The Beginning of Being a Christian

1 Thessalonians 1

Thessalonica was the principal city of Macedonia; it was the capital and largest city of the Roman province. Acts 16:6-10 tells us how, when Paul purposed to go into Asia, the Holy Spirit stopped him. Having seen a vision of a man from Macedonia pleading for help, Paul traveled from Troas to Samothrace to Neapolis and then to Philippi. Paul and Silas began their ministry in Macedonia in the city of Philippi and enjoyed success. Because of their success, the Philippian officials put Paul and Silas in prison. God miraculously saved them from prison, converting the Philippian jailor and his family in the process. From Philippi, Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia, finally stopping in Thessalonica. Acts 17:1-9 gives the account of their short ministry in Thessalonica. Although their stay was short, they visited the synagogue and were persuasive enough to be joined by a great multitude of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading Jewish women.

Paul and Silas’ success in ministry caused envy among the unbelieving Jews. So, these unbelievers stirred up a riot, and Paul and Silas were sneaked out of the city by night for their safety.

After stopping in Athens, Paul made his way to Corinth from which he wrote 1 Thessalonians. Of Paul’s letters that we have in the New Testament, 1 Thessalonians is one of the first ones written. He wrote the letter around 50 or 51 A.D.

Paul commends them for their testimony and the reports that were spreading about the faith of the Thessalonians, but the primary purpose of the letter was to establish them in the faith. Because of the short time he had with them, he wanted to make sure that they had a firm grasp on the basics.

The basics are essential in any endeavor. The basics provide the framework, the context, and the reasons for our decisions. As a book about the basics of our faith, 1 Thessalonians provides context, meaning, and purpose for our existence and work as the Church.

There is a famous story about Coach Vince Lombardi and the 1961 Green Bay Packers football team. The story goes that on the first day of training camp, Coach Lombardi stood before the three dozen professional football players, and holding up a football said, “Gentlemen, this is a football.” Then he proceeded to teach about football as if the men knew nothing about football. This focus on basics led to great success for the team.

Thessalonians is our “This is a football.”

A firm grip on the basics is just as crucial for the Church today as it was in 51 A.D. The Church in Thessalonica suffered persecution. They broke with the culture around them and turned from idols to serve the living and true God. We must understand. Thessalonica was the chief city in what is now Greece and was within sight of Mt. Olympus, the home of the Greek gods. We see the power of their turning from idols to serve the living and true God in what Paul says. He says that in Macedonia, Achaia, and in every place, Paul and Silas did not have to say anything because people were telling them of what was happening in Thessalonica. Not only were the Thessalonian believers persecuted, but they were also living philosophically and morally contrary to everyone around them. These circumstances made it all the more necessary for them to stand firm on the basics. Today the world around us opposes and resists everything to do with the basics. As long as the Church does not say anything about the truth, confront sin, talk about the need for repentance or preach salvation through Jesus Christ alone, then the world is content to let us live with our delusions. However, if we say nothing about any of these things, are we even a church?

In chapter 1 of 1 Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul expresses his great gratitude for the Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 says:

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers, remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labor of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father, knowing, beloved brethren, your election by God. (I Thessalonians 1:2-4 NKJV)

Paul and his co-workers are thankful for the Thessalonians’ faith, love, patience and hope. They based their gratitude on their knowledge of the Thessalonians’ election by God. The remainder of the chapter explains how they knew that God chose the Thessalonians.

First, they knew God chose the Thessalonians because the gospel came to them with power and in the Holy Spirit. 

1 Thessalonians 1:5 says:

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake. (I Thessalonians 1:5 NKJV)

I like how Ellicott interprets this verse when he says:

If God had not set His heart upon you, we never could have been as successful among you as we were.

The Thessalonians’ response to the gospel was the first evidence of the power of the Holy Spirit at work. We always look for a human explanation. Some speculate that those who turned to Christ from among the God-fearing Gentiles were fed up with and disillusioned with the many so-called gods of the Greeks. Some also think that their hearts were prepared for the gospel by their association with the synagogue since Acts 17:2 tells us that Paul spent three Sabbaths there.

The Holy Spirit probably used these factors in some of the lives touched by the Gospel in Thessalonica. However, salvation is a very personal thing. There is no way of accounting for the drawing of the heart to God that takes place when a person accepts Christ. The circumstances and background of each person are different. However, the drawing of the heart is the same. Jesus said:

No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:44 NKJV)

There is a drawing that takes place that is not explained by natural factors. Of course, if a person wants to explain it away, he or she will be able to find a way to explain this drawing by natural means. This is the first trick the devil plays on any new believer. He tells the new believer, “Oh, what you experienced was not real.” And then he will invent an explanation. It does not matter what the explanation is as long as he can get the person to doubt what has happened. The reason the devil starts here is that the drawing of the heart is the first evidence that God is calling a person.

However, this drawing is not the only evidence. Paul says the gospel came to them not only in word. The drawing is so important that the devil mimics it. For example, one of the significant components of proselytizing for the Mormons is the experience of a “burning” in the chest or heart. The word, or Λόγος (Logos), is essential. We must not abandon reason. We know that what we believe is true because of historical evidence, the evidence of life, and how our faith fits with reality.

Paul brought the word, the Λόγος, and the fact that the people received it was evidence of the working and power of the Holy Spirit. The truth of 1 Corinthians 2:14 applies to this initial step in salvation. 

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Corinthians 2:14 NKJV)

Paul explains this inability to receive the truth more in 2 Corinthians 4:4 when he says that the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving.

The response of the Thessalonians to the gospel message was evidence that God had chosen them, but it was not the only evidence. There was much more, and Paul continues to talk about this evidence in chapter 1. 

The other evidence of their conversion was the fact that their lives were changed. Paul knew God chose them because their lives were changed.

1 Thessalonians 1:6-7 says:

And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became examples to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe. (I Thessalonians 1:6-7 NKJV)

First, they became followers of the Lord, then they suffered persecution, and they suffered the persecution with joy. This was such a huge change that Paul says that the word of God went forth in every place. People were telling Paul and his companions about the amazing things that had happened in Thessalonica. He said, “...so that we do not need to say anything.”

In James 2, James tells us that faith without works is dead. This change that took place in the Thessalonians is what James meant. 1 Thessalonians 1:8 says, “...your faith toward God has gone out.” The fact that we are saved by faith and not by works does not mean that faith does not change our lives. When someone believes, we expect a change of life. A good statement of this truth is the NLT’s interpretation of James 2:14.

What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? (James 2:14 NLT)

Change is necessary evidence, but it is not just any change. An unsaved person can turn their life around and pull themselves up by their bootstraps. However, there is certain content that comes along with the change that indicates God’s choosing. We see the exact content of this change in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.

For they themselves declare concerning us what manner of entry we had to you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (I Thessalonians 1:9-10 NKJV)

We see the essential elements of the change that was evident when the Thessalonians accepted Christ. These were as follows.

1. They turned to God from idols.
2. They served God.
3. They expected Jesus to return.
4. They believed in the resurrection, which would also include His death and burial as precursors.
5. They expected Jesus to deliver them from the wrath to come.

It is important to note that wherever Paul went, people were telling him that these were the things that the Thessalonians believed.

The choosing of God, the imitation of God, and the confession of faith are the absolute basics of being a Christian. These are the “this is a football” truths that we must understand and live out if we are to call ourselves Christian.

In today’s world, “evangelical” tends to represent a block of voters and political views, and “Christian” tends to be a religious affiliation. God save us if this is all we are because political views and religious affiliation are not essential to our faith. We are first and foremost followers of Christ. Now, if our love for and relationship with Jesus does not inform our politics or our religious affiliation, I would question if we know Jesus. However, these things are secondary to knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus is first.

The question for us today is not where we stand on the social issues of the day. The question for us today is, “Does the world tell others about us that we:

‘…turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come?’”

Heaven and Earth

Revelation 21:1-7

We have spent the last few weeks talking about “What Happens Next.”

We have seen that Jesus, the Apostles and the Scriptures teach that there is life after death.  At some point in the future, we will receive new bodies and we will all stand before the Judge. 

While Jesus walked among us, He showed us how the Father wants us to live. The Apostle Paul says, “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ.” (I Corinthians 11:1 NKJV) These instructions to imitate Christ by following the example of Paul are one of several places that the Scriptures tell us to follow Jesus’ example. 

Life is often likened to a journey. I want to present a different idea today. I want to show how life is like a mission. The Bible uses metaphors such as a farmer, a soldier and a race. Then in 2 Corinthians 5:20 it says:

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. (II Corinthians 5:20 NKJV)

This verse says we are Ambassadors for Christ. As Ambassadors, we have a mission, a charge to keep. Any ambassador is given a job by his or her sending country. An ambassador is on a mission. An ambassador is by definition a foreigner living in a foreign land. We are ambassadors for Christ. The metaphor of a journey is helpful. However, an ambassador is what we are. It is not a metaphor. It is a fact.

As ambassadors, our citizenship and our home are not in this world. As the Apostle Paul was describing his goals in life, he said:

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.... (Philippians 3:20 NKJV)

All believers, both those from Old Testament times and those from New Testament times, are citizens of heaven. Hebrews 11 tells us the following about the men and women of faith from of old:

But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:16 NKJV)

It is this city that God has prepared for them, for us, that I want to talk about today.

Prior to taking up residence in that city, our bodies will have to be renewed. This is why the full statement of the passage just quoted from the Apostle Paul is:

For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV)

The Lord Jesus will transform our bodies. Our bodies will be conformed to His glorious body to make us fit for our residence in the city that God has prepared for us. We talked about this new body when we considered the resurrection. When Jesus returns, those of us who are alive will be transformed and those who have gone before will be resurrected, and so, we will all have new bodies.

Our new bodies will be fit for living in our new home. Jesus spoke of this new home in John 14:2.

In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. (John 14:2 NKJV)

Revelation 21 speaks of the New Jerusalem coming down from heaven. This is the city of our citizenship. This will be our new home. This is the place of many mansions of which the Lord Jesus spoke.  We will speak of this more in a little while, but first we must consider what will happen to the present heaven and earth.

Revelation 20:1 says:

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. (Revelation 20:11 NKJV)

This passage is speaking of the final judgment known as the Great White Throne Judgment. We spoke of this coming judgment last week. However, I am returning to this passage this week because as you will notice, the earth and the heaven have fled away from the face of Him who sits on the throne. This is speaking of the destruction of this present earth and heaven. 2 Peter 3 speaks of this destruction of heaven and earth when it says:

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. (II Peter 3:10 NKJV)

As we can see, the present heavens and earth will be burned up. This is why Revelation 21 begins with:

Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea. (Revelation 21:1 NKJV)

There will be a new heaven and a new earth. At the final judgment, Death, Hades and those whose names are not in the Book of Life will be cast into the Lake of Fire. However, those whose names are in the Book of Life will dwell in the new heaven and new earth. 2 Peter 3:10 tells us that the present earth will be burned up, but 2 Peter 3:13 tells us:

Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (II Peter 3:13 NKJV)

The new heavens and new earth are described as a place where righteousness dwells. In Genesis 1:31, God looked at the world He created and said it was very good. This present world is cursed and subject to decay. Romans 8:19-21 tells us that the creation eagerly waits for its deliverance from bondage of decay (corruption). When this happens, the creation will once again be “very good.”

This new, very good creation will not be a mystical place. The Scripture is not using a metaphor here. The new earth will be a physical place, just as the first creation is a physical place. The Bible speaks of us eating and drinking in the world to come. It also speaks of trees and rivers in this new world. We have no reason to think that these are metaphors. These references are meant to convey physical realities of the world to come. 

When sin first entered this present creation, Genesis 3:22 tells us:

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— (Genesis 3:22 NKJV)

God prevented humans from living forever in a sinful state. He sent the man and the woman out of the garden and stationed an angel to guard the entrance so that no one could eat of the tree of life. However, in describing the New Jerusalem, Revelation 22 says:

In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. (Revelation 22:2 NKJV)

In the New Jerusalem, we will have free access to the tree of life. We will live forever. 

It is time we talk a little about the New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21:1speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. Then Revelation 21:2 says:

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. (Revelation 21:2 NKJV)

This new Jerusalem is lavishly adorned and decorated so the metaphor is used of a bride ready for her wedding. Revelation 21:9 says:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls filled with the seven last plagues came to me and talked with me, saying, “Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb’s wife.” (Revelation 21:9 NKJV)

The Church is the bride of Christ. But here we find this city described as the bride. This might raise some questions until we see that Revelation 17 starts with almost the same words but in Revelation 17 it is speaking of Babylon, described as the great harlot with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication. Just as the city of Babylon represents the mystery of evil at work in the world, the new Jerusalem represents the work of the Holy Spirit through the Church. Although saying we are being built into a building is a metaphor, this does not mean the city that comes down from heaven is a metaphor. Babylon was an actual city and the new Jerusalem is an actual city.

As the new Jerusalem is set up on earth, a loud voice says, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them....” This alerts us to the significance of the new Jerusalem. God is omnipresent. He is present everywhere. And yet, from time to time, the Scriptures speak of His presence being somewhere or of Him dwelling with His people. Whenever God is said to dwell with someone, His presence is there in a special way to bless. His presence brings blessing. The Father and Son, while being present everywhere, will be present in a special way in the new Jerusalem. This city represents a combining of heaven and earth in a way that we do not see in this present creation. 

Each of us will have a room or a mansion in the new Jerusalem, and we will also be on the new earth and be able to roam around and explore the new creation at will. As the Scripture tells us:

But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. (I Corinthians 2:9-10 NKJV)

God has prepared wonderful things for us. Eye has not seen, nor ear heard  the things God has prepared. However, it says that God has revealed them to us through His Spirit.

We have the Word of God that tells us of a city — a city for which we eagerly wait and hope. 

In the meantime, we are here as ambassadors. We are here to represent our God and Savior. If we are too concentrated on making this world our home, we will store up our treasures in the wrong place. Since this world is going to be destroyed, we should be concentrating on living godly lives and storing up treasures in heaven. 

On which city is your heart set, Babylon or Jerusalem?

Judgment

Revelation 20:11-15

God is judge over all the earth. Abraham recognized this when he pleaded with God concerning the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. He said:

Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just? (Genesis 18:25 ESV)

The Bible speaks of a number of judgments that took place in the past, and tells of judgments that will happen in the future. Judgments that took place in the past would include the curse on creation because of sin, the flood, the Tower of Babel and the generation of the Israelites that died in the wilderness. Judgments to occur in the future include the judgment of the nations, the judgment of Israel, the judgment of the righteous dead and the final judgment.

Let’s talk about the need for judgment.

Over the last week, we have seen a number of riots in our inner cities. News sources and social media are full of conflicting “facts,” solutions and opinions. Many voices cry out for justice, equality and fair treatment. These cries for justice will not go unanswered. We all have an inborn sense of fairness and righteousness that informs our conscience. The Bible teaches that one can ignore his or her conscience and the conscience can be seared as with a hot iron so that it is insensitive, but the fact remains we all have a conscience. Injustice makes us angry. Even a child will cry out, “THAT’S NOT FAIR,” when he or she feels wronged. We all desire justice and even retribution when we experience offenses against ourselves, and are often stirred to righteous indignation when we witness brutality or crimes against others. 

God will not let injustice go unanswered. He holds each person accountable for his or her actions. The Scripture says:

Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” (Romans 12:19 ESV)

God will deal with all sin. The terrible cost and consequences of sin are seen in the fact that it took the death of the Son of God to pay for our offenses. But not everyone accepts the gift of God’s payment to cover his or her sin. Listen to what the Scriptures say about God’s gift and judgment of sin.

For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses. How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace? For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews 10:26-31 ESV)

God will deal with all sin, and in fact He is already dealing with it. Romans 1:18 says:

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.” (Romans 1:18 ESV)

This tells us the wrath of God is being revealed. This points to a present, ongoing revelation of God’s wrath. God’s wrath is revealed in a number of ways, the chief of which seems to be that He leaves us to suffer the consequences of our own choices. The consequences of sin can be seen in crime, war, disease, death, natural disasters and suffering. Our world is all messed up because of sin. The beauty we see and enjoy in this world could be much greater but for the consequences of sin.

We have seen horrific things happen, and yet things are not as bad as they could be. Right now, God is restraining sin. He is keeping our world from tearing itself completely apart. However, 2 Thessalonians tells us of a time when God will remove His restraining influence. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 says:

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. (2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 ESV)

The Day of the Lord, or the Great Tribulation, will commence with God removing His restraining influence, and evil will be loosed on the planet. This will signal the approaching end and will be another judgment of God. When God removes His restraining influence, the world will suffer evil and oppression on a scale that will make Nazi Germany and Stalin’s Russia seem small. 

Some interpret all that the Bible says about future judgment to be speaking of just one final judgment. However, history and the Bible show us that God takes action in judgments that are separate from the final judgment. There will be a final judgment, but before the final judgment there are a few judgments that we will see first. 

One of these judgments is known as the judgment of the nations. Before the Millennial Kingdom, all the nations will be gathered before Jesus and He will determine who will and who will not enter into the Millennial Kingdom. This is not a judgment of the dead but of those still living at the end of the tribulation. Matthew 25:31-32 speaks of this judgment when it says:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. (Matthew 25:31-32 ESV)

Another word for nations in this verse is Gentiles. God will gather all the Gentiles or nations before Jesus and those that are determined to be “sheep” (believers) will enter into the Kingdom.

Another of the judgments yet to come is known as the Judgment of Israel. This judgment will take place during the Tribulation. Ezekiel 20 speaks of this judgment when it says:

“As I live, declares the Lord God, surely with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with wrath poured out I will be king over you. I will bring you out from the peoples and gather you out of the countries where you are scattered, with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and with wrath poured out. And I will bring you into the wilderness of the peoples, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, declares the Lord God. I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. I will purge out the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against me. I will bring them out of the land where they sojourn, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord.” (Ezekiel 20:33-38 ESV)

Like the judgment of the nations, this judgment of Israel is not of the dead but of the people of Israel who are alive during the Tribulation. This is part of what the Bible is talking about when it says all Israel will be saved. As Ezekiel says, “I will purge out the rebels from among you....”

The judgment of the nations and of Israel are judgments that take place here on earth. The final judgment takes place in a different place. Revelation 20 tells us that earth and sky will flee before the great white throne. This final judgment will take place after the Millennial Kingdom has come to its conclusion. Revelation 20 tells us:

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:11-15 ESV)

This great white throne judgment is the final judgment. Everyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will be thrown into the lake of fire. Notice that everyone is judged according to what they have done. True justice will be served. Notice also that this is not a judgment of believers. These dead represent those who died without Christ who have been waiting the final judgment. 

Believers are not in danger of this judgment. According to what the Bible teaches, believers will face a different judgment. As believers, all our sins have been forgiven. We have been made righteous in Christ. God, the Judge, has justified us, declaring us righteous. Therefore, the judgment of believers is not of sin or of condemnation. However, believers are still accountable for the deeds done in the body. Paul speaks of the judgment of believers when he says:

According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15 ESV)

As this passage says, every believer will be saved, which includes being saved from the final judgment. However, some will be saved and enjoy rewards, and others will just be saved.

What we see in this world should convince us of both the need for justice and the reality of judgment. We see evidence of judgment in the consequences of sin that we mentioned: war, crime, violence, natural disasters, disease, and death. We broadcast our agreement with the need for judgment in our cries for justice and fairness. In spite of all the evidence, many avoid or deny the fact that we will each face judgment. Even though judgment seems far off and unreal, it is only a breath away.

Believer, you have nothing to fear from judgment because your sins are covered.

Unbeliever, please come to Jesus Christ to have your sins forgiven before it is too late. The time for decision is while we are in this body. Once we leave this body, decision time is over. Just as the time to decide whether or not to murder is before the trigger is pulled, the time to decide whether or not to accept God’s free gift of life is before this body dies. Once this body dies, faith will not be required, and faith is what God requires. Without faith, it is impossible to please God. Please, accept the evidence and believe.

What About Ghosts

Ecclesiastes 12:7

We all have a spirit. Or, we are all spirits living in a body. 

The Scriptures teach that we are composed of body, soul and spirit. For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 mentions body, soul and spirit when it says:

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 5:23 ESV)

Hebrews 4:12 makes a distinction between soul and spirit when it says:

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

(Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

This is not a complete list of verses or a complete argument for the existence of the soul and spirit. The view I am giving is that of a “trichotomy,” which is to say that the essence of a man or a woman includes these three elements. Some also teach that perceiving a person as a dichotomy is more accurate, which is to say that the essence of a person includes material and immaterial elements. A person holding to a dichotomous view would not draw a distinction between soul and spirit.

My understanding is a spirit is form of existence. According to John 4:24, God exists as spirit. The soul is not a form of existence. The soul is the person or the mind. The soul is who you are.

The materialist teaches that the material world is all that exists. Materialism teaches that the spiritual world does not exist. Rather than a soul or spirit, the entirety of a person is the physical body. The mind is only the brain and its function. The thoughts and decisions of the individual are nothing more than the chemical and electrical impulses of the brain. In this thinking, when the brain ceases to function, that is the end of the person. There is no more. This view does not allow for life after death. 

The brain is the control center of the body. As long as the soul is connected to this body, there is an integral connection between the soul and body. This connection means that the soul can only express itself subject to the limitations and boundaries imposed by this body and thus the brain. Because of this, injuries to the brain can affect what we call personality and intelligence. However, once free from this body, the soul of the person is free from the limitations imposed by this material body.

However, we must not think that we are designed to exist forever in an unbodied state, or as spirit. We were designed to exist in a material body. However, the bodies we now have are broken because of sin. The entire creation has been affected by sin and is looking forward to the restoration of all things. At the resurrection, we will have perfect bodies that will not age or break down. 

This brings us to a question that is important for us to understand. What happens to the person who dies? Is the spirit in some sort of limbo while it waits for a new body?

Have you seen the ghost hunter television shows that are sometimes popular? Have you read the stories of haunted houses? Have you read Harry Potter where ghosts are part of the story? There are many popular theories, stories and even sightings of ghosts. Some believe that the spirits of dead relatives visit them. Others believe that the spirits of dead people inhabit physical locations, such as houses. 

Seances are held where people try to contact the dead, and mediums are frequently consulted for advice from the deceased. 

These things are real and powerful influences in our world today.

The Bible gives clear instructions and teaches us some foundational truths concerning what happens to the spirits of the deceased.

The first truth I want to cover is that the spirit goes back to God who gave it. This is stated clearly in Ecclesiastes 12:7 and implied in 2 Corinthians 5:8.

First, Ecclesiastes 12:7 says:

...and the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7 ESV)

Then in 2 Corinthians 5:8, we find these words:

Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8 ESV)

This truth is significant on several counts. For one, it helps to provide an answer to the question of ghosts. First of all, the spirit has no choice in the matter. Just as we have no choice of when, where or how we are born, we have no choice in what happens at our death. The spirit is given by God when a child is conceived in the womb and the child has no choice or say in the matter. When the person dies, the spirit goes back to God without reference to that person’s wishes.

This is connected to another truth, illustrated by a parable Jesus gave. The unbelieving dead end up in a different place than the believing dead. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), the rich man is said to be in Hades and in torment, while Lazarus is said to be far-off with Abraham. Also, in Revelation 20:13, the Scriptures say that Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them. These two Scriptures indicate that the spirits of the departed dead go to either Hades or paradise. When Jesus was on the cross, He said to the thief who had said, “Remember Me,” “Today you will be with me in Paradise.” The believing dead are in paradise and the unbelieving dead are in Hades, being held until the day of judgment. 

The spirits or ghosts of the dead do not remain behind, nor do they inhabit physical locations. 

Scripture warns very seriously against trying to contact the dead through mediums or other means. Deuteronomy 18:11 along with other Scriptures (Leviticus 20:27) forbid consulting the dead, mediums and other forms of contacting spirits.

Seeking wisdom from beyond the grave is a dangerous practice. 1 Timothy 4 warns us:

Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons, (1 Timothy 4:1 ESV)

Demons can pose as angels and by doing so have deceived many. They can also pose as the spirits of departed loved ones and/or spirit guides. It is for this reason that God strictly forbids mediums, spiritists, sorcery, seances and seeking to communicate with the dead.

As believers, we are given the Holy Spirit of God and the word of God for our guidance. If we have the Spirit of God, why would we seek guidance from a lesser spirit? Seeking out spirit guides is for this reason a dangerous and ill-informed practice. There is one Spirit who is the guide of believers in Jesus Christ and one Spirit only.

Since the spirit goes back to God who gave it, the second truth I want to cover is what happens during the time between when a person dies and the resurrection.

As we have already stated, the believing dead are immediately in Paradise, and the unbelieving dead are in Hades. They both await the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment. We will cover the judgments to come in a future message, but I want us to consider a couple of truths about the time between death and the resurrection.

First off, there is no purgatory. The New Testament teaches that a believer is immediately in the presence of God and an unbeliever is not. The thief on the cross was promised that he would be in paradise that very day. He had no time to do any good works to pay for his sins. The Bible teaches that Jesus died once for all of our sins and that His sacrifice both appeases God’s wrath and pays for our transgressions. There remains no further price to be paid, and to try to pay for God’s free gift is an insult to His grace. We are forgiven freely by His grace and made righteous in Christ. For the believer in Jesus, no further suffering is needed, and for the unbeliever, there is no other payment that can be given. John 3:18 says that the unbeliever is condemned already because they have rejected God’s free gift.

Some people or groups teach the concept of soul sleep. This teaching says that the souls of the dead sleep and are unconscious until the resurrection. Such teaching directly contradicts the Scriptures that say to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Another teaching or thought is that once we are out of the body and in heaven, we will be outside of time. Several statements in Scripture contradict such teaching. In Revelation 6:9-10, the Bible speaks of the souls of saints who died for their faith gathered under the altar. They are said to be crying out, “How long, Lord, how long?” If they were outside of time, “how long” would be an irrelevant question. Revelation 8:1 says there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. A half-hour is a measure of time. Although time will have no end in heaven, it will still exist. Only God is outside of time since He created time. We are not and will not become God and will always live in a progression of moments. 

The important thing in all of this is that we will eternally have a spirit, and John 4:24 tells us:

God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth. (ESV)

Our connection with God is through our spirits. Romans 8:16 explains to us:

The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (Romans 8:16 ESV)

Concentrating so much on our physical lives that we neglect the spirit that lives forever is a mistake. Jesus set an example for us when He said:

I have food to eat that you do not know about. (John 4:32 ESV)

The disciples with Him that day were perplexed as to what this might mean. So, Jesus explained:

My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work. Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. (John 4:34-35 ESV)

Jesus had been doing spiritual work of sharing the gospel with a Samaritan town. That day he chose to go without food in preference for this spiritual work. He did not always do this. He ate. He slept. He also got up very early to pray. He also knew the Scriptures by heart. Paul encouraged Timothy to take a little wine for his stomach’s sake, taking care of His physical body, and he also exhorted Timothy not to neglect his spiritual gift.

Which is more important: our physical or our spiritual life? 

If it becomes a choice between the two, which one wins?

The apostles and Jesus showed us by example how to choose, each one laying down his or her physical life in preference for the spirit.