Episode 8
What Happens to the Soul of a Christian After He Dies?
Text: Hebrews 9: 27
© Dani Banggo 12/07/2023
Hello everyone! Welcome to “Gospel in the Air,” a 30-minute devotional program that will inspire and encourage your daily walk with Jesus. May I invite you to join me in this short devotional meditation. May you be enlightened with new insights for living as the Spirit of God reveals His passion for humankind to be saved, that is, that no one should perish but that all will come to repentance.
Our devotional lesson for today is entitled “What Happens to the Soul of a Christian After He Dies?” And our text is taken from the book of Hebrews 9: 27. And I will read to you the verse (Heb. 9:27)
"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment."
According to recent statistics, the general average life expectancy in the US is 78.8 years. But as far as women are concerned their life expectancy is quite higher than men. Study shows that their average life span is 81.6 years, while men is only up to 76.1 years.[1] And the leading causes of death in the US are listed according to the number of cases being reported from the greatest to the least are the following: heart attack, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases, accident, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, influenza and pneumonia, kidney problems and finally, suicide (Ibid).
Nobody is exempted from death. Each one of us is destined to die. And no one knows when it will happen, but it will surely come. Thus, our precious life should not be taken for granted because anything wasted today will be wasted for all eternity. We have got only one life to live and therefore we should be wise and smart enough to invest our cherished and valued moments while still living. The apostle Peter in his first letter to the scattered Christians in Asia Minor during the height of their persecution in the first century A.D. wrote, “For, all people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall (1Peter 1: 24). One should be mindful that there is nothing permanent in this world. Everything will come to pass. There is always an expiration date for everything we own and possess, especially with this one precious life we have. There will come a time when man passes the age of blissful and active lifestyle. Hence, before that happens, let’s hear the wisdom of King Solomon that is found in Ecclesiastes 12: 1. It reads, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come, and the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’” (NKJV).
Today, I want to share with you some Biblical truths about the preciousness of life so that when we pass through this world, we are assured of the promise of eternal life to those that are in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior. So, then what will happen to the souls of the faithful believers after they die? Will their souls sleep with them? Or will they still be conscious? Where will they go? These are some of the questions that people anxiously like to ask. Let us then study very well this great subject and see what the Bible teaches on it.
I. In his prayer Moses made this pronouncement, “Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away…” and he continues, “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” (cf. Ps. 90: 10, 12). The oldest man ever recorded in the history of humankind reached the age of 969. His name is Methuselah (Gen.5: 27). Right before the great flood of Noah life was so long. They almost reached a thousand years. But because of the increase wickedness of man the Bible says that the Lord was grieved and had caused so much pain in his heart (Gen.6: 6). And as a result, he reduced the age of man to a hundred and twenty years (Gen.6: 3). But today our average span is even further down to 70 or 80 years. It only affirms the prayer of Moses. If this is how short our life on earth is, then we must be wise enough in how to live and where to invest our limited time. Our prayer then should be the same with Moses, “Lord, teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” And what is wisdom? The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov.9: 10). And this is always true because the fear of God will keep one from sinning (Ex.20: 20). This is what wisdom is all about. It is living a godly life in Jesus Christ. And how many whose lives have been ruined because of not believing or applying this fundamental truth? And the sad fact is that it is happening even among Christians! The bottom line of this prayer is that we must act now and secure our life for eternity because time is the essence. Sooner or later, we will be gone from this world and will be facing judgment. Romans 14: 12 says, “Each of us will give account of himself to God.” This should cause any one of us to stop and pause for a moment and seriously ponder the importance of those words because it warns us of the impending judgement that awaits us. Now, the question that I would like you to honestly ponder in your heart is: Am I ready to face the great Judge on that appointed day?
II. John 3: 16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (NKJV). This is the heart of the Bible. A message of God’s love, a message of hope for the entire human race. God’s love for humankind caused Him to send His Son to save us from the curse of death, which is hell, a literal place of eternal punishment prepared specifically for the wicked and the unrighteous and that includes Satan and his angels. God wants everyone of us not to perish but all will come to repentance (2 Pet.3: 9). God promises us that by believing Jesus Christ we will have eternal life. What an opportunity that awaits them to accept this heavenly favor called grace! But many still miss out on this great message of hope. Why? Because of the cares of this life. It is not that we condemn the values of industry, investment, and hard work. In fact, we promote them. However, they are not the end in themselves but only a means for our sustenance. But when somebody becomes greedy with money this is where the danger begins. There is nothing wrong about money, but the word of God warns us about the danger of loving it so dearly that we neglect the more important of all, which is God. This is what the Bible says, “People want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” (1 Tim.6: 9-10 NIV.) It is true that many have ruined their lives because of the love of money. They have exchanged it with their souls. Our Lord himself testifies about this by saying, “What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole word, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? (Mt.16: 26, NIV) With this truth in mind we should be forewarned and reminded that there is more to life than our present condition. Ours is not permanent. Everything we have, including our very own life will not last forever but have expiration dates. They will soon fade away and vanish like smoke and come to an end. Everything including our physical self with its beauty and splendor will slowly fade away and dim from the limelight until it is totally gone and forgotten. But there awaits the promise of God for eternal life to them who put their trust and faith in His Son, our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ.
So, then what will happen to the souls of the Christians when they die? Will their souls sleep with their remains? Or will they still be conscious? Where will they go?
A. First, immediately at death your soul will be in paradise. In Lk. 23: 43 it says, And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." This is the promise Jesus assured to the repentant thief on the cross when he asked Him, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom” (Lk.23: 42). What an assurance! What a hope for a faithful believer of our Lord Jesus Christ! Immediately at death one will be in paradise. And paradise according to apostle Paul is in third heaven because he himself went there, he saw and experienced its grandeur. This is how he describes paradise in 2 Cor.12: 2-4, “I know a man in Christ who 14 years ago was caught up to the 3rd heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know – God knows 3And I know that this man – whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows – 4was caught up to paradise. He heard inexpressible things; things that man is not permitted to tell.” No one knows where the 3rd heaven is, but we know for sure that there is a literal place called paradise where the soul of the departed one will immediately go at the moment of death. This is good news because Jesus opened the door of paradise to anyone who commits his life to Him. One can just imagine what a reunion they have when the former thief and Jesus Christ met each other in paradise on that same day. Someday, somehow, when we depart from this life, we too will surely be welcomed in a place called paradise prepared for those who were redeemed by the blood of our Lord. Therefore, let us be comforted by these words.
B. Second, immediately at death we will be with the Lord. In his letter to the Christians in Philippi apostle Paul wrote the following: “For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better.” (Philippians 1: 23.) And the same he exhorted the Christians in Corinth saying, “We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord” (2 Cor.5: 8). Paul in this instance was already in prisoned in Rome because of his preaching. He knows that his days are already numbered and was only waiting his death sentence. And in his remark, he told the Christians that if only he has a choice to make, he would rather choose to depart and be with the Lord rather than to be in the body and continue to suffer the pain and humiliation of being in chains. And what a comfort to know this truth because it gives us the courage to keep going and not to give up on our faith despite all the trials and tribulations we are facing in our daily life. It refreshes our soul and strengthens our hope in the Lord. This gives us the courage to face death squarely without fear anymore.
While it is true that death came to humanity to condemn and to destroy us, that is, death became a curse to us because of sin; Jesus Christ our Lord overcame and conquered it on the cross once and for all. Death is no longer a curse because it has no more sting. Therefore, our attitude towards death should be seen as a victory and no more as a curse. It is not the end of our existence. We will not even become extinct but only our mode of existence will change. It is but a crossing over from one life to another life, and to be with the Lord. In 1 Cor.15: 55 and 57, it reads, “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ… Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” How comforting are these words from the Bible. Indeed, there will come a time that we will rest from our labors and what an assurance that in death we will be with the Lord and will be receiving our rewards from him. Praise be to God for His wonderful promise to us!
C. Third, immediately at death we are comforted. In Lk.16: 26 it says, “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony.” This is the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. While the 2 were still alive, Lazarus was a homeless man, a beggar, with painful sores all over his body. While the rich man was enjoying his life to the full. Lazarus begs and eats only the crumbs of the rich man. And then they both died. Lazarus was brought to the bosom of Abraham and there being comforted, while the rich man was brought to a different place where there is pain and suffering. There is nothing meritorious about being poor or rich in man’s salvation. This is not the context here. But this shows only that after death one is conscious of his senses. There is no such thing as soul sleep. The dead body is laid to rest and has no consciousness, but his soul does not sleep but continues to enjoy the comfort of a new life with Jesus Christ. For the Christian, death becomes a blessing to him because it now serves to free him from the painful conditions brought by the sinful nature of man. No more pain, no more sickness, and no more suffering, but he is now in perfect condition with the Lord. O, how manifold is the love of God towards humanity by sending His Son to conquer the last enemy, which is death. What an assurance to die peacefully with the Lord because we know where we are going. This is the bedrock of our Christian faith, that Christ rose again from the dead after 3 days to conquer death once and for all. Our salvation is now complete because death has no more power over us. In his final breath on the cross our Lord burst out and gave his final words saying, “It is finished!” Thank God! It is finished. The curse of death has been removed. Jesus Christ finished it on the cross. Death where is your victory? O, death where is your sting?
D. Finally, King Solomon made this declaration resoundingly as a warning to all so that we will be made aware that our existence here on earth is not without reason and a purpose. In Ecclesiastes 12: 13-14 he wrote: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (KJV). This simply means that in this life we have a responsibility to perform and a work to accomplish. And every one of us will be made to account when we are standing before His judgment seat. We cannot take things for granted, most especially the salvation of our souls. Time is the essence because everything will come to pass. Beauty and finery will come to pass. Sickness will come to pass. Strength will come to pass. Prestige will come to pass. Riches will come to pass. Our precious life will come to pass. All of us will come to pass. So, then I must make a choice. Whether or not I choose to be generous and loving or to continue being mean and grumpy? Or to continue being a blessing or a burden? Or do I continue being friendly or being a source of irritation to others? The answer is only found in my relationship with the Lord. It is Him alone who knows what is best for me. And by abiding with His words can really guide my path without me regretting it. Therefore, I choose the straight path that leads to eternal life now that I have a chance to do it.
There is hope and there is joy to them that die in their faith. Life here on earth is just temporary but a preparation for a wonderful and a glorious life with God for eternity. This is what the gospel message is all about. It is all about hope of your eternal life because of what the Lord has done on the cross for you. Jesus Christ, our Lord said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies” (Jn.11: 25). This is the joy of being a faithful believer in the Lord. He is not afraid to die because of the promise of eternal life. St Paul in his exhortation to the Thessalonian Christians wrote to them in his first letter saying, “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep (meaning the dead), or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” (1 Thess. 4: 13-14). Isn’t that wonderful that after we die, we will live again and be with the Lord forever?
My friend, there is hope and joy in Jesus Christ. There is the promise of eternal life to anyone who believes in Him. If you have not yet committed your life to Jesus, why don’t you accept Him by faith into your life and make him your Lord and Savior? Jesus said. “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life” (Jn. 5:24). In other words, the moment you are born again meaning born spiritually you already possessed eternal life. Yes, eternal life starts from the day you are saved, and it does not end when you die physically. Although everyone is destined to die, death has no more curse on you. The Lord Himself made it clear to us who believe the Father who sent Him that we crossed over or changed places from death to life. Aren’t you happy for that assurance of eternal hope in Jesus Christ? This is the victory that we now enjoy as believers of the Lord. This should comfort us and give us the strength to continue holding on to our faith despite the many trials that we face every day.
So, how are you today my friend? I want to tell you to hold on and don’t give up your hope and faith in the Lord. Trust God and commit to Him all your doubts and fears. The Bible says that His eyes are always on those who fear Him, and his ears are attentive to their prayers (Ps. 34:15). May the Lord bless you always as you continue with your journey of faith.
It is my prayer that you have been blessed today. Listen to this podcast, Gospel in the Air, and be encouraged in your daily walk with Jesus. Gospel in the Air is a podcast ministry of Cornerstone Christian Church. We are located in Maui, Hawaii, USA. You can also visit our website at www.cornerstonemaui.org. This is your host, Brother Dani Marantan Banggo saying, keep punching the good fight of faith. Mahalo!
[1] www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/deaths.htm [Health United States.2016 Table 19].