Expert: Rev. Stuart Woodward - 3/18/2010

Question
Why do most Christians believe that at the moment of death one goes to heaven immediately?   The only two verses I can think of are (1) the thief on the cross [this day be with me in paradise] and (2) being absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
However, there are numerous verses where people were obviously dead yet are referred to as being asleep.  In the end I know everything is under God's control, and whether He puts us into some sort of "coma" [for want of no better word to describe it] until he raises us up at second coming, or we go immediately to heaven, there is nothing we can do about it.   Thanks so much for your willingness to answer questions.

Answer
Hello Alan,
Thank you for your question. It has a subject that many Christians have disagreed about for centuries because the scriptures can be read either way. However, for me the story Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16 :19-31 suggests we go straight to heaven. I appreciate that Jesus was telling a story and not making a doctrinal statement but I find it hard to believe that He would use a story that would mislead on this point.
Of course we forget that time, in the way that we experience and measure it, is part creation and God lives outside of time. Yesterday, today and tomorrow are as one to Him so we ought not to get too authoritarian in our particular views of what happens at death, as we enter a context of living that is very different to now. You are wise to trust that it is in the Lord's hands and He always gets it right.
I hope these comments are of some help.
May God bless you.
Stuart Woodward.