What happens when I die?
This question is as old as time and has been discussed by people from all walks of life, ages, and cultures.
We have made incredible technological advances, but the question is not going away.
Philosophers rightly point out that every living person grapples with the fear of death and “that all the wisdom in the world eventually comes down to teaching us how not to be afraid of dying.” They correctly highlight how we fear the idea of our non-existence and try to compensate for this unpleasant thought by finding ways to give ourselves immortality.
Some pursue the building of an empire as their everlasting legacy to the world, others a life given in sacrificial service or perhaps the most common of all, living on in the memory of your family for generations.
Let’s be honest. The thought of being forgotten or ceasing to exist after we die is not an encouraging one, so our desire for some form of immortality is understandable. But human attempts at immortality – described as a “quest for salvation without God” – are ultimately deeply unsatisfying and do not provide an answer to the question: “What happens when I die?”
Paul describes our physical body as a “tent” or “house” that will one day be “torn down” when we die. In using the word tent to describe the body, we are reminded of its temporary nature – we are not meant to live in it forever.
More importantly, this “tent” houses the real you – your soul – and God’s plan is for your soul to be housed in a permanent, new body in Heaven, which He has created for you!
The first part of the answer to our original question is that when we die, our soul has a conscious existence beyond the grave and God’s intention is that we live in Heaven with Him forever.
You may find this difficult to believe, but if you stay with me over the next few weeks, I am confident you will see that the Bible provides the only satisfying and hopeful answer to life’s most important question: “What happens when I die?”
Q. How do you answer the question, “What happens when I die?”