Does My Soul Sleep After Death?

[Music] you Gabriel a listener from the Philippines asks a very common question and a much debated question pastor John when we die does our consciousness continue somewhere or do we just sleep awaiting the second coming and the judgment and why is sleep so often used to describe death even by Jesus and where in the Bible can I be more confident of what happens to me or to someone I love when they die should I imagine them sleeping awaiting Christ's return or are they already in heaven or even in Hell Pastor John what would you say to Gabriel so I hear two questions why is sleep the word sleep or the image asleep used to describe death even by Jesus and number two what is the experience of people between death and bodily resurrection so maybe we should start by not taking for granted the biblical teaching that God's purpose is not just to have some day lots of spirits in heaven but bodies on the new earth the resurrection of the body was a scandal to many Greeks who loved the idea of the immortality of the soul but disliked the idea of the resurrection of this body Christianity is not Greek in this regard the body will be raised from the dead and the bodily resurrection of Jesus in a form that could be recognized and that could be touched and that could eat fish was the prototype of our resurrection body so Paul says in first Corinthians 15:20 Christ has been raised from the dead the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep and and when people scoff in this chapter and say what Garda body do they come with he answers in verse 42 so is it with the resurrection of the Dead what is sown is perishable what is raised is imperishable what is sown in dishonor is raised in glory it is sown in weakness it is raised in power it is sown a natural body it is raised a spiritual body so the resurrection body absolutely essential to Christian doctrine now the question is what about the time between death and the resurrection of the body why is it sometimes called sleep and we were talking earlier Tony as we began this that this is really fresh for me because at 8 o'clock this morning a very good friend of mine went into this state so where is she well what's happening to her I mean this is right now it is 3 hours and 16 minutes picture it she is 3 hours and 16 minutes into what we're talking about right now that's awesome that is awesome to think about so here's here's what what the Bible says about sleep this is why he raises the question since we believe that Jesus died this is 1st Thessalonians 4 since we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so through Jesus God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep all right that's that's a reference to Christians who have died why does he say it that way or first Corinthians 15:17 if Christ has not been raised your faith is futile you're still in your sins then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished so another reference to falling asleep as a picture of dying and then there's Jesus where he raised the little girl we named our daughter after this this experience where he says talath a Kuman you raise this little girl from the dead and we know that she's dead because in in mark I think mmm 5:35 they say your daughter has died and when Jesus arrives to deal with this he says why are you making such a commotion weeping the child is not dead but sleeping well she was dead and he calls it sleeping why my answer is that this is the way the body looks and acts it is simply a description of death by a softer picture of what it actually looks like if you've ever looked at a person who's just died or have they died or are they just sleep because they they look like they're just they're like they've always looked and they're just asleep so I think it's a picture it's a pictorial description in a softer way of the actual reality that they've died now why do I say that why do I jump to that idea of meaning instead of just saying well no no that they they are not conscious on the other side of death they really are in undergoing something like soul sleep they will have no consciousness until the resurrection why don't I say that and the reason I don't is because Jesus and Paul teach otherwise so for example the two key passages in Paul are Philippians 1:21 to me to live is Christ and to die is gain if I am to live in the flesh that means fruitful labor Familia which I shall choose I cannot tell I am hard pressed between the two my desire is to depart and be with Christ for that is far better so when Paul contemplates his own dying he calls it gain not because he's going to go unconscious and have zero experience and for another thousand years but because he goes into the presence of Christ with Christ in a deeper more intimate way and it is he says vastly better than anything he's known here and then he says the same thing in second Corinthians 5:6 we're always a good courage we know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord for we walk by faith and not by sight yes we are of good courage and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord so whether we are at home or away we make it our aim to please him so dying in the body means going to be at home with the Lord here's here's Jesus he tells this story about the rich man and Lazarus and he doesn't say that it's a parable now I don't know for sure frankly whether it was a parable or not but he doesn't say it was a parable he just describes it like it really happened and if it did happen or if it is a parable it seems to be making the point that after death there's not oblivion or sleep unconsciousness there is life in torment or in bliss so it goes like this there was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day and at his gate was laid a poor man Lazarus covered with sores who desired to be fed with what fell from the master's table moreover even the dogs came and licked his sores the poor man died and was carried by angels to Abraham's side the rich man also died and was buried and in Hades being in torment he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus at his side so the picture Jesus paints parable or something that really happened is one of a conscious life in torment or in happiness beyond death so my conclusion is that Christians have a double encouragement for those who are dying or have died for the believer who trusts in Jesus Christ Christ's blood and righteousness have removed the condemnation for every believer in and secured for us both final resurrection of the body in a new heaven and a new earth and now after death an intimate sweet experience of being in Christ's presence between death and resurrection it is a blessed hope in both ways we're safe we're safe in him now we'll be safe in his presence at the moment of death and we will be supremely happy in a new and healthy body forever and ever in the new heavens and the new earth what glorious hope we have in Christ thank you Pastor John and thank you for sharing these thoughts in the midst of your recent loss appreciate it well we're going to end the week by talking about a subject that rarely if ever gets addressed and it's the topic of self-hatred what hope does the gospel offer those who struggle with self condemnation and self-hatred in any of its many various manifestations I've asked our friend and respected Bible counselor david palace and to join us to explain and he has agreed to appear with us tomorrow and i'm your host tony ranky and I'll see you then you

Channel: Desiring God

Views: 162,526

Rating: 4.797904 out of 5

Keywords: Desiring God, John Piper, God, Jesus Christ, Christianity, Christian Hedonism, Ask Pastor John, APJ, death, die, soul, sleep, resurrection, body, heaven, hell, new heavens, new earth, Paul, gain, promise, grave, coffin, funeral, hope, rise

Id: ai-giNdUr-A

Length: 10min 37sec (637 seconds)

Published: Sat May 06 2017