Rearranging Our Priorities in the Face of Eternity
We all know that the world obsesses over the trivial and the fleeting. But when a person sees death on the horizon it quickly rearranges priorities. Approaching death frees us to enjoy things as they are, rather than as we wish them to be. It loosens our grip on God’s gifts (as if they were ever ours) and frees us to seek truth. And most of us want to know what happens after we die.
Most of us have been hearing about the life after death since our youth. Perhaps we are anxious and concerned about what happens after we die. Given the finality of death and the unknowns that surround it, it’s natural to feel anxious and afraid of dying.
The Eternal Question: What Awaits Us Beyond Death?
The Holy Bible says “There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death.” – Proverbs 14:12. The “death” spoken of here is spiritual death, not physical death. We can’t just believe what seems logical to us. We have to believe what God, our Creator, told us happens after we die. Click here for a visual summary of our path.
In the Holy Bible, we read about a brief but deeply meaningful interaction between Jesus and Pontius Pilate, the Roman-appointed governor of Judea. Pilate was responsible for maintaining law and order in Judea. The Jewish leaders, who hated Jesus for His teachings, falsely accused Him of treason and heresy, demanding His execution. As Pilate questioned Jesus to determine if He had committed any crime deserving death, Jesus said:
“All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.”
To which Pilate replied:
“What is truth?” Pilate asked.”
Due to the urgency of events, Jesus didn’t have the opportunity to explain “what is truth” to Pilate. However, as we read the Bible, the truth becomes clear. If Jesus had answered, He would have explained that truth involves both bad and good news. Emphasizing only one side distorts the full picture. The same is true of the message of Jesus Christ. He grounded everything He taught in the reality that we are eternal beings and that our souls live on forever.
To understand what happens after we die, we must first hear the bad news. Then, the Good News will become clear.
The Truth About Life After Death: Bad News and Good News
Bad news: We have all broken God’s law (sinned). God’s righteousness demands punishment for sin. The punishment is eternal separation from God in a place called Hell, where sinners endure His wrath. It’s a place of torment from which there is no escape, relief, nor end.
Most of what we know about hell comes from Jesus. The Bible describes it as a place of outer darkness, a lake of fire, and a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is a prison of eternal misery because God is not present. This is called the “second death”—a spiritual death that follows physical death. What does the Bible say about hell?
Good news: God has provided a plan to redeem those who believe in Him. To “redeem” means to buy back or pay off a debt. Jesus Christ redeemed us from our sins.
This redemption was something only a perfect God could accomplish. After Pilate questioned Jesus, he ordered His crucifixion on a wooden cross. The Bible tells us, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross” (1 Peter 2:24). Jesus bore the weight of every believer’s sin when He was crucified. Because Jesus took our sins upon Himself, He frees us from guilt, and we will not be punished in hell. Jesus’ sacrifice paid the debt we owe for our sin.
Faith in Jesus: The Only Path to Eternal Life
Yes. For Jesus’ death to cover a person’s sins, they must believe in Him. Belief includes acknowledging that He redeemed His followers. This verse captures the essence of Jesus’ message:
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.” – John 11:25
What It Truly Means to Believe in Jesus for Salvation
But what does it mean to truly “believe”? 1 Corinthians 15:2-4 summarizes the core beliefs of Christianity: Jesus died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and offers salvation to all who receive Him in faith. Unlike many religious systems that focus on good deeds or avoiding evil, Christianity teaches that salvation comes solely through faith in Jesus’ sacrifice. We cannot earn or pay for our salvation—only God can save us from hell.
For those concerned about what happens after death: those who trust in Jesus Christ for salvation need not fear death but can face it with full assurance and confidence.
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AI did not write this article but assisted with proofreading.