Redemption: Death, Resurrection, and In Between

We are in the heart of our series on Sound Doctrine.  If you’re new to the series, you may be wondering why are we talking about doctrine?  Or where are we in the journey?  Or maybe even, what is doctrine?

The word doctrine comes from Latin roots and means “teaching”.  In the context of Christianity, a doctrine is a teaching of what the Bible has to say about a particular topic.

The title of the series alludes to Titus 2:1, which says,

You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.  Titus 2:1

The “however” comes from warnings Paul wrote to Titus in chapter 1.  People inside the church were teaching unsound doctrine, and it was having strongly negative effects on the church.  This kind of thing happens still to this day.

Unfortunately, there are people who misuse the Christian name and teach things contrary to the Bible. It goes without saying that even more people outside of Christianity also teach things opposed to the Bible and its claims.  Sometimes these kinds of things can be taken into a church environment without being examined Biblically and get taught as “doctrine,” too.  (We’ll see a specific example of this later.)

Most of the remainder of the book of Titus focuses on particular instructions Paul wanted Titus to teach the people around him. The things Paul wanted Titus to teach the people are practical things – how to live day by day. For example, that the older men should be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love, and in endurance.

I don’t know about you, but when I hear the word doctrine, my first thought is that we are going to talk about something controversial.  But, if we consider the list above, who wouldn’t want older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, sound in faith, love and endurance? 

Another negative stereotype of doctrine is that it is something dry, detailed, boring and of little practical use. But, the example from Titus reveals Biblical doctrine as applicable to daily living.  It is practice-able to live in a godly way loving others.

So doctrine, at least in the Biblical sense, should be eminently practical.

But doctrine is also more than a list of dos and don’ts, or a list of practical instructions. In Titus, there are lists of practical instructions to various groups of people, but then Paul goes on to explain the theology behind why people should pursue all these things.

For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.  Titus 2:11-14    

There is an incredible amount of theology going on in these few verses!  Biblically, theology and practical instruction go hand-in-hand, and both fall into the category of “sound teaching” or “sound doctrine.” So most if not all Sunday morning messages (sermons) do contain doctrine (and, hopefully, sound doctrine).

We’ve been going through this series since the fall.  And it is actually a combination of mini-series:  we spent several weeks in each of these areas:  The Bible, God’s Nature, God’s Creation, Humanity, Jesus, and Redemption. That’s where we are today.  Then, we’ll close out the series with messages on The Church and Body Life, and The Future.

We’re in the last message of the Redemption part.  Redemption is one aspect of the Atonement.  As sinners, we were in bondage to sin and to Satan.  We needed someone (Jesus) to redeem us out of bondage.   In this part of the series, we’ve been looking at how redemption impacts our lives.  What does ‘being saved’ mean in its many aspects?  Since January, we’ve studied through God's Grace, The Elect, The Gospel, Being Born Again, True Repentance and Saving Faith, Justification and Adoption, Growing in Likeness to Him, Persevering, and today we conclude this mini-series with Death, Resurrection and In Between.

I wanted to give this overview for a couple of reasons.  First, it’s good when you’re on a long journey to remember where you’ve been and where you’re going.  Also, for those who haven’t heard the intro before, I hope you’ll grab an impression of the overall series.  If you’ve seen or heard something here that interests you, the message transcripts and audio are accessible on the church website:  http://clemsoncc.org/message-archive.

Let’s pray before we move forward with today’s topic:

Lord Jesus, You have spoken to us in incredible detail in Your Word.  Thank You for the Bible.  Help us to have right understanding and grace in this area of death, resurrection and in between.  I pray for each heart here today.  Enable us to grasp what You would have us to see.  Thank You for the hope of our future eternity with You through our faith in Jesus.  We love You.  Amen.

Maybe, I gave such a long introduction because I didn’t want to start talking about death.  It is a daunting and grief-filled topic.  Death can be preceded by and accompanied with suffering, sometimes prolonged and sometimes terribly painful.  The experience of death varies widely.  Sometimes it is sudden, as someone may die in their sleep.  Sometimes it is like a slow fade, losing strength and even mental capacity over years.

That was my grandfather’s experience.  He suffered from Alzheimer’s disease for more than a decade.  It was difficult for him, but not nearly so difficult for him as my grandmother.  She loved him so dearly and cared for him and visited him daily when she was no longer physically able to care for him in their home. 

My grandfather was incredibly peaceful even in this years’ long fade.  I never had the chance to have a meaningful conversation with him.  And yet, he was gentle and kind even when he could no longer speak.  Other situations I have experienced with dementia or Alzheimer’s were punctuated with fear and even anger, but not with him, which was a blessing.  Even still it seemed horribly wrong that he should have his mental faculties snuffed out far before the end of his life.

There always seems to be a sense of injustice that accompanies death.  It’s just not fair.  Why did it happen so soon?  Why did it have to happen in certain way?

Why do we have to die?  Where does death come from? 

We call the starting point of death “The Fall”.  In the garden of Eden, the first man and first woman were given just one rule:  Do not eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  Satan came in the form of a serpent and tempted Eve and lied to her.

And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden,  but God said,  ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”  But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”  Genesis 3:2-4

Eve did eat and so did Adam.  God came and was consistent with what He said because God does not change.  He didn’t immediately destroy them, but Adam and Eve were put out of the garden and no longer had access to the tree of life.  The process of physically dying began.

God decided that this process would be reality for all people.  Romans 11:32 says that “God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.”  The consequence of the one disobedience in Adam and Eve is carried over to all of us.  We are not capable of living lives of obedience either, Romans 3:10 says, “There is no one righteous, not one.”

And so, Psalm 89:48 says, “Who can live and not see death, or who can escape the power of the grave?” There is one special case which will prevent it.  That is Jesus’ second coming.  If that does not come first, each of us must die.  No one can live and not see death.

Is death simply a physical process?

Back in November, we were talking about Humanity and how we are both physical and spiritual.  God created man and breathed life (or spirit) into each one of us.  (Ecclesiastes 11:5)  While we are on this earth, the sanctifying process, growth in maturity, takes place in both the physical and spiritual aspects of ourselves.  I Corinthians 7:34 says, “be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit.”  There is a unity of physical and spiritual here, and there will be unity in the future, but more on that later.

Our corrupted fleshly bodies will die if Jesus doesn’t come back first.  So, there is a period of time where the spiritual part of us can exist without the bodily part.  Jesus talked to the thief on the cross who would be with Him that day in paradise.  (Luke 23:43) Also, Revelation talks about the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God crying out to God.  (Revelation 6:9-10) Paul uses language of departing the body. (II Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:23-24) So there is a separation at death between the spiritual and physical parts of us. 

At death, Scripture says that either our soul or our spirit departs. (Isaiah 53:12, Luke 12:20 vs Ecclesiastes 12:7, Luke 23:46)  And the Bible describes the ending of our physical life with harsh words.  Death is called an enemy (I Corinthians 15:26).  There are other places where death is spoken of as if it were alive, as in Job 28 where death can hear.  The Psalms write about death as having waves and torrents, cords and snares (II Samuel 22:5-6 , Psalm 18:4-5).  Isaiah describes death as the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations. (Isaiah 25:7)

In the same way that there is a union of spirit and flesh in the womb before we are born which we do not understand, there is a separation of flesh and spirit or soul at death which I cannot explain.  This undoing of spirit and flesh is contrary to how God created us, a united whole.

Who’s in charge of death?  Who has responsibility for it?

Samuel’s mother Hannah prayed, “The LORD brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up.”  I Samuel 2:6

“See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides Me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of My hand.”  Deuteronomy 32:39

And so, even in death, God has the final say.  God is omnipotent.  God has all power.  Therefore, God must have control even over death.  I think verses like this stir up our indignation pretty quick.  We want to ask God why it has to be this way.  I don’t think we can get very far with our answer.  We have to trust God that He knows what He is doing.  God is not an eager participant in death.  He’s not excited about it or looking forward to it.

Do I take any pleasure in the death of the wicked? declares the Sovereign LORD. Rather, am I not pleased when they turn from their ways and live?  Ezekiel 18:23

For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!  Ezekiel 18:32, 33:11

If God allows death but takes no pleasure in it, what is the purpose of death in the Christian life?

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants.  Psalm 116:15

The righteous perish, and no one takes it to heart; the devout are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.  Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.  Isaiah 57:1-2

Death for the righteous is to enter peace and find rest.  Paul wrote the familiar words, “to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  (Philippians 1:21) It is a benefit for a believer in Christ to die.  We hear and say those words about a believer who has died.  They have gone to be with Jesus. For believers, death is not a punishment.  After death comes reward.

There is also the reality that those who die have been spared from more evil.  God regards our deaths, the deaths of believers as precious.  He is glad to see us free from our trials, difficulty, and suffering.

God also uses the experience of death to complete our sanctification.  Not all discipline is to correct us from sins committed; it can also be to strengthen us.  In Revelation, after warning of suffering, it says “Be faithful unto death.” (Revelation 2:10)

We can also consider that our experience of death completes our union with Christ.  Jesus died and so will we unless He chooses to return first.  Jesus was obedient until His death. (Philippians 2:8) And so, our obedience to God is more important that preserving our own lives.  Revelation 12:11 speaks of the triumph over Satan which came because of the believers who “did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death.”

Death is the final outcome of living in a fallen world where the effects of sin have not all been removed.  The “last enemy” has not yet been destroyed. (I Corinthians 15:26) Though God brings good to us through the process of death, we should not forget that death is an enemy which will be destroyed.  It is not natural; it is not right; it is not something that ought to be in a world created by God.

Even though the message title is “Death, Resurrection, and In Between,” I’d like to talk about “in between” before talking about the resurrection.  That’s what comes next, so our lives will flow in that order.

What happens to us when we die?  (To our bodies and to our souls)

Our bodies and souls are separated.  Our soul departs the body.  I don’t know how.  Our lifeless bodies decay.

I think it is most common that Christians think in terms of no in between time.  When we die, we go to heaven or to be with Jesus.  We also see the instant joining of the dead with Jesus from His own words:

Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”  Luke 23:42-43

That’s pretty straightforward right?

The souls of the saints are also seen petitioning God in Revelation. (6:9 and 20:4)  This gives the view of the soul as distinct and separate from the body.

There is another view which is not necessarily mutually exclusive.  The idea of the sleep of death spans the entire course of the Bible.  Some people refer to it as soul sleep.  The idea is that the souls of the dead are asleep now until the return of Christ.

Job (3:13-15) spoke of being asleep and at rest in death.  The Psalms talk about sleeping in death (13:3) and the sleep of death (90:5).  When Jesus healed Jairus’ daughter, “He went in and said to them, ‘Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.’  But they laughed at him.”  (Mark 5:39-40)  Likewise, he told the disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”  They didn’t get it, so “he told them plainly, ‘Lazarus is dead.’ ” (John 11:11-14)

When Stephen died, Acts 7:60 says, “he fell asleep.”  Acts (13:36) also describes David as having fallen asleep.  The disciples who had died between the time of Jesus’ resurrection and the writing of the first letter to the Corinthians (20-25 years) are described as having “fallen asleep”.  (I Corinthians 15:6)

Probably in one of the weirdest episodes in the entire Bible, King Saul went and found a witch so that he could inquire about future events.  He disguises himself, goes to her, and asks that she call up the prophet Samuel.  The woman then proceeds to tell him that King Saul has made doing such things illegal and if he somehow finds out, she’ll be put to death.  The disguised King Saul then tells her nothing will happen to her.  She proceeds and Samuel does appear and immediately tells the woman that it’s Saul talking to her.  At which point, the woman freaks out.  You can read the rest of the story for yourself.  It’s found in I Samuel 28.  I mention it because Samuel says to Saul (yeah, he quits talking to the woman and starts talking straight to Saul, I told you it was weird).  Anyway, the called up Samuel says, “Why have you disturbed me by bringing me up?”  It’s like he was asleep.  He’s being called up, not called back or called down.

This theme of sleep and death is not something that can be disregarded.

He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him.  I Thessalonians 5:10

So, we’ve got this situation where God is outside of time.  Everything of our time and space is in the presence of God.  He can see the past as well as the future from his perspective.  When we die, the bonds of our physical bondage of time and space are loosed.  What happens at that point is not something that we can understand.  Is it possible to be asleep with respect to our time and present with the Lord simultaneously?  I think this is beyond our understanding.  I mention it because the idea of sleep is a recurring one in Scripture as is the idea of immediate and conscious fellowship with God.  Therefore, I say only to leave room for both.

There is one more topic of “In between” we can’t pass over.  I can’t move on without talking about purgatory.  If you don’t know what purgatory is, that’s probably a good thing.  Since the word is known and has a place in our language as do some of the ideas that go along with it, it would be wrong for us not to at least consider what it is.

Purgatory is a Catholic Church doctrine.  It is a so-called intermediate state after physical death in which those destined for heaven “undergo purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven”.

The word purgatory first appeared as a noun between 1160 and 1180 giving rise to the notion of it as a place. Formal doctrine surrounding purgatory was established beginning in 1245 and continued for about 300 years until after the Protestant Reformation (1274, 1438-45, 1545-63).

These ideas of suffering and trial in the afterlife is found in other religions (Chinese Buddhism, for example).  Judaism has some of these concepts associated in the Talmud with the word Gehenna.  According to Islam, neutral souls are described as going to a waiting place sometimes referred to in English as The Purgatory (Quran Chapter 7: Verses 46-49).  Other ancient traditions have similar ideas of caring for the dead and praying for them.  Strangely, some of the justification for a “Christian” purgatory is that since various ancient religions talk about such a concept, it can be justified.  This is so far from trusting the Bible, it is almost hard to explain.

There is an idea of post-death purification associated with purgatory.  Initial thinking associated with Christians dates from around 200 AD.  Hippolytus of Rome is attributed with writing of “temporary punishments agreeable to every one's behaviour and manners” rather than an outright place.  Others would later call it a “baptism by fire.”

But, this is so not-Biblical.  What about the sufficiency of Christ?  If we need a post-death cleansing, additional works, payment through indulgences by those still living on the earth or anything like this, then Jesus’ death on the cross was not complete to take away our sins.

There is nothing in the Bible which gives a hint that such a place as purgatory could exist.  There is no logical need for such a place.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Him. (John 14:6) It is not likely something you will hear us talking about except in a rare case like this where you kind of run into it head on.

Many church statements of faith of faith are affected by this wrong teaching.  Due to the issue of the sleep of death, our statement of faith says this:

“The Resurrection of the Dead

“After physical death, the believer experiences the resurrection of his or her body to everlasting glory and blessing. After physical death, the unbeliever experiences the resurrection of his or her body for judgment, condemnation and everlasting suffering.”

Rather than simply saying “experiences the resurrection”, some church statements of faith say “enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits resurrection”.  The wrong teaching about purgatory has brought about this specificity to make a strong statement.

Alright, we’re ready for our final lap.  Let’s talk about the resurrection.

It is a victory lap.  There is the victory of the cross:

For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.  I Corinthians 15:16-26

When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” I Corinthians 15:54-55

On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove his people’s disgrace from all the earth.   The LORD has spoken.  Isaiah 25:7-8

We have proof in Jesus’ resurrection.  His resurrection proves the future reality of ours.  Jesus’ will triumph and death itself will be destroyed.  (Revelation 20:14)  The perishable of our old selves will be clothed imperishable.  Our mortal lives will be clothed with immortality.  Death will be swallowed up.  It is made powerless by the resurrection.  The victory comes on the mountain at Jerusalem.  It comes at Calvary, the place at which Jesus died.

Jesus our example.  He goes before us.  We can look to Him and have faith in our own resurrection.

I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.  Revelation 1:18

When do we get our resurrection bodies?

Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words.  I Thessalonians 4:13-18

We will be given resurrection bodies upon Jesus’ return.  Those who are alive at Jesus’ return will not precede those who have fallen asleep.  Encourage one another with those words!

What will our resurrection bodies be like?

We will ultimately be “raised imperishable”. (I Corinthians 15:42) Our new bodies will be eternal in nature.  They will be perfected.  More than that, they will be the fulfillment of God’s design for us.  Our bodies are sown and the glorification or raising of our bodies will be like the growth of a plant from a seed (I Corinthians 15:37-44).  You will look marvelous.  Our appearance will not be dishonorable or unattractive.  We will be bright and shining (Matthew 13:43).  Our bodies will be raised in power (I Corinthians 15:43).  We will be full of strength and power.  When we see Jesus, we will be like Him (I John 3:2).

Jesus as our forerunner has a resurrection body.  We can look to Jesus’ body and see what he was able to do.  He could still eat and cook.  He could come and go through matter like locked doors.  Perhaps he could appear differently to different people.  That could be fun.  His body was physical, it could be touched.  It is an affirmation of God’s creation.  We can sometimes look at the physical as somehow dirty or inferior to the spiritual.  Jesus in His resurrected body is physical and spiritual, not spiritual only.

What will our eternal lives be like?  Will we spend all eternity goofing around in resurrection bodies? 

Hardly, there will be activity and responsibility in heaven.  Paul wrote almost as an aside, “Do you not know that we will judge angels?”  (I Corinthians 6:3)  Then, Jesus said in the parable of the ten talents, “Well done, my good servant!” his master replied. “Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.” (Luke 19:17)  Jesus told us, we are inheriting a kingdom. (Matthew 25:34) 

We will have a place specially prepared for us by Jesus Himself. (John 14:2) We will join in the marriage supper of the Lamb, eating and drinking and rejoicing.  And the music, what will it be like?  (Revelation 14:2-3) And every activity done for the glory of God.  We will spend ages enjoying and getting to know God better and better.  (Psalm 145:3, Colossians 1:10).  Heaven is a real place.  God will supply our needs.

As you can imagine, we could spend much more time talking through these issues.  There are other concepts I haven’t had time to touch on.  In summary, we know that death is coming for all if Jesus doesn’t return first.  Hebrews 9:27 puts it succinctly:

It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.  Hebrews 9:27

And God will repay us as we deserve:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.  II Corinthians 5:10

We talked earlier of Romans 3:10 which says no one is righteous, not one.

And so, we cannot look to ourselves at the judgment.  We must look to God.  And there is good news:

Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign LORD comes escape from death.  Psalm 68:20

How then can we be saved?

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9

There are several places in the Old Testament where the phrase “choose life” is used.  That is my plea, my request of you right now.  If you have not put your trust in Jesus.  I pray that you would choose life before it is too late.  I do not think anyone would want to face God based on their own record alone.  Choose Jesus.  Choose life.

Let’s pray:

Lord Jesus, I pray for each heart who has heard and those who will hear or read this message.  I pray that they would indeed choose life.  Thank you for so wonderful a future of eternity with You.  Help us to think rightly about these things and be willing to share the truth and our joy with others.  We pray in the name of Jesus our Savior.  Amen.