A. Why do Christians die?
1. Death is not punishment for Christians - Romans 8:1.
2. Death is the final outcome of living in a fallen world - 1 Corinthians 15:26.
3. God uses death to complete our sanctification - Hebrews 12:6.
4. Our obedience to God is more important than preserving our own lives - Philippians 1:20.
B. How should we think of our own death and the death of others?
1. Our own death - 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21-23.
2. The death of other Christians - 1 Thessalonians 4:13.
3. The death of unbelievers - Romans 9:1-3.
C. What happens when people die?
1. The souls of believers go immediately into God's presence - Luke 23:43.
2. The Bible does not teach purgatory.
3. The Bible does not teach soul sleep
- John 11:11-13; Revevlation 6:9.
4. Should we pray for the dead?
5.The souls of unbelievers go immediately to hell - Luke 16:24-26; Hebrews 9:27.
D. Glorification
1. Glorification is the final step in the application of redemption. It will happen when Christ returns and raises from the dead the bodies of all believers for all time who have
died, and reunites them with their souls, and changes the bodies of all believers who remain alive, thereby giving all believers at the same time perfect resurrection bodies like His own.
2. Biblical support: 1 Corinthians 15:12-58, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.
3. What will our resurrection bodies be like?
- Example of seeds - 1 Corinthians 15:42-49.
- Will not die again - Revelation 2:11.
- Our bodies will be like the resurrected Jesus - 1 John 3:2.
REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Is death a punishment for Christians? Explain.
2. Is death a good thing? Explain.
3. What happens when a Christian dies?
4. What happens when a non-believer dies?
5. Why is the doctrine of purgatory wrong?
TERMS
Death, glorification, purgatory, soul sleep, spiritual body.
WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM
Q37: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at death?
A37: The souls of believers are at their death made perfect in holiness, and do immediately pass into glory; and their bodies, being still united to Christ,
do rest in their graves till the resurrection.
Q38: What benefits do believers receive from Christ at the resurrection?
A38: At the resurrection, believers, being raised up in glory, shall be openly acknowledged, and acquitted in the day of judgement, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoying of God to all eternity.