What Happens When you Die?

Perhaps this may be answered somewhere in the Bible, but at this time I cannot find it or have not read up to this point.

I recently went to a Muslim funeral, for my family. Anyway, they believe once you die if you believed in God and lived a good life you will have a spacious grave and live comfortably until the day of judgment. This is an indication you will go to Paradise. The opposite would receive a very small grave and be tormented and then go to Hell.

What, if anything, does our Faith say will occur when we die?

Thanks for any help and much appreciated.

~Marco

I Cor.5:6-8: "Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we 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."

Philippians 1:21-23: "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."

It very much appears that there is not "intermediate state" or "soul sleep" for a Christian.

peace to you

Marco, Muslim beliefs roughly resemble OT Jewish beliefs that when you die, your sould sleeps until a day of judgement (the OT referrs to this place as Sheol, translated "Hades" in Greek, the place of the dead).

We Christians believe that if you have accepted Christ as your savior and allowed him to pay the price for your transgressions, then you go to heaven immediately, not waiting until any day of judgement as Jews and Muslims believe.

It would be easy for me to categorically say that a Jew and Muslims are hellbound (and it's my preference to believe that), but since we don't know how God's Holy Spirit reveals himself to others, and since ony God knows a person's heart, I can't with any accuracy say what happens to a person who have lived a live in nonchristian belief system. Heck, I can't say with any certainty that a person who lived a Christian life is heavenbound, because even there, I don't know that person's heart. But I would also not tell a nonchristian that they can get to heaven any other way besides letting Jesus pay the price for their sins.

Again, I can only speak to the Christian here: You go immediately to be with the Lord when your physical body dies. We do not pass "go" and we do not collect $200.

Marco

Scripture is clear that God has revealed Himself, in these last days, only through His Son, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1 and other passages). There are no other "revelations" to "non-christian" people groups. I can, therefore, stand on the authority of Scripture to say all that die without Christ are hell-bound.

And to take issue with my brother, Johnv, not all Christians believe you "allow" Jesus to do anything. You are saved when you are "born-again" by the Holy Spirit of God. This salvation is a work of God from start to finish. We simply respond, with repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, to the conviction of His Spirit and the transformation that has taken place within us by the presence of His Holy Spirit.

peace to you

Other Scriptures:
Revelation 14:12-14 "Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, 'Write: "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on."' 'Yes,' says the Spirit, 'that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.'"

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."

2 Timothy 1:10 But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

Also 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15.

Finally, I like this quote from Matthew Henry “Would you like to know where I am? I am at home in my Father’s house, in the mansions prepared for me here. I am where I want to be - no longer on the stormy sea, but in God’s safe, quiet harbour. My sowing time is done, and I am reaping; my joy is as the joy of harvest. Would you like to know how it is with me? I am made perfect in holiness. Grace is swallowed up in glory. Would you like to know what I am doing? I see God, not as through a glass darkly, but face to face. I am engaged in the sweet enjoyment of my precious Redeemer. I am singing hallelujahs to Him who sits upon the throne, and I am constantly praising Him. Would you know what blessed company I keep? It is better than the best on earth. Here are the holy angels and the spirits of just men made perfect ... I am with many of my old acquaintances with whom I worked and prayed, and who have come here before me. Lastly, would you know how long this will continue? It is a dawn that never fades! After millions and millions of ages, it will be as fresh as it is now. Therefore, weep not for me!”

Paul told the Philippian BELIEVERS that their citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20). In other words, they were a heavenly people with a heavenly origin, a heavenly citizenship, a heavenly destiny, to live heavenly lives in a foreign land, telling others of a heavenly Father who offers salvation through faith in His Son. What was true of the Philippian saints THEN is true of all saints NOW. When we (believers) die physically, our soul and spirit immediately enters the presence of Christ (1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Philippians 1:23). As Philippians 3:20-21 says, our body waits for Christ to return and when he does our old bodies will be transformed into the likeness of his glorious body (cf.1 Corinthians 15:51-53).

When an unbeliever dies, his soul and spirit goes to Hades (Luke 16:22-21), a temporary place of confinement until the Great White Throne Judgment. At the GWT Judgment the unbeliever is then condemned and cast into the Lake of Fire [Hell fire] (Revelation 20:12-15). At this moment there is no one in the lake of fire. The first occupants of that dreadful place will be the beast and the false prophet (Revelation 19:20), and Satan (Revelation 20:10) following them 1,000 years afterwards. Then the GWT Judgment, which occurs at the close of the Millennium, all lost human beings (unbelievers), the fallen angels, and the demons will also be sent there for eternity.

There is only one entrance into heaven and that is through Jesus Christ, and none other. In Acts 4:12 it clearly states: "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved." The phrase "must be saved" reflects the necessity set up by God's directive plan. That directive plan is only through His Son, Jesus Christ...Jesus said in John 14:6 - "I am the way, the truth, and the life. NNE comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME!" There's just no way we can sugar coat this! For the Muslim or Jew to enter Heaven, they must come by way of JESUS CHRIST.