E50 - Hope’s Harbor Gritty Bible Devotions - Christian Soul at Death - What Happens?
Hope’s Harbor
Gritty Bible Devotions
Episode #50
Title: Christian Soul at Death – What happens?
Date: April 18, 2022
Contact: info@hopesharbor.net
Key verse(s): Luke 23:43 – ‘And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."’
Intro: There is too much speculation concerning life after death to go into all the beliefs. Even in Christian teaching, there may be confusion on the matter.
So let us look at one defining verse in Luke 23:43, and then we’ll examine other verses in the New Testament related to what happens to us when we die.
The Bible is clear when we look at what Jesus said to the thief on the cross beside Him when the man asked Jesus to remember him when He came into His Kingdom. I’ll read the key verse again but when I do listen to Jesus’s words to this doomed man.
Luke 23:43 – ‘And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."’
Devotion focus: Do not fear Death
In the key verse of Luke 23:43, there is a record of Jesus’s crucifixion. Beside Him on crosses, one to the right and the other to the left, are two other men being put to death with the Son of GOD.
One of them asked Jesus to remember him and Jesus answered, “Assuredly…”
By saying this Jesus lets the man know what He is about to tell him is trustworthy.
“I say to you…” This is the King of Heaven speaking now with all authority to make the promise coming next. “…today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Today, not purgatory, not soul sleep, not some kind of limbo, but “Today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
We could stop right there and without another word on the subject to answer the question of what happens to us when we die.
If you take this one verse and study it, read it again and again until your understanding expands you will see how much theology is contained in this one verse.
I’ll list one or two:
That thief saw something in Jesus hanging there under the same death sentence as him. By faith, he expressed hope when he asked Jesus to remember him.
When Jesus said “Assuredly, I say…” revealed Jesus’s authority over death. Jesus is the Son of GOD and cannot lie. And Jesus promised life after death may be spent with Him.
These verses confirm this statement:
2 Corinthians 5:8 – ‘We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.’
Romans 6:8 – ‘Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,
Romans 6:9 - ‘knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.
Romans 6:10 - ‘For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.’
Jesus not only declared assurance of life after the death of the body when He promised the man he would be with Him. This promise goes further by indicating if there is life with Jesus, for why would He make note of that except there is also life after death without Him.
Life after death without being in the presence of GOD is called in Scripture the second death.
Revelation 20:6 – ‘Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.’
This second death is described as being cast into the lake of fire for eternity.
Revelation 20:10 - The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Revelation 20:15 – ‘And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.’
Revelation 21:8 - ‘But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.’
Listen, beloved… I only mentioned these verses describing the terrible ending for those who die without GOD’s forgiveness in order for you to appreciate your new life with Jesus and keep you thankful for all He did for you and me on that cross.
Summary: When Scripture is read with the totality of GOD’s Word in view as truth and interpreted by allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture you will be assured your soul is eternally safe from the instant you prayed asking GOD’s forgiveness, the prayer of salvation, and became a child of GOD.
(Act 2:21 – ‘And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’)
Fear of losing your salvation is a lie of Satan to steal your peace. Jesus said while praying to GOD His Father in John 17:12 – “While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Your name. Those whom You gave Me I have kept; and none of them is lost except the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.” (The son of perdition is a reference to Judas Iscariot. See Acts 1:16-20)
How does this apply to us that none are lost? John 17:20 - "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;”
Action to consider: Read through the show notes for this episode, #50, at hopesharbor.net and focus on the verses promising immediate life with Jesus in Heaven upon death. Let Jesus speak to your soul.
Act 2:21 – ‘And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
Next week’s devotion: A love story – the book of Ruth