Sunday Evening Sermon

Preached by John Gaines at Leonard Street Church of Christ

July 13, 2003

1. This morning we talked about the certainty of death -- it is coming for everyone of us -- and the uncertainty of death -- most of the time we don't know the day or hour when we will meet that appointment with death.

2. Humans have a natural curiosity. That is especially so when the subject matter is something so important to us as what it will be like for us after we die. The Bible does not answer every question we might have on all the specifics about what like after death will be like. Pure speculation about things the Bible does not reveal would be useless for us. The secret things continue to remain with God, but the things that are revealed belong to us [Deuteronomy 29:29 (NKJV) "The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.] In the next few minutes, we will study some things we can learn from the Bible about what life after death will be like.

I. FOUR CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE WILL DIE.

At death, worldly distinctions won't matter. After death, how wealthy we were, how well-educated we were, how attractive and charming we were, what nationality we were -- all distinctions of this sort will be totally meaningless. The only distinction that matters is how we stand before God.

A. Babies and other non-accountable persons have no need to be concerned about death.

1. It is a tragedy for new parents to lose an infant to crib death (SIDS) or some other untimely cause of death. However, those parents have no reason for worry about the destiny of their baby's soul. [Matthew 18:3 (KJV) And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.] Cf. Luke 18:16 (NKJV) But Jesus called them to Him and said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.

2. It is a widespread belief that babies are born into the world with inherited guilt from the sin of Adam. Theologians and preachers have taught this idea for centuries, but the Bible does not teach it.

a. Ezekiel 18:20 (NKJV) "The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.

b. What about Romans 5:19? Doesn't that teach that we are made sinners because of Adam's sin? The verse says, For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous. Paul is teaching that sin came by Adam and righteousness comes by Christ. When Adam sinned, things changed. The knowledge of good and evil came into the world. Since that time, we have a moral sense of right and wrong. Furthermore, we all suffer consequences because Adam sinned. Adam and Eve were driven out of the garden of Eden and denied access to the tree of life. Thus, mortality came upon humanity. We grow older and we die. But what about guilt? Do we inherit guilt from Adam? Look back up to Romans 5:12 (NKJV) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned; We are guilty of sins we commit, not sins that Adam committed. The soul who sins shall die; we're not responsible for the guilt of others' sins.

c. Babies are unable to commit sin. They don't inherit anyone else's sins. Therefore, babies have no sins. They are not accountable. If a baby dies, his eternal destiny is sealed beyond question. That soul will be in heaven in eternity!

B. Faithful Christians can be assured of a heavenly reward.

1. Revelation 2:10 (NKJV) "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

2. 1 John 1:7 (NKJV) But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. As long as we walk in the light, we are sinless because the blood of Jesus Christ keeps on cleansing us from all sin.

3. Jesus promised the penitent thief on the cross that they would be together in paradise [Luke 23:43 (NKJV) And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."] If we're faithful when we die, we can expect the same destination.

C. Those lost in sin face eternity separated from God.

1. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 (NKJV) and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,

2. John 5:28-29 (NKJV) "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.

D. Unfaithful Christians -- those who have gone back to the pollutions of the world -- will find themselves in the worst condtion of all [2 Peter 2:20-22 (NKJV) For if, after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the latter end is worse for them than the beginning. 21 For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 But it has happened to them according to the true proverb: "A dog returns to his own vomit," and, "a sow, having washed, to her wallowing in the mire."]

II. DEATH IS A SEPARATION OF THE BODY AND THE SPIRIT

A. James 2:26 (NKJV) For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

B. After death, the body goes to the grave and the spirit returns to God [Ecclesiastes 12:7 (NKJV) Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it.] In the resurrection, bodies will come forth from their graves [John 5:28-29, ". . . all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth. . . ."]

C. The spirit departs to be with Christ [Philippians 1:23]. I know it is the spirit that is with Christ since the body goes to the grave. Jesus told the thief on the cross that they would be together in Paradise [Luke 23:43 (NKJV) And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."] We know that Paradise is somewhere other than heaven where God is because after His resurrection, Jesus told Mary Magdalene that He had not yet ascended to His Father [John 20:17].

D. The Bible uses the word Hades to describe the place of the dead. The story of the rich man and Lazarus gives us a glimpse into the hadean world. The rich man died and found himself in Hades [Luke 16:23]. It was a place of torment. In the story, he was able to talk with Abraham who was on the other side of "a great gulf" which could not be passed over from either side. [Luke 16:26]. After death, there will be no changing sides. Everyone will be either on one side or the other -- Paradise or Torment.

E. The following chart gives an overview of Bible teaching about what will happen after death:

III. CONSIDER THE DESTINIES OF THE FOUR GROUPS AFTER DEATH:

A. The "Safe" (babies, small children, mentally incompetent, etc.) -- no sin, no possibility of being lost

B. Faithful Christians

1. Crown of life [Revelation 2:10]

2. Crown of righteousness [2 Timothy 4:8]

3. "Enter into the joy of your Lord" [Matthew 25:21, 23]

C. Those who never obey the gospel -- lost in sin -- tormented in flame [Luke 16:24] -- judgment will be condemnation to everlasting punishment in fire prepared for the devil and his angels [Matthew 25:41].

D. Unfaithful Christians -- more knowledge and more opportunities -- greater responsibility [Luke 12:47-48 (NKJV) "And that servant who knew his master's will, and did not prepare himself or do according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. 48 "But he who did not know, yet committed things deserving of stripes, shall be beaten with few. For everyone to whom much is given, from him much will be required; and to whom much has been committed, of him they will ask the more.]

CONCLUSION

1. We haven't answered all possible questions. I haven't told you whether we'll know what is happening back on earth. I haven't told you whether we'll recognize the spirits of people we've known on earth. I have opinions on those things, but it's just speculation. I can't give Bible answers so it's better to keep quiet. I might not have satisfied your curiosity, but this study should leave you convinced of one truth: what happens after death depends on how we live before death.

2. It is a very serious matter to consider the need to prepare ourselves for the time when death will come. When we're ready, it will be a joyful homecoming. When we're living with unforgiven sin, death is only the doorway to something much worse than we've ever imagined.

3. Invitation