Chaplain's Corner

Back in January I spent some time pulling my 2012 report together and did a comparison of activity from 2008 to 2012. One of the many things I track is the number of deaths I attend to. Over the past 5 years, I have had the privilege of being present at the time of or shortly after the death of 90 people. Now, I understand if you read this last sentence and have questions about why I would call this a privilege. But in my line of work, accompanying people to death’s door and watching the passage through is, well a very sacred privilege. Most of the time I am there with loving family members and to be welcomed into a family circle at such a time is very special.

A few weeks ago I was chatting on the phone with one of the folks who enjoy this column. She has been the source of more than a few articles, giving me seed ideas to work with (thank you Rose!). In that conversation, she came though again, and I needed her idea as  I’ve been experiencing a bit of a drought in terms of coming up with ideas for subjects for these articles in the last few months.

The question she posed was: “What happens to a person’s spirit when they die?” Now I mentioned that in the last five years I have been present at the time of or shortly after the death of 90 people. In each of those cases, the person’s spirit left the body when death occurred. So where does the spirit go?

Now this question isn’t medical but philosophical and for many people very theological. Therefore, before I attempt to answer the question and before I would ever engages in a debate over this question another question needs to be asked and answered. What question? Well, a very important question, a question about epistemology. Epistemology has to do with how we know what we know, where do we derive authority on the question involved? You see, if you are an atheist, you will answer this question very differently than if you were a Christian. Because Atheists and Christians look to different authorities for the source of their knowledge. The fact is, even if you are a Christian, you may answer this question differently from other Christians because you interpret your authority, the Bible, differently or you may recognize additional authorities along side the Bible.

So, right up front, before I seek to share what I believe about the question: “What happens to a person’s spirit when they die?” I want to acknowledge my authority. I believe (yes this is a matter of faith) that the Bible is the final authority on all matters of faith and practice. By this I mean that if the Bible touches on a subject, the revelation is authoritative as it is understood in its historical, grammatical and cultural contexts. You may not look to the same authority – but this is the one I recognize and where I derive answers to questions like, “What happens to a person’s spirit when they die?”

I believe that the moment a person dies, their spirit departs. But, “Where does the spirit go?” you might ask. That’s an important question. If a person repented of his/her sins and placed his/he trust wholly in Jesus, the Bible teaches that this person’s spirit goes to be “with the Lord”. The Apostle Paul makes this clear in 2 Corinthians 5 where he writes, “We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord”. The spirit of the believer leaving the body at death is clearly what Paul is writing about when you read the first 10 verses of the chapter.

The state of being “with the Lord” is described by Jesus in a story as “Abraham’s bosom” where poor Lazarus” was finally at peace after a life of begging and being treated poorly. Jesus made reference to a place called “paradise” where the spirit of the repentant thief who died beside Jesus would go with Jesus when they died, that very day. John in his Revelation of Jesus Christ speaks of the place believers go when they die as a place of rest as does the writer of the book of Hebrews.

Now these statements all lead me to believe that the moment a person who had repented and trusted fully in the Lord dies, their spirit goes to a place that will be delightful, free of trouble and pain and without the stain of sin and best of all these spirits are “with Jesus”. It seems that there will be consciousness in this state. But it is not the final state of those who believe. For The Bible speaks of a second coming of Jesus to this earth at which time there will be the resurrection of the bodies of those who died “in Christ” and at that moment, the bodies of those who “died in Christ” will be changed, made immortal and imperishable and reunited with their spirits for all eternity and again this final state is described as being “with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17)

Now, the Bible, as I understand it, also teaches that the spirits of those who do not repent and put their faith fully in Jesus will leave their bodies and go to a very different place. In the same story where Jesus talked about Abraham’s bosom, he tells us that the rich man who was godless and uncaring, his spirit departed to a place called hell or Hades, a place of torment and agony. In one of Jesus’ most know conversations with a fellow named Nicodemus he was very clear that the alternative to not believing was perishing or being condemned. Jesus in his Olivet discourse speaks clearly about the destiny of those who reject Him as being “eternal fire”. John in his Revelation of Jesus Christ echoes Jesus’ language speaking of the “lake of fire” where “death and Hades” are thrown after the final judgment.

Now, to be perfectly honest with you, I find such a thought deeply disturbing. I know that many people who claim the Christian faith have decided that no such destiny exits and teach that everyone will find themselves “with the Lord” when they die. I can’t embrace such a conclusion because if the Bible is the authority, then I can not believe in the spirits of believers going to be “with the Lord” when they die and not also believe that the spirits of those who die without repenting and trusting in Jesus going to a place that is separated from Jesus. Now, I’ll admit that I believe this because I look to the Bible as authoritative truth and I know that many people have rejected the Bible as Authoritative truth.

The Bible isn’t clear as to all the details of either destiny, but the details, as far as I’m concerned are not all that important. A clear choice is given to us – either being “with the Lord” or being separated from the Lord. Some believe the spirit “sleeps” between death and the resurrection? I see evidence in the Bible that the spirit is conscious and aware and engaged between death and the resurrection of the body. Some believe that those who don’t trust in Jesus simply cease to exist, but my authority makes it clear that that is not the case.

However, the most basic question is – where do you look for authoritative answered to this kind of question? And, are you absolutely confident that the authority you look to is worthy of your trust? I am, so much so that I am placing my eternal destiny and the manner in which I live my life in this world on the line. Are you so convinced that your authority is absolutely true that you are willing to put everything on the line? That’s what we need to think about, then we will live with the consequences of our commitment.