I See Dead People?
The television and movie world continue to make millions depicting dead people who are not really dead (primarily: vampires, ghosts and zombies). Like the heros in the old Ghostbusters movie, many are even making a living by claiming the ability to detect and remove these troublesome dead souls who are still around. One of my favorite "ghost" programs is the Ghost Whisperer. This lady sees dead people (souls lingering with the living after death). The show is about Belinda trying to find out why they are sticking around and helping them into the light. Her life's goal is to help as many souls into the light as possible. Her character is noble and selfless in her efforts to be of help to these wayward spirits of the dead. Of course, this is a work of fiction for our entertainment and for their profit.
Perhaps the reason these stories
about the dead are so popular is because we all know we too shall die. But, of
all the people Melinda has helped into the light, there is never a mention of
God's True plan to save the lost by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If we lay aside
all the science fiction and the imagination of the entertainment industry, we
can actually gain a clearer picture of what really awaits us after death. Even more importantly, we should be
especially focused the kind of faith we have while alive and how our choices
affects us after we die.
Please allow me to briefly address
some things the Bible has to say concerning the word "death" and what
waits for us when our time to die finally comes.
Physical Death Is Not
The End Of Our Existence:
Some would have us think that death means we no longer
exist in any way, shape or form. But the
Bible teaches us that physical death is not the end of our existence. In the book of
Matthew, Jesus is confronted by some religious leaders (Sadducees) who did not
believe in an afterlife. Jesus quotes a
statement made by God. "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of
Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the
living. And when the multitude heard
this, they were astonished at his doctrine" (Matthew 22:32-33) If any of the sincere listeners were on the fence with their beliefs about the
afterlife, they were probably amazed at the plain and simple truth of God's
words. God did not say "I was"
their God. Speaking of the dead, He uses the present tense to proclaim "I am" their God. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob still existed
somewhere according to God.
The very hope of all Christian teaching has to do with the resurrection and our relationship with God after physical death. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead is clear evidence that it is not all over for us at physical death. "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living" (Rom 14:9). Paul, by inspiration said, "...there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust" (Acts 24:15). Jesus said, "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation" (John 5:28-29). The Apostles were to preach to all the people that Jesus, ... "was ordained of God to be the Judge of the quick (living) and dead" (Acts 10:42).
If we reject the
existence of the afterlife, we are blind to the truth and purpose of the Bible
altogether. Paul addressed the false
teaching that there is no resurrection and said if this is true then we should
all just "...eat
and drink; for tomorrow we die" (1 Cor 15:32). The truth is, the Bible was
written to reveal to us what we need to prepare for our after death
existence. Paul told the church, "If in this life only we have hope in
Christ, we are of all men most miserable" (1 Cor 15:19). God, speaking His truth in the scriptures,
tells us the grave is not our
"final resting place."
But we are not left
to figure out this afterlife stuff on our own, nor are we wise to let Hollywood
explain it all to us. God's Word is the
authoritative truth about all things eternal.
In this coming judgment, it is God's Word which will judge us. Jesus warns us, "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that
judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last
day" (John 12:48).
Death In the Bible:
The Bible uses the
word "death" in several different ways depending on its context. But, it is always speaking more about a
separation (and the accompanying
limitations) between two things than it is about something no longer
existing. We also shall see, depending on the context, one might
be "dead" in one sense, but alive in another.
Physical Death:
First of all, there
is physical death: the separation of our spirit from our bodies.
"For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works
is dead also." (James 2:26). Likewise, physical death is overcome when the
body and spirit are reunited. "And they laughed him to scorn,
knowing that she was dead. And he put
them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose
straightway: and he commanded to give her meat." (Luke 8:53-55)
Jesus literally died
physically on the cross. In His death we
see this temporary separation of body and soul (spirit). "He
seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not
left in hell (hades, place of the dead) neither his flesh (body in tomb) did
see corruption." (Acts 2:31). The Greek Word "Hades" is
translated as "hell" along with a number of other words in the King
James Version. But, "hell" in
this context is not talking about the place of final punishment (Greek: gehenna),
but of Greek: hades, the grave or waiting place of physically dead spirits.
Jesus gives us a
specific account of two men who were dead and buried physically. One was a self centered rich man and the
other a poor beggar named Lazarus. They
both had existence after death and had gone somewhere (hades?), like Jesus, with
other dead souls (Abraham was there).
The rich man was in torment because his wicked life had followed
him. He wanted Lazarus to go back to the
world of the living and warn his brothers not to die in his condition. Abraham told him that, if they would not
believe the scriptures, they would not believe one who had returned from the
dead. (Luke 16:19-31).
According to Jesus'
words here and what actually happened to Him, we too (our spirits or souls)
will someday be in this place called "hades" when we die physically. How we prepare while
alive will determine which part of hades we will experience. Physical death is
that time of temporary separation of our body and spirit until the resurrection
of all who are in the grave.
Spiritual Death:
There is another kind
of death spoken of in the Bible which we will call "spiritual"
death. People who are physically alive
can be dead in a spiritual sense.
Spiritual death occurs when a living person's soul is in a state of
separation from fellowship and acceptance with God.
Like
Adam, we are all created in the image of God and are spiritually one with
God. But when we sin we die spiritually
and are separated from God's fellowship just as Adam was cast out of God's
presence. Adam did not die physically
that day, but he did die in another way because he lost his good relationship
with God. Paul explains that, " the wages of sin is
death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our
Lord." (Rom_6:23). Paul also
reminds us that, "...all have sinned, and come short of
the glory of God." (Rom 3:23).
The Prophet Isaiah says, "But your
iniquities (sins) have separated between you and your God, and your sins have
hid his face from you, that he will not hear." (Isa 59:2). Ezekiel quotes God as
saying, "Behold, all souls are
mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul
that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezek 18:4).
Spiritual death is not just about
having sinned. It is about being lost
and unwilling to hear and obey the words and instructions of God about how to
be saved. It is about rejecting God's
invitation to be saved by the blood of His Son Jesus. Many of these dead do not even realize they
are dead. They are religious in some
way, but lost because they have never submitted themselves to God's Word, only
the religious teaching of men (Rom
10:1-3).
Jesus
further supports this idea of being dead (spiritually) while still being
physically alive. When some of His disciples began giving excuses about not
following Him, he told them, "let
the dead bury the dead." (Matt 8:22).
Listen carefully as Paul reminds the
church in Ephesus of their previous state of death. "And you hath he
quickened (made alive), who were dead in trespasses and sins: Wherein in time
past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of
disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation (lifestyle, rj) in
times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and
of the mind; and were by nature (habitual lifestyle, rj) the children of wrath,
even as others." (Eph 2:1-3).
Of course, obedient faith in the Gospel of Jesus is the
only possible way we can be made alive and restored to a saving relationship
with God. Jesus became the author of
eternal life to "...all them that obey him"
(Heb 5:9). Our response to the
Gospel is very specific. It is not just
believing ("the devils also believe
and tremble", James 2:19). It
is about loving God and obeying His word to demonstrate Biblical faith so we
may receive His precious grace. Have you believed, repented, confessed faith in
Christ and been immersed for the remission of your sins?? (Mark 16:15,16; Acts 2:38). If you have not, then you are still
separated from God. You are dead in a very frightening sense.
Dead To Sin:
Another kind of death has to do with
a true believer remaining separated from acts of sin. We are to be dead to sin so that it no longer
controls us. This is considering oneself
dead to old ways and old desires. It is being
dead to the old self. Paul said, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Gal 2:20).
Our
submission to God in baptism clearly details when we die to self, are buried
and then raised to live a new life in Christ, thus separated from our sins:
"God forbid. How shall we,
that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death? Therefore we
are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up
from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in
newness of life. For if we have been
planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness
of his resurrection:" (Romans
6:2-5).
The "Second Death":
Finally, there is
another death mentioned in the Bible. While we are alive physically, but still
spiritually separated from God, there is still time to hear and obey the
Gospel. But, if physical death takes us
while we are spiritually dead, all hope of salvation is gone. In this "second death" we will be
forever lost and separated from God.
"He that hath an ear, let
him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not
be hurt of the second death ...But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers,
and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second
death." (Rev 2:11; 21:8).
I See Dead People:
It is our work as the
church of Christ to see dead people.
Souls who are separated from God by their sin, but are not yet willing
to hear and obey the truth of the Gospel.
Sort of like Melinda, in the Ghost Whisperer, a Christian's job is to
help as many people into the light of God's Truth as possible. Unfortunately, this can only be done before
they die physically. One who dies
separated from God has only the "second death" in the lake of fire in
their future. After this study you should
be able to see "dead" people.
If you see one in the mirror, please get your Bible out so the truth can
make you free and ready to meet God (John
8:32).
Remember, there are
the dead who do not know they are dead.
Will you study the Bible to find out if you or those you love are really
dead while they live (1 Tim 5:6), destined
for the "second death?" We
must look for the light before physical death.
Full trust and submission to Jesus and God's Word is our only hope of
receiving a restored relationship with God forever.
"Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the
world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the
light of life." (John 8:12).
"But if our gospel be hid,
it is hid to them that are lost: In
whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,
lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God,
should shine unto them." (2 Corinthians 4:3-4).
Jesus compared true obedient faith
in conversion to being born again (anew)
(John 3:3). If you understand the
verses we have mentioned along with this one, then the meaning of this popular
statement will be clear to you:
"Born
once, die twice. Born twice, die once."
