The Believer- Upon death, the believer immediately goes to be with the Lord. Paul emphasizes this when he says that “We would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord” (2 Cor. 5:8). He emphasizes this belief elsewhere when he says that his desire is “to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better” (Phil. 1:23). Jesus also hints at this teaching when he tells the thief on the cross that “today, you will be with me in Paradise” (Lk. 23:43). One of the most definitive verses on this subject is Hebrews 12:23, where the author says that when Christians come together for worship, they come not only into the presence of God in heave, but also into the presence of “the spirits of just men made perfect.”
What does this mean? First, it means that when Christians die, they don’t become angels or anything else like that. It also means that there is no such thing as Purgatory. In Roman Catholic theology, Purgatory is the place where the souls of believers go to be further purified from sin until they are fit to be admitted into heaven. This clearly contradicts the verses cited above. Furthermore, an even more serious problem with this doctrine is that it teaches that we need to add something to the redemptive work of Christ. In other words, his atonement was not sufficient to pay for our sins; we must continue to suffer for them and be purified from them before we are fit to be with God. The doctrine of Purgatory also robs believers and the family members who have lost a loved one who is a believer, from the comfort and joy of knowing that they are in the presence of the Lord.
Secondly, it means that there is no such thing as “soul sleep.” This teaching says that when believers die they go into a state of unconscious existence. The next thing they will be aware of is the final resurrection and the receiving of their new, spiritual bodies. Support for this doctrine has been found in certain passages of scripture that speak of death as “sleep” or “falling asleep” (Matt. 9:24; 27:52; John 11:11; Acts 7:60; 1 Cor. 15:6, 18, 20, 51; 1 Thess. 4:13; 5:10). There are also certain Old Testament text that speak of the dead as having no conscious existence (Ps. 6:5; 11:17; Eccl. 9:10). However, those who appeal to these verses seem to totally ignore the metaphorical language. The idea of death as “sleep” is meant to indicate that death is only temporary for Christians, just as sleep is temporary. As far as the Old Testament scriptures go, these passages are to be understood in light of the viewpoint of life in this world. Furthermore, the doctrine of the afterlife was not fully developed in the Old Testament, and awaited further revelation from the New Testament.
The Unbeliever- As unpopular as it has become these days to speak of hell or eternal punishment, which is exactly what scripture teaches, this is what awaits those outside of Christ. Scripture does not hint at the idea that people will have a second chance to trust in Christ after death. In fact, the opposite is true. In the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, we see that people cannot cross from hell to heaven after they have died (Lk. 16:24-26). The final judgment is not based upon anything we do after we die, but rather what we have done while we were alive (Matt. 25:31-46; Rom. 2:5-10).
This also means that the doctrine of annihilation is not true. This view teaches that unbelievers, either upon death for after having suffered for a period of time in hell, will cease to exist. Yet this contradicts passages of scripture such as Matt. 25:41. 46, where the punishment is said to be eternal. When unbelievers die, they go to a place of punishment. Upon the final resurrection and judgment, they are judged and then cast into the lake of fire (Matt. 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts:15; Rev. 20:12, 15).
As believers, we can take great comfort in the fact that death is just a sting and not the final state for us. When believers die, they go directly into the presence of the Lord. Those who have lost loved ones who are believers, can take comfort in the fact that they are being overwhelmed by the joy, grace, holiness, and love of God. It also means that though there is great sorrow, that sorrow is not without hope.
The fate of the unbeliever should spur us all on to evangelism. It should also cause us as the people of God not to shy away from the doctrine of hell. Not that we want to try to scare people to God, for that will only lead to more false conversion, but we must warn people of the wrath to come, and encourage them to be reconciled to God while there is still time.