The Afterlife Problem (Heb.9:27)

 

-Do you have an experience that Jesus is really Christ and my Christ? This experience comes from your real understanding and recognition of misery and harshness of the fundamental problem (sin, separation from God, and slaves of Satan).
-Sin by disobedience and disbelief toward God’s Word destroyed all relationship between God and human beings.
Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear
-Therefore, people became the slave of Satan. They are oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). They live as a slave in bondage to fear. They cannot resolve the original sin by their own efforts.
Hebrews 2:14-15  Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.
-God opened up the way to meet Him. Romans 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
-Only Jesus Christ can forgive our sins (Rom.8:1-2). He destroyed the work of the devil (1 John 3:8). If you truly realize the hopelessness of the state of original sin and have the unique solution for our fundamental problem through Jesus Christ, you can give true thanksgiving to God. You will not be shaken by environments, conflicts, difficulties, and situations. Consequently, in this summer, you should have this experience that Jesus is really my Christ through the Word of God and your field.
-As you know, the results of original sin leads people into idols worship (Rom.1:23), the spiritual problem (Eph.2:2), the mental illness (Matt.11:28), and the physical problem (Acts 8:7-8). These afflictions are connected to the afterlife. What is the afterlife problem?

 

1.The fifth problem of those who are separated from
 God is the afterlife problem
1)The path of unbelievers
①The birth: Human beings were created with body and spirit.
Genesis 2:7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
②Death: Every human being will die once. Why do people die? Because of sin.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
-Therefore, anyone cannot avoid death.
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,
③Judgment: There will be the judgment for the dead. If you are the child of God, your name is written in the Book of Life and you will go heaven.
Revelation 20:12-13 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.
④Hell: Hell is prepared for the devil and evil spirit. If your spiritual identity does not change from the child of the devil into the child of God, you will go hell. They will have eternal punishment (Matt 25:46).
Revelation 20:14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death
Matthew 25:41  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:

2)The desire of the one who is in hell
①A drop of water: From the parable of a rich man and Nazarus, the rich man wanted a drop of water because of the suffering from fire.
Luke 16:24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’
②Not to come to hell: The rich man wanted for his brothers not to come to hell.
Luke 16:28  for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’
-Unbelievers will be afflicted eternally in hell. However, God’s children do not need to worry their afterlife. We should confirm it with the Word of God.

 

2.The Word concerning the afterlife of believers
1)Not perishment but eternal life
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
-If anyone believes in Jesus Christ, he/she will not come to destruction and disasters, but enjoy eternal life.

2)From death to life
John 5:24 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
-We do not worry about judgment. It is because Jesus redeemed us from sin. We are righteous through Jesus Christ before God. Therefore, believers who have the Son of God in their heart have passed from death into life.

3)The tabernacle (dwelling place) of God
Revelation 21:3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.
-After death, God’s children  will enter into the dwelling place of God. Their relationship as their God and His people stands forever.

4)Heaven
Revelation 21:4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
-Finally, God’s children will go to heaven where God is. This is the afterlife of believers. They have eternal background.

5)The core of the Bible John 20:31  but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

 

Conclusion
1)Make your own spiritual system to focus on the Word, prayer, and evangelism
-In this summer, in your alone time, you should have the scheduled prayer time or personal worship time. In this time, you can meditate upon the Word, listen to the pulpit message, read the Bible.
Colossians 3:1-2 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.