What will things be like once by body finally stops functioning and ceases to be? Does my world end? Do I miss family and friends I have who are still alive? Do they miss me? I’ve been pondering what life on earth will be like after I’m gone. I’m not trying to be morbid or weird, and I’m not suicidal or anything like that. I have fewer years ahead of me than I have behind me and that fact has me thinking about things a bit.
I know that one day my body will cease to function. We refer tot his as death. But death isn’t really about life ending – it is more about separation. The reason for this is because my life won’t end – and neither will yours – once my body dies. I will simply be separated. I will be separated from my physical body and those whose immaterial and material are still united.
After I die I’m sure the sun will appear in the eastern sky. Birds will sing somewhere. The earth will continue to spin on its axis and continue its trek around the sun. After I die rain will fall, the sun will shine, folks will laugh, cry, and fall in love. In other words, life on earth will continue without me. And frankly, in the grand scheme of things I won’t be missed. I think, for the most part, I’m a forgettable kind of guy.
After I die my body will either be cremated or buried in the earth. I will no longer exchange gases in my lungs. I won’t be hugging my children, hugging my wife, saying hello to my friends and family. I won’t be driving my Mustang, paying bills, or being frustrated with the person I am. I will no longer lament things the way I so often do today. Life will go on, but my new life will be different
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment
Hebrews 9:27 NASB1995
After I die I will appear before my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I will be before Him to be judged for my life here on earth. I will be judged for the works I have performed – whether those works are good, bad, or indifferent. A major difference in this judgment and the judgments we often experience on earth is that the judgment of Christ will center on my motives for the works I performed and not just the work itself. Hmm.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,
1 Corinthians 5:10 NASB1995
so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the
body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.
A man once told me he wanted all the rewards that could be had in heaven. He wanted everything. He was quite open that his motivation for doing good works was for the reward and not necessarily because he loved Christ. My only comment then was “Wow!”. It wasn’t a “wow that’s great” kind of “wow”. It was “wow, I’m not sure what to think about that attitude” kind of “wow”.
After I die, what about me? What will my judgment before Christ be like? Am I doing the right things for the right reasons? What are my motivations? Am I doing things to be recognized by others or because I’m so in love with Christ? Can I trust what I think are my motivations? I try to do things the right way with the right reasons motivating me. I try not to do things to get attention or accolades of others. I think I do.
Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will
I Corinthians 3:12-15 NASB1995
become evident; for the day will show it because it is to
be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality
of each man’s work. If any man’s work which he has built
on it remains, he will receive a reward.If any man’s work
is burned up, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved,
yet so as through fire.
I have no illusions about who I am. I hate me. I am a wretched man, filled with pride, and discontentment. I have committed unspeakably bad acts in my life and struggle with the memory of what I have done. I am as corrupt and failed as any other person – maybe more. I know that my heart is “desperately wicked”.
I scoff at my “achievements” and am often dissatisfied with my station in life. I want to be someone else…anyone else but me. I long for the day to be released from this mortal body of mine. One day I won’t struggle with sin, or be dissatisfied, or frustrated..
Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.
I Timothy 1:15 NASB1995
In many ways, I welcome death. After I die, I won’t “what if” myself to death. After I die, I won’t be frustrated by my old man. After I die, I won’t sin. My frustrating life will be over. After I die, I will no longer review past things done or not done. After I die, I will have no regrets. After I die, I will no longer feel pain, whether that pain is physical, emotional, or spiritual. One day I will be perfectly and completely sanctified.
After I die I will be judged for the many deeds I performed on earth. I’m sure I will suffer some loss when Christ judges me. But I do know that I will escape God’s wrath for eternity because of what Christ did for me. Whatever form Christ’s judgment of me takes – whatever the rewards or loss I suffer – I will finally be satisfied with where I am. Whatever station I am assigned for eternity, I will fully embrace it because He has fully embraced me.
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come
I Corinthians 15:54-17 NASB1995
about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in
victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where
is your sting?”The sting of death is sin, and the power of
sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory
through our Lord Jesus Christ.
No more struggle.
No more sin.
No more defeat.
No more death.
After I die, I will finally live.
The Bald Theologian 