Like Lazarus and the rich man, immediately after death a person is in
a conscious state. They understand at the moment after they die
whether they are going to be judged and condemned to hell or they will
know Jesus and be in His presence immediately.
The apostle Paul understood that to be absent from the body was to be
present with the Lord as he wrote in II Corinthians 5:6-8: " Therefore
we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the
body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We
are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at
home with the Lord." In verse one of this same chapter he says, "For
we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a
building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human
hands."
The understanding is that the moment one dies in the faith, they are
absent from earth but immediately present with the Lord. Paul doesn't
qualify this with "but if we kill ourselves then we will not be
present with the Lord." In fact in verse 5 he says, "Now the one who
has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the
Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." Thus, God is
guaranteeing our delivery into the Lord's presence. But if you are not
born-again, then your fate, immediately after death is where the rich
man was. He was in eternal torment being tortured by fire and was
unable to cross over to the other side where God was (Luke 16:19-31).
If you die without Christ, your fate is sealed. This is why it is so
important that today you come to saving faith in Christ while it is
still called today for no one has any guarantee that tomorrow will
ever come (Heb. 4:7)
No Guarantees Apart from Christ
The rich man that died could never have any hope of going to heaven.
When a person dies without Christ, they can not choose to accept to
believe in Him then. It is too late. Those who think that they might
commit suicide take a great risk; that is a risk of spending eternity
apart from God.
If a person is not saved they will have to give an account for
everything that they have ever done or said in their entire life (Rev.
20). They will stand guilty and be judged for eternity by God
Almighty. Jesus can not help them then. If they commit suicide, they
will also have to pay the penalty for murder; that is murdering their
own selves. That will be a burden and everyone's suffering in eternal
torment is according to what they have done while alive on earth.
After a person dies without Christ they know that they are going to be
separated from God for all eternity; they will know this a split
second after they die. Then of course, it is too late to repent and be
saved.
God-Given Guarantee
Once a person is saved, that is born-again, there is no way that they
will ever be lost again. Not only that, they will not lose the reward
of heaven and being in the presence of Jesus Christ. Here are biblical
guarantees:
I Peter 1:3-5 "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living
hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and
into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This
inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded
by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be
revealed in the last time. "
Romans 8:38 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any
powers…"
Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30 "And you also were included in Christ when you
heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you
believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy
Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the
redemption of those who are God's possession—to the praise of his
glory." And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were
sealed for the day of redemption. "
2 Corinthians 5:5 "Now the one who has fashioned us for this very
purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing
what is to come."
Reflect on these words straight from the mouth of God since all
scripture is God-breathed and inspired by God Himself (II Tim 3:16).
God says about those who are saved that they are: sealed for the day
of redemption, guaranteed for what is to come, promised that you are
His possession, have a deposit for an eternal inheritance, an
inheritance that can never perish! Wow…yes, believe it. God would not
have you born-again only to abort you at the last moment. We are
saved, as Paul says, that not even the demons, or an angel, anything
in the future, past, or present, or even death itself could rob.
In Philippians 1:6 God says through Paul that "being confident of
this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to
completion until the day of Christ Jesus." God will complete what He
has started. No matter what happens. And yes, this includes someone
who takes their own life. Many biblical heroes have contemplated
suicide: Job, Jeremiah, Jonah, and even mighty Samson.
A Loss of Rewards
In I Corinthians 3: 12-15, Paul relates that we can lose rewards but
not our eternal life, as he writes, "If anyone builds on this
foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw,
their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it
to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the
quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the
builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will
suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping
through the flames." Read any Bible commentary on these verses and it
clearly shows that a Christian will receive rewards at the Bema
Judgment Seat of Christ. This is not to be confused with the Great
White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20 where those who died without
Christ are thrown into the lake of fire.
In I Corinthians chapter three, Paul speaks about some losing rewards
due to carnal works that will be burned up. Each Christian will be
rewarded by what they have done while on this earth; did they help the
poor, witness to the lost about the gospel, visit someone in the
hospital or prison, and so on. So even though a Christian can take
their own life, they will not lose their eternal life. They will lose
rewards yes, but not their eternal inheritance. Remember that if you
were born-again, you are sealed with a promise, guaranteed an
inheritance and God will complete in you what He has begun; even
despite our own selves.
Of course suicide is not a good way to end our earthly suffering. If
you are in an extended state of depression, please seek immediate
help. Anyone who is not saved and commits suicide is in serious
trouble for they will have the wrath of God upon them at the Great
White Throne Judgment Seat. If you find yourself in a serious,
extended state of depression, seek professional help immediately. I
pray that if you are not saved, you will know Jesus Christ today.
Accept the free gift of eternal life. All you have to do is believe
and acknowledge your sins before God. He will freely give you grace.
It is just that simple. Do this right now and nothing can ever
separate you from God…for all eternity.
Conclusion
Immediately after you die you will either be in Hell or Heaven.
Believers, when they die, are absent from the body and present with
the Lord (2 Cor 5:6-8). Eternal life is a guarantee and when a
believer takes his own life he will lose rewards in Heaven, but he
will not lose his place in Heaven. An unbeliever, when he dies, knows
a split second after death that they are eternally separated from God
(just like in the account of Lazarus and the rich man). After death it
is too late to be saved. There is help for those who are contemplating
suicide. Please seek help rather than death.
No comments:
Post a Comment