The Fate of the Saved for paper

Now as I said in my previous column, what happens to the saved is radically different from what happens to the unsaved. What happens to the saved after their spirit separates from their body is made very clear in scripture. When the saved die, their spirit goes directly into the presence of the Lord. At this point we remember the words of Jesus to the thief on the cross, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”. This also points out something else that happens to the saved at death. A sinner cannot enter into the presence of God. Yet this thief, who was a sinner like all of us, entered into the presence of God in heaven. All our sin is removed from us at death. Initially all our sin is removed from us in baptism and God continues to cleanse us through confession and absolution and Holy Communion. But we sin daily. In spite of our sin, our spirit goes to heaven in a state of holiness. God makes our sanctification complete: “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.”  Ephesians 5: 25b – 27

So at the moment of death the believer passes immediately into the personal presence of Jesus Christ in a state of consciousness and holiness. They no longer have a sinful nature. This is our hope and comfort as we stand at the graveside of a loved one.

Paul described his body as a tent he lived in and called heaven his true home, saying we live as aliens and foreigners here on earth, that our citizenship or true home is in heaven. Paul wrote that at his death, when his spirit is separated from the body he would be with Christ: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.”  Philippians 1: 21 – 23  and “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  2 Corinthians 5: 8  These are the words of a man who believed that heaven would begin at the moment of his death. This is also why Jesus said: “I tell you the truth, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.”  John 8: 51  And also: “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”  John 11: 25, 26

So the spirit of Christians enters heaven in a state of holiness at the moment of death. But that’s not the whole story. A bodiless eternal existence in heaven is not our final destiny. When Christ returns at the end of the age our physical body is resurrected in a perfected state; that is without a sinful nature and without any disease or defect. It is a glorified body like Christ’s after his resurrection and is no longer subject to death.  Paul described our physical resurrection: “According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”  1 Thessalonians 4: 13 – 17

And in Corinthians Paul describes our resurrected body: ‘So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body.”  1 Corinthians 15: 42 – 44

In this life our bodies wear out, like a clock continually running down, but when we are raised, it will be with bodies that can never decay, never wear out, never suffer injury, never grow old, never get sick, and thank God, never die.

Then, after our resurrection we also will be part of the judgement, but our outcome is described as “take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.” And “the righteous to eternal life.” A radically different outcome compared to the Lake of Fire.

Then after the judgement Revelation describes the wedding feast of the Lamb, where the church, the body of Christ, is married to Christ and becomes one with him. Then the earth which has been destroyed by fire is recreated and also perfected. The Church Triumphant, described as the New Jerusalem comes down out of heaven to the recreated earth, where we will live eternally, spirit and resurrected physical body, with the Triune God. His throne will be among us and he will live with us. Revelation describes this eternal existence: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”  Revelation 21: 3b, 4

So death for a Christian is not to be feared, is something we can actually look forward to. Christians have always faced death with confidence. If you know Jesus, you have nothing to fear when death knocks at your door.

Blessings,