofly sitting on a throne in Heaven. His presence is just different. I am connected to Him via the Mystical Union (see https://givingchrist.com/2024/09/17/the-mystical-union-lords-supper-and-john-6/), Jesus knows all about me and my situation, He works through me and more. But I still want to see and hear Him directly.

That need will no doubt be fulfilled in Heaven. What do we know about it? Will it be like seeing a celebrity from two blocks away? Here is our text to consider:

“Therefore they are before the throne of God,
    and serve him day and night in his temple;
    and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence.
16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;
    the sun shall not strike them,
    nor any scorching heat.
17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,
    and he will guide them to springs of living water,
and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Revelation 7:15-17 (ESV)

How will we be “shepherded”? En Masse? Individually? Is this just a metaphor? Jesus is still the Son of God incarnate in human, resurrected flesh. I would project that this means He can have a visible, tangible, recognizable presence and have it in multiple place and multiple ways all at once. Will you get some personal face time with Jesus? I think so. Will you stand before Him as a group of other redeemed people? I’m sure of it.

As you progress in your prayer life now, it is possible to develop a real sense of knowing Jesus personally without ever engaging your senses. That knowing will continue seamlessly into Heaven and beyond to the New Earth. Jesus is our Lord, but He is also our personal friend, and that will continue in a greater way.

What does “He will guide them to streams of living water” mean? The passage is painting a metaphor of what you do when you shepherd sheep. Still, the term living water describes the Holy Spirit. The refreshment and joy of experiencing the Spirit is something that outstrips our experience. We may have to wait to understand this. But understand this much, it will be great.

Finally, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” There will be no cause for additional discomfort or grief after death. Will we carry any PTSD or even painful memory from our life here? I would infer from the conversation of the martyrs in Revelation 6:10-11 that we will have some awareness of what is happening still on Earth, but the comfort of Heaven will push the sorrow, anger, or trauma out. God will take care of business here. We will continue in prayer, then direct conversation, at the most.

But Is There Proof?

The author has been blogging about the Bible’s perspective on life after death since 2016. Addressing doubts about Christianity, they argue that evidence from creation, the universe’s structure, and historical interactions supports the existence of God. They reference personal experiences and invite readers to explore related articles. Proof of life after death will be discussed in the next entry.

I have been blogging on the After Death Site every other week since 2016. It is fair to say that I am running out of topics. I have limited this blog to talking about what the Bible says about “unseen things”. In other words, what the Bible says about existence after death.

While navigating to WordPress to write this article, I came across another blog about why some have abandoned their Christian faith in favor of atheism or agnosticism. One reason was the lack of proof.

Considering what we are talking about, I would say that there is a great deal of proof. While there is no religion or worldview has seamless proof for its narrative, least of all atheism, the proof for the Bible’s narrative is strong.

Let’s start with the existence of God. The first form of evidence is creation itself. Living things are extremely complicated yet intricately engineered. As we peer into a cell we find a nano-factories performing advanced functions based on coded information wound into DNA. Claiming that this can be created by chance chemical interactions really lacks proof. It stretches credibility unless you are determined to explain away God. The vast assortment of life and its diversity also points to God. Nothing has shown that mutation can do this. Similar functions, like eco-location, can be found in disconnected parts of the theorized tree of life. The explanation of “convergent evolution” (the blind chance can find the same solution more than once) also stretches credibility. God is the best answer given the evidence that we have.

The same can be said for the structure of the universe. The laws of physics seem to be finely tuned for life to exist. Specifically, they seem tuned for life here. The explanation of our being a part of a multiverse where this universe came up lucky has got to be the most desperate and ridiculous idea I have ever heard. The universe is created and God did it is the best explanation.

Then there are the interactions. We can cast doubt on any reports of interaction with God that we didn’t experience. We still need to find a reasonable explanation. Big events like the Jewish exodus from Egypt seem too deep in history to prove or disprove. The life of Jesus is a different story. His miracles and resurrection recorded by eyewitnesses who lived at the time that Christianity burst into history certainly is proof of something. The explanations that claim all of this is an elaborate ruse makes no sense at all.

There are plenty of other more personal claims of interaction including my own. You can dismiss my claims as products of my imagination. In the end, it may not be proof for you, but I know better. I would not be a pastor without God’s clear lead. I hated the idea as a teen, yet here I am.

There is more that could be said. I would like to refer you over to my other blog:https://givingchrist.com/ I have multiple articles on that topic. As far as proof of life after death, I will tackle that in my next entry.

We Will Be Like Jesus

The passage from 1 John 3:2-3 describes the transformation believers will undergo in Heaven, becoming like Christ in love, joy, peace, and more. This transformation involves shedding selfishness, finding joy in everything, and experiencing complete peace and patience. Pursuing purification through self-examination, confession, and emulation of Jesus’ qualities brings fulfillment and prepares believers for their heavenly transformation.

I often think about what the experience of being in Heaven will be like. I’m not sure that I can wrap my mind around it. What I think less about is what I will be like in Heaven. Perhaps this need to change. John says:

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is. 3 And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

1 John 3:2-3 (ESV)

I don’t think this is a comment about Jesus’ body plan. The Son of God became human when He was conceived in Mary’s womb. There is no reason to conclude that He is not human still. Nor is this passage a statement that we will take on the transcendent qualities of the Triune God: omniscience (knowing everything), omnipotence (be able to do anything), and omnipresence (being everywhere). It is a statement that we will have a completed set of Christ-like characteristics, as in love, joy, peace, patience, and so forth; and that we will be free of our sinful nature and its characteristics.

What will that be like? Currently, we will have to deal with a degree of selfishness in ourselves. In Heaven and the New Earth, we will be absorbed in caring about the people around us. There will be no shortages or need to compete for resources, but we wouldn’t if there were. Other people will be the same and care about us.

We will find joy in everything rather than negativity. Now there are reasons for negativity because the world is damaged by the curse. Heaven will not be same. Nonetheless, we will be able to find joy in every aspect of God’s creation. If endless wonder sounds exhausting to you, or boring, it won’t be those limitations are a part of your current flesh.

How about complete peace? No worries. There will literally be nothing to worry about, but we also would not inclined to worry if there were. People pursue this kind of freedom through drugs or alcohol now. Only these things only mask problems and create more.

Patience. We can all use some more for this frustrating world. In Heaven patience will be abundant because of our character but the need for it non-existent.

Our Heavenly bodies will be perfected for a human body, but we will also be in a perfected environment. The experience is hard to comprehend. Still for those of us who are connected to Jesus through a mystical union which God creates through baptism, we not only have reason to be certain that this is our destiny, we also are eager for it to begin.

That is why John says that we “purify” ourselves as Jesus is pure. Our current status with respect to sin’s guilt and damages is a little complicated. With respect to God’s Law, we are already perfect. We are seen as having the perfection of Jesus. This results in our having eternal life.

For now, we still have sinful nature and live in a sinful environment so this will result in unacceptable behavior in thoughts, words, deeds, bad motivations, and failures to act in good ways. This is what can be limited. We seek to purify ourselves from these things now, even though we can’t eliminate our sinfulness (it is in our DNA).

What can be done? You start by knowing God’s Law and identifying what God shows you to be wrong. You don’t dismiss it or live in denial. You don’t rationalize why you did it. You confess it to God and ask for His forgiveness. Now technically, you are already forgiven and have been since your baptism. Confessing sins is primarily about containing the damage caused by our sinfulness and becoming more like what we will be at death. Self-examination and confession may not feel affirming, but we get our self-esteem from God’s love and the value He puts on us. Repentance and confession is about improvement.

We can do more. Studying the qualities of Jesus noted in Scripture, praying about them, and choosing to act appropriately does even more. Will stuff slip through? Yes. There is a “natural” limit of what can be achieved while still stuck with our sin altered bodies. But pressing toward what we will be is not only consistent with our hopes, it has its own rewards.

How should we act toward others as we pursue purification? You don’t want to fall off the other side of the log by becoming a self-righteous, holier-than-thou. Jesus liked those people the least. We can rebuke others as a sinner who is in the same situation, we can encourage, we can pronounce God’s forgiveness. These things are love rather than competition.

The pursuit of “purification” or sanctification (to be made holy) will make our transformation at death more satisfying. It will not “steal the thunder”. Sanctification is a good thing that we can start to enjoy right now.

The Sheep and the Goats

If you are not familiar with the Bible, you might think this blog will be about the care of livestock. It is not. It is about a description of Judgment Day that Jesus gives His disciples a few days before He is crucified. Taken out of context, this story can really mess up your understanding of how we are saved. Therefore, it is critical that you understand it properly. Here is the first half of the story:

31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’

Matthew 25:31-40 (ESV)

If you look at this section without the context of Jesus dying on the cross and the explanation that we are saved by that sacrifice as a gift to us, you would conclude that we are saved by doing the good things listed above. I like to ask people where is God’s grace in this story (it is not really a parable)? The answer is hidden in how people are separated.

Why are some people sheep and the other goats? The answer is that those who are sheep are people who are connected to Jesus through faith and baptism. Their sins are forgiven by grace. The goats are not.

As Jesus speaks to the “sheep” it seems like they never did anything wrong nor missed any opportunity to do good. Are real people like that? I would argue that no one is. Their failures have been covered by the blood of Jesus. All that remains to be seen at Judgment Day is their good deeds. The good deeds are not causing their salvation nor are they a portion of why they are saved. But evaluation of deeds is what Judgment Day is all about.

The list of what Jesus cares about is helpful. It gives us an idea of what God is looking for from His disciples. These things are a portion of what our lives are about. Notice that “making disciples” (Matthew 28:19) is not in this list. Clearly leading somebody to the eternal salvation of their souls is a much bigger deal that simply giving them a meal. The list is not comprehensive, nor does it offer a way to prioritize our actions. It does show us some useful actions and not just because they meet needs. It is because they reflect love. Love that is felt for us and nurtured in us. When we have the love of Jesus in us we help out the “least” of humanity. It is like doing it for Jesus.

The second part of the story goes:

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

Matthew 25:41-46 (ESV)

Do you think that the people addressed here never did anything good? While that may be more imaginable, many people who will end up lost aren’t horrible people on a human standard. You can be very kind and a decent citizen but, like everyone else, you are a sinner. This portion of the story illustrates that good deeds cannot overcome our sinfulness. God’s standard for saving yourself is perfection. That includes even genetic perfection (no sinful nature), so it was out of your reach from the start. That is why we need Jesus and God’s promise of forgiveness.

The consequence of sin is stiff. Eternal punishment seems radically disproportionate to the damage one might do because of our sinfulness. If you look at sin as being like a contagion, you get a better idea of why it is this way.

Anything that has sin cannot survive in God’s presence. You must be made sinless. God went through radical, costly steps to make that possible. The Son of God became human (a radical step), He lived 35 years keeping the Law flawlessly, and then He was willingly sacrificed paying the price for the sins of everybody else. The most critical part was Jesus being forsaken by the Father, which divided the Trinity (a very radical step). When you blow this off there is no other recourse than being eternal forsaken yourself and that means suffering.

The final thing that I would like to note about this passage is that the story makes it look like Judgment Day is done as a group. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 tells us that it is individual. Perhaps it happens for us all at once. The judgment for those who have forgiveness through Christ is for the purpose of reward. People who are saved as a gift certainly don’t deserve a reward for doing what is right. It is just what we were supposed to do in the first place. But God is generous. God rewards in some way and I’m sure it is great.

Judgment Day for the Redeemed

There is a passage of Scripture that has captured my imagination. It is 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. I call it the “Three Little Pigs” passage, because verse 12 is reminiscent of that nursery rhyme. The passage gives a unique insight into what Judgment Day is like for somebody who has been saved by Jesus. I have written snippets about this topic in the past. In this blog I would like to give a more complete treatment. Here is the passage:

 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. 14 If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.

1 Corinthians 3:10-15 (ESV)

It surprises people when they here that Judgment Day is a judgment of our deeds. This is said in several places in Revelation and is correctly stated in the Athanasian Creed, if you are familiar with that. What throws people off is the assumption that Judgment Day is about whether we are saved or not. For people who don’t have the forgiveness of their sins through Jesus, it is about that. But for those who have forgiveness, their salvation has been known for a long time. In fact, people could have been in the Heaven for millennia by the time Judgment Day rolls around. They are not going to be kicked out of God’s presence at that time.

So why should redeemed people go through the Judgment Day process at all? And what is “the process”? 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 tells us quite a bit. Let me set the stage.

Jesus returns from Heaven with all those who had previously died that were connected to Him (“in Christ” is a phrase frequently used in the Bible to describe that relationship). Everybody (living and the dead, saved and the unsaved) is resurrected or transformed into a new body as described in 1 Corinthians 15. The Redeemed are collected to be near Christ (this is the real Rapture) and are then seated on Christ’s right as described in Matthew 25:31f. Throughout this process the universe has been unraveling as God is changing everything. The Earth is eventually consumed by fire. It is not clear of where we are relative to this. The judgment of Judgment Day then proceeds.

Matthew 25:31-46 gives a general overview of the judgment. I’ll write about this next time. While is seems like a group judgement in that passage. Paul shows that it is very individualistic in the passage above. What happens?

It seems that we all will experience this “fire” that essentially reveals and evaluates everything that has happened in our lives here on Earth. I say “everything”, but it is actually everything minus what has been forgiven through our connection to Christ. The process shows whether we have “built” on the foundation of Christ with a life that is “gold, silver and costly stones” or “wood, hay and straw.” What constitutes “gold, silver and costly stones”?

These precious things are obviously metaphors. Paul urges us to live lives “worthy” of Christ. People who still have sinful natures will never truly be worthy of Christ’s sacrifice or of His presence and glory. But what we are asked to do is to be active being good stewards of everything God gives us in life (time, talents, money, body, the planet, our knowledge of God, etc.), to carry our the “good deeds prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10), to grow in the characteristics of God’s nature (2 Peter 1:4, et al)and to do all of this by the power of the Holy Spirit and with a humble and loving nature (Luke 17:10, 1 Corinthians 13:1-3)

Wood, hay and straw would constitute living as Christian and treating grace as cheap, straying into an attitude of self-righteousness and entitlement, ignoring the work of God’s kingdom, being a selfish steward and the like. The Day will reveal God’s evaluation of all of this. The fire referenced here, as well as by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11) and Jesus (Mark 9:49), destroys the remembrance of such things and leaves only what God considers to be rewardable, if anything.

We are saved by grace. Without Jesus nothing we do can eclipse our sin. For some, even with Jesus, they have no reward; but they still have eternal life. They enter the New Heaven and Earth, but “only as through fire”. For the wiser disciple their life was not meaningless. They too are saved by grace, but they will also have a reward. What is the reward? Not much is said, but you can put a general idea together. I’ll save that for another blog.

Clearly, it is desirable to have a reward. So we want to keep this balance in our minds. We serve God because we love God and, as God’s nature seeps into our souls, we love people. We consider God worthy of our all and we do our best to give Him our all. None of this is done to save ourselves or to merit anything. We serve because we believe in the cause we are serving. We know that we are blessed to be saved by grace. We understand that if salvation rested on us somehow our sinful nature would mess it up. We leave this life expecting eternal life and no more. We receive more because God is good.

Just One Life

About twenty years ago, I traveled to India. It was both a cultural experience and a place of many surprises. We landed in Hyderbad in the middle of the night. As our bus drove to the hotel, the streets were dark. I could vaguely make out the shadows of something on the sidewalk. I didn’t figure out until the next morning that it was all people who were homeless.

India is a nation that is primarily Hindu. A core belief of Hinduism is that this life’s situation is the just product of a previous life. Consequently, if you are homeless you deserved that fate.

You could even return as another living thing. The consequence was that roads would go around a tree. Still, this isn’t exactly a respect for nature. There was litter everywhere.

Another likely result of believing that you are on a journey through multiple lives was the extremely dangerous traffic situation. Overcrowding and poverty no doubt contributed to the situation, but it is easier to face death if you expect to be born again.

The Bible doesn’t take on the topic of reincarnation directly. It does speak of eternal existence for all, but it denies that this existence will be here–at least not immediately.

27 And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, 28 so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.

Hebrews 9:27-28(ESV)

We die once, not over and over. Death is the separation of body and soul. Something that would never happen except for sin. We don’t lapse into non-existence nor even unconscious existence, we consciously continue in either Heaven or Sheol.

In this article, I am interested in the implications of this fact for this brief life. Is this life a throw-away, because something better is beyond it? Is it a time to pursue hedonistic pleasures because something worse is next? Is it as the famous polka says, “In Heaven there is no beer, that’s why we drink it here.”? Certain pleasure are earthly pleasures, so pursue them now. Some embrace this philosophy because they feel that the truth about our fate after death is unknowable. I obviously disagree. To the skeptic, I would point out not only Scripture, but Near-Death Experiences. What happens at our death is only unknowable if you don’t try to know. For something as important as this, denial is a fool’s strategy.

Far from an approach that neglects this life, the set of promises that come with connection to Jesus Christ makes this life brief but valuable and life-after death the true prize. Jesus takes the pressure of saving ourselves off of our shoulders and places it on His. Forgiveness of our sins, our inability of fulfilling God’s Laws are all settled by His life. Heaven and beyond that a New Earth are ours for the taking. They are God’s gift.

This life becomes valuable because of what we can accomplish here with the presence of God within us. We can make an eternal difference in another person’s life. We can be a visible representative of God Himself. These things are worthy enduring the finite amount of grief that this life will throw at you.

So what are some of the consequences of knowing what God has given to us? First, I protect my life and try to be a good steward of my health and time, because I won’t get the same kind of opportunity to serve once I die. It isn’t beer that I have to get here, it is sharing God’s promises and His love in an environment that lacks knowledge of God. Besides that, they probably do have beer in Heaven.

Next, I value other people, even my enemies. They are potentially savable. They would be transformed by a connection to Jesus. They can be a reward to me. Life is cheap in many places, but it is not cheap to me.

The circumstances in which people live can be the product of many things: misfortune, bad parenting, limited natural abilities, poor education, poor government, injustice, bad decisions. The list goes on and on, but I can be a source of positive change. Their circumstances are not set by a previous life.

I will get older and closer to death every day. I am neither concerned about death nor a loss of purpose on the way. I know where I am going next and why. I am going to Heaven because of Jesus. My purpose may change as I lose abilities, but I will have a God-given purpose to the end.

Communicating With the Dead

Jesus was unequivocal, the people who have physically died still exist. They are just not here:

32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”

Matthew 22:32 (ESV)

When you lose somebody, especially if it was unexpected, there can be a powerful desire to communicate with them again. We can have questions about their wellbeing, how to survive without them, and possibly how and why they died.

There are also less pure motivations for communicating with the dead. People may think the dead have some sort of profitable knowledge or can provide some sort of assistance to the living. For some it is just the attraction of dark arts or having some form of mastery over death.

Of course, communicating with the dead is impossible. Right? I wouldn’t be so sure. The Old Testament has strong statements against such a practice. Communicating with the dead is one of the reasons that the Canaanites were dispossessed from Palestine in favor of the Jews. Deuteronomy lists their sins and warns the Jews not to follow their example.

“When you come into the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to follow the abominable practices of those nations. 10 There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer 11 or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, 12 for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord. And because of these abominations the Lord your God is driving them out before you. 13 You shall be blameless before the Lord your God,

Deuteronomy 18:9-13 (ESV)

Abomination is a pretty strong word. Why? The first set of motives listed above are not impure. Part of it is no doubt how this is possible in the first place. This is not using the power of God, nor utilizing something inherent in nature; this is using the power of Satan and his kingdom. As such it is dangerous. It can also be the source of twisted truth. It may also leave a person open to other manifestations of evil, like possession. It would seem that such practices were common in the ancient world and possibly the source of some modestly twisted information about life after death.

Keep in mind that at this time, everybody went to Sheol (for more information) https://afterdeathsite.com/2021/05/11/an-expectation-of-sheol/. This may matter. The righteous were segregated from the unrighteous. The one biblical story about communicating with the dead was communication with the righteous as King Saul summoned the prophet Samuel using the “Witch of Endor” in 1 Samuel 28.

13 The king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What do you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I see a god coming up out of the earth.” 14 He said to her, “What is his appearance?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe.” And Saul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and paid homage.

15 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?” Saul answered, “I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me, and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams. Therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do.” 16 And Samuel said, “Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy?

1 Samuel 28:13-16 (ESV)

Samuel was not pleased, and the desperate attempt of Saul did not help him.

Some would dismiss this as simply a mythical story and consulting the dead as a form of fraud. Certainly, charlatans exist in this area who are willing to take advantage of peoples’ grief. Another theory is that demons masquerade as the dead. This is not how it is presented in 1 Samuel however.

What about modern-day mediums? Are they just frauds? I expect that most, if not all, are frauds. It may also be possible that a person can have an equivalent to a “spiritual gift” (1 Corinthians 12), but one that is not from God. Using such a service remains forbidden by God.

How should we handle devastating grief? https://wordpress.com/post/afterdeathsite.com/734

First, we need to trust the promises of God about forgiveness through Jesus and eternal life. https://wordpress.com/post/afterdeathsite.com/884 If we are not confident about our loved one being saved, then it is not forbidden to continue to pray for them. In the case of suicide, we need to understand how God’s grace actually works. We do not need to confess our sins as the last thing we do. https://wordpress.com/post/afterdeathsite.com/778

Trusting the matters of life after death to God is the right thing to do and leads to healing. Losing purpose from the loss of relationship is something we can actively pursue. We fill the void in our lives by helping others.

Grief and Christmas

As a pastor I can tell you that deaths do not happen evenly over the course of a year. Death seems to be concentrated into the colder months. At my congregation we would typically have 8 to 12 funerals a year. This year, since mid-October we have already had 9 deaths with no doubt more to come before Spring. Covid only partially explains the rise.

This reality means that many deaths happen around the holidays, leaving grief perpetually connected with a day that is supposed to be happy. The same type of association can happen with hymns. We often play a person’s favorite hymn at their funeral, which often ruins it for us. “How Great Thou Art” is a hymn that many people can’t listen to for that reason.

Having a painful association points to having an incomplete and ineffective grieving process. Remembering shouldn’t hurt after a while. If we are still hurting, then we are dwelling on what we have lost versus focusing on the promise of eternal life and a future reunion. This, of course, hinges on having eternal life through Jesus.

The Christmas season will be the source of many cherished family memories. It should be. But the Christmas season is misspent if it is focused primarily on family and not focused on Christ. Celebrating the birth of Christ is celebrating God coming into the world to give a most precious gift.

The Son of God became a human to place himself under the jurisdiction of God’s Law. He came as the child of a virgin so that he would not be born with a sinful nature like the rest of us. Instead, he could remain sinless for life. He then could do something for us that is an incredible act of sacrificial love. When dying on the cross, Jesus was forsaken by his Father as a substitute for his Father forsaking us. To be forsaken, utterly abandoned by God, is the punishment required for sin. If you are connected to Jesus through baptism, your eternal punishment is done.

If your loved one died as a believer in Jesus as their Savior, they are alive with Jesus. Do not look back, look forward. If you also are in Christ, then there are more good times, even better than the best ahead. Let the celebration of the birth of a Savior take you there, at least for awhile. Be sure to also make the most of those who are still alive and with you.

I would say the same for “How Great Thou Art”, or any hymn for that matter. It sure not remind you of loss but rather of gain. Train your brain to do this. Catch yourself when you think about the loss, remind yourself of God’s promise and then imagine what you still cannot see. Do not wallow in loss. It is not forgetting your loved one, it is remembering them properly.