What Happens When We die?

Luke 16:19-31

Nearly everyone believes in giving second chances, especially when they are the one asking. The same man who killed a person for some idle comment thinks he should get another chance at life. A man who divorced his first wife on suspicion of messing around thinks his second wife should forgive him when she caught him for the third time.

The same attitude is observed in most people’s religious beliefs. Many religions believe in some form of reincarnation, in which a person gets another chance to live a good life, either as some kind of animal or a new person. If they finally succeed, they supposedly will attain eternal rewards, while failure will require another try. If they are too wicked they may be stuck here. Buddhism is probably the best known of these religions.

A modified form of this is seen teaching of some kind of a “purgatory,” in which a person who did not measure up completely can have an opportunity to make up for his failure after death. The Catholic teaching is the best known of these beliefs. Shows such as The Ghost Whisperer, or Crossing Over, portray some of these beliefs.

In the following Parable, Jesus lays out the basics of the Christian doctrine. In the process, he challenges many common practices and beliefs of our day.

“There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.” (Luke 16;19-21)

Many times wealth is looked on as an indicator of God’s blessings. A friend of mine was told that he could not come into the main service of a church because he wasn’t dressed well enough. A missionary friend was informed he couldn’t preach without a “proper” suit and tie. A church where I was to speak would not allow people who were not wearing a suit and tie to participate in the services. God only knows how often dress and financial standing has been the basis for excluding people from churches. Jesus emphasizes the difference between the two men for a reason.

“And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.” (Luke 16:22-23)

Both men died. The beggar immediately went to be with the Lord. His poverty was in no way held against him, nor did it indicate anything about a lack of spirituality. For the believer, as Paul says in II Corinthians 5:6-8, we are either with the Lord or we are still alive. “Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” There is no in between for the believer, and there is no where in scripture that indicates we become angels.

The rich man died, and he woke up in hell. His fine clothes and wealth didn’t save him, and there was no purgatory. He went directly to hell. No where in scripture is there any suggestion of having another chance after death. Few consider that God has given every person their entire life to make things right. We wouldn’t consider that a woman ought to continue to give more chances if her husband will not stop abusing her or committing adultery after years, so why do we think God ought to give unlimited chances? Apparently the idea is that we shouldn’t be punished at all.

Romans 2:3-6 points out that the reason we live as long as we do is to give us a chance to straighten out. “And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God; Who will render to every man according to his deeds:” Failure to act while we are alive indicates we have no interest in changing, and we just heap up additional sin and punishment for ourselves.

“And 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.” (Luke 16:24)

A great many people believe that one will just be burned up in hell and it will be just a momentary suffering. Mark 9:44-48 repeatedly states that it would be better to be seriously handicapped here on earth than to go into hell because it is a place, “Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.” We read of people in hospital burn units who have been horribly burned. Even though they are no longer in the flame, they continue to feel the pain as if they were. Many times the only way to stop their screams is to drug them to the point they lapse into unconsciousness, and even then they may whimper and moan in pain. They have the advantage that eventually they die. Those in hell never do.

The rich man considered the momentary respite he could receive from a single drop of water something to be of immeasurable value. Burn unit patients beg for anything, however small or fleeting to relieve their suffering. In hell, there will be no relief. The things we had here on earth cannot be carried over.

“But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.” (Luke 16:25-26)

Many believe that after a time in hell, they will be given a pass to go on to heaven. Jesus was very specific that there will be no way to go from hell to heaven. It is a permanent commitment. There’s no time off for good behavior. It is not just a life sentence, it is eternal, with no possibility of parole. They don’t get to come back and terrorize those on earth, or even to hang around to help them.

While in High School, I tried to talk to a girl on the bus about the Lord. She told me she’d rather go to hell because that’s where all her friends were going. The rich man didn’t want his friends and loved ones to experience what he was experiencing. The girl simply had no idea what hell is really like. The level of pain will make one unable to enjoy his friend’s presence, while he will be aware of their pain. Feeling that it was your fault they were there would only make it worse.

“Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.” (Luke 16:27-28)

Frequently, I see people pulling a portable oxygen bottle on a little cart in stores. What really amazes me is how often I see them standing outside the store smoking one last cigarette before they go in. Their lungs have already been so destroyed they can’t breathe naturally and they continue to smoke.

Over the years, hundreds of former smokers have tried desparately to convince people to stop. Some have lung cancer or emphysema. One former baseball player has had his entire jaw eaten away by cancer resulting from chewing tobacco. Nicotine causes contraction of the blood vessels. In about one in every eight thousand people in the United States, this results in Buergers disease, with the contraction being so extreme that the capillaries no longer permit flow to some cells, resulting in cell death, gangrene, and amputation or death. It is only found among tobacco users and workers, so the cause is clear.

Despite warnings on tobacco products, education programs, warnings from people who have suffered the consequences of using tobacco, and seeing people suffering from doing so, some people, including many doctors and nurses, continue to use it. They have chosen to ignore the warnings. People also ignore warnings from God. It is their choice.

“Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” (Luke 16:29-31)

Deaths from tobacco use have been occurring since it first started being used recreationally, even though people didn’t understand the causes at first. The old saying that what you don’t know won’t hurt you is false. Not knowing is not protection in most cases. However, Romans 1:19-21 advises, “Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.”

Just as ignorance doesn’t protect tobacco users, ignorance will not protect those who reject God, but they can’t plead ignorance. Even the things around them make it clear he exists. It requires willful denial to say he doesn’t. Standard mathematical calculations of probability, when applied to the existence of God, show at least a fifty-fifty probability of his existence, even when every possible indicator of his existence, such as the existence of good and evil, is set at zero. As the great mathematician, Pascal, stated, it is foolish to insist there is no God when denying every evidence still leaves at least an equal chance he does exist.