What Happens After We Die?

Benjamin Franklin said, “In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” His words, though slightly humorous, remind us of a very real truth: One of the things we all have in common is that everyone dies.

At one time or another, most people wonder what will happen when they die. Death feels frightening and mysterious, and perspectives on what happens and what it means vary significantly.

Yet, the Bible teaches that God has set eternity in the hearts of humans (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This is one of the main reasons why death makes us sad; we were not created to die. That is why there are many passages in the Bible that make it clear we do not cease to exist when our earthly bodies die. Here are five questions the Bible answers about death:

Where Do People Spend Eternity?

Heaven or Hell. The Bible teaches that there are only two choices: eternity with God or eternity separated from God, often referred to as heaven and hell. From an eternal standpoint, to be present in one is to be absent from the other. The choice of where you will reside in eternity is the greatest question you will face in this life. 

"And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?" (Mark 8:36)

My Favorite Chapter (Romans 8)

Romans, Chapter 8 (ESV) [A Letter to Believers]

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin,he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

American Pie

In honor of one of the greatest songs in recent history, the 50th anniversary of Don McLean's classic, "American Pie". The true meaning of this song has been a source of interest since it's release but I personally love Don McLean's response the best. Asked to convey the meaning of his greatest hit Don replied,  "It means I never have to work again.".

A Man After God's Own Heart

The Bible says David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14; Acts 13:22). Actually, God called David "a man after His own heart" twice! I've always been in awe of this title, bestowed upon David by Almighty God, and yet David seemed to live a life that was far less virtuous than many other men and women of the Bible. (Joseph, Elijah, Elisha are just a few names that come to mind)

For those who might not be familiar with David's story he was chosen as a young man to be the King of Israel. But first he proved himself worthy through multiple trials and challenges. He slay the champion of one of Israel's mightiest enemies, Goliath the giant. He served faithfully under King Saul despite Saul's manic mood swings and even Saul's attempts at ending David's life. He wrote just under half of the Psalm's in the Bible. He also killed a man, Uriah the Hittite, to obtain that man's wife. He lived in non-repentance for that sin for at least a year, then expressed disbelief when confronted with his sin by Nathan the prophet. His family situation was a mess, with one of his children attempting to kill him and take his throne. One of his wife's despised his walk with God, and one of his children raped his half-sister. One of his son's killed his own brother. And yet the Bible tells us that David took no action. (To learn more about this account read 2nd Samuel 13 and beyond) His family leadership was passive at best, destructive at worst. 

Like all of us, David was human.

But what made him a man after God's own heart?