WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE ?

by Robert Brow  (www.brow.on.ca)    Aurora, Ontario         May 2008




Jesus was certain he would come out with a resurrection body the other
side of death. This was based on his experience of the Holy Spirit who
had conceived him and empowered every part of his ministry.  But by
his death and resurrection there was an astonishing change. "As all
die in Adam (our human body), so all will be made alive in the
Messiah" (1 Corinthians 15:22). Instead of going down into sheol (the
abode of the dead), resurrection is now guaranteed for all (Acts
24:15). All will be raised, but death also offers us the freedom to
reject the light and love of God and deliberately choose the darkness
of eternal death ( John 3:19).


For Paul death is like moving from a tent to a permanent building. "If
the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God,
a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (2 Corinthians
5:1). But it is only by the Spirit that we are given this assurance.
Paul goes on to say "He who has prepared us for this very thing is
God, who has given us the Spirit as a guarantee" (2 Corinthians 5:5).
This means that though death is conquered, many live with no assurance
of the resurrection. This is why the certainty of the resurrection was
such an important part of early Christian preaching (Acts 4:2; 1
Corinthians 15:12, 20-22; 17:32; 23:6; 24:15, 21).

Robert Brow
e-mail : browr@brow.on.ca
web site : www.brow.on.ca

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