Expert: Tom Smith - 7/16/2004

Question
Hello,

I wish to know the interpretation of the theme of 'death' within the sacred writings and stories in the Bible. For instance, what does Christianity portray death as, weather there is life after death, etc..
Would you be able to assist me?

Thanks in advance.

Answer
Yes, scripture does speak of life after death. Exactly what that life is depends upon whether you have received Jesus as Saviour or not. Let's looks at what scripture has to say about it:

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
NKJV

John 3:36
36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
NKJV

John 1:12
12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:
NKJV

John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
NKJV

What does it mean to receive Him and have everlasting life?

Rom 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death,
NKJV

The Saviour is to save us from teh impact of our own sin and restore the right relationship with God. It is not God who has condemened us but we who have condemned ourselves throuigh sin.

So, if we need to be saved, by implication none who require a Saviour can be the Saviour. Thus we need to find someone who does not need a Saviour, one who is sinless, yet scripture says:

Rom 3:9-12
10 As it is written:
"There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
NKJV

So how does one find a Saviour? Let's see who is qualified.

Isa 43:3
3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
NKJV

God is our Saviour. He is sinless. Are there others?

Hos 13:4
4 "Yet I am the LORD your God
Ever since the land of Egypt,
And you shall know no God but Me;
For there is no Savior besides Me.
NKJV

No, there is no one else qualified. There is but one way to the father.

John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
NKJV

Therefore if Jesus is the Saviour, he must be God in the flesh:

1 Tim 3:16
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
NKJV

And because he was born in the flesh to enter the world as a man, Jesus is called the Son of God. Why would God come to earth to die for rebellious mankind?

John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
NKJV

And what is the impact of receving Jesus Christ as Saviour?

John 3:36
36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
NKJV

Rom 5:10-12
11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

And this opportunity is open to all.

Rom 10:10-13
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
NKJV

Ans there is absolutely nothing that we as men can do to save ourselves:

Eph 2:8-9
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
NKJV

If you have not yet made the decision to receive Jesus as Saviour, please consider His invitation:

Rev 3:20-22
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
NKJV

Remember what I said early that if one Saviour had finished the job, the rest would not be necessary?

John 19:30
30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
NKJV

Thus, Jesus finished the job. But the story did not end.

1 Cor 15:3-8
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
NKJV

So Jesus was resurrected on the third day and is alive today and ready to receive those who call upon His name in truth and are ready to accept Him as Lord and Saviour.

This is one way to live after death. The other is for those who have not receive Jesus as Saviour. Remember where it said that the wages of sin death?

John 3:14-21
14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 18 He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.
NKJV

Note that there is a flip side here. All have sinned and as this verse says, those who have not receive Him and receive teh free giftof having His death on the cross pay the price for their sins have condemned themselves. But to what?

Rev 20:14-15
14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
NKJV

Rev 21:7-8
7 He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. 8 But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."
NKJV

Matt 25:41-42
41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
NKJV

Matt 18:8-9
8 If your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into the everlasting fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.
NKJV

So the alternative to living forever in everlasting peace and a right relationship with God is to spend eternity in the lake of fire.

Either way there is life after death, and which path we take is our choice - either we receive Christ's sacrifice as payment for your sins, or we end up in everlasting condemnation - condemnation as a result of our own choices.