while today

What will happen to us when we die?  It’s an important question that many Christians are unsure about.  I myself have questions about death, the resurrection, the second coming, the judgment, what our eternal state will be like, and exactly how and when all of the scriptures on these topics will be fulfilled.  Despite these questions, one thing I have become convicted of is this:  When a Christian dies, they will go to be with the Lord.  Our bodies will be in the ground until the return of Christ, but our souls will go to be with Jesus.  Let’s examine some scriptures about this.

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 NASB95) Here we see that those who have died as Christians will be coming with Jesus at His return.  This strongly implies that they have been with Jesus since their death.  Paul goes on to say that Christians who are alive when Jesus returns will be caught up together with those who have died, and we will meet the Lord in the air (verse 17).

In another passage, we learn what Paul expected to happen when he died.  Listen to his words, “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better…” (Philippians 1:21–23 NASB95) Paul wrote these words as a prisoner.  He didn’t know whether he would live or die. But he saw death as “gain.”  Why?  Because he knew that when he died, he would be with Christ. Being with Christ was something he expected and was longing for.

Yet another verse that shows us that Christians go to be with the Lord when they die is found in the fifth chapter of 2 Corinthians.  As Paul encourages the saints he says, “Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord—for we walk by faith, not by sight—we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.” (2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NASB95) For the Christian, being absent from the body means being at home with the Lord.  When we die, our bodies will return to dust, but our soul will be with Jesus.  It seems that we will continue in this state until the last trumpet sounds at the return of Christ.  At that time, our bodies will be raised, and they will be changed, in the twinkling of an eye, from perishable to imperishable (see 1 Corinthians 15:50-58).

We have so much to look forward to!  Are you ready to be with Jesus?  Let’s remain faithful to Him, and look forward to being with Him forever.

—Scott Colvin