Saturday 12 July 2008

Life After Death

Immortality has been a question that has worried people for thousands of years. Even today with our unbelievable technology, people are still interested in this. Is there life after death?

There is no greater book than the Bible to answer that question. After all the writer of the Book is the creator and sustainer of all life. He is all powerful, omnipotent, He is all present, omnipresent and He is all knowing, omniscient. If anyone can tell us about these things it is God, and we can find the answers in His Book.

In the 2 Corinthians 5:1-2 we read, “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven.”

In this passage there is a contrast between “our earthly house” and “a building from God”. The first is temporary, it is called a tent. The second is permanent, it is called a building, it is eternal in the heavens. Of course the apostle is speaking to us about our physical bodies and our eternal bodies.

The Bible teaches that there is life after death. It is possible to have a “habitation which is in the heavens”. We receive this from God. We receive this by doing His will.

When Jesus walked on the earth He taught on a great many things – He naturally taught on this important topic. In Luke 16:19-31 His teaching is recorded.
“There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day. But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried. And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented. And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
Jesus here stated clearly that there is indeed life after death. After Lazarus died he went to Abraham’s bosom, a place of rest and comfort. When the rich man died he went into torments in Hades.

Yes, there is life after death. The question remains, where are you headed? Now that's a good question!

No comments: