Life of our spirit after the death of our physical body

[God's Truth]

Before I was saved, there came a time that started with a search for God’s Truth and not some religion’s truth, the search went off and on for about 12 years, after which Jesus did finally save me. After Jesus saved me, there came a time the issue of our spirits was something extremely important to me and a serious deep study began. It had to be God’s Truth and not just my wishful thinking. It is my hope to give a good argument with scriptures, and hope to help persuade others who do not believe in the life of the spirit after the death of the body, and to strengthen those in the truth who do believe.

 

[God's Truth]

It is probably best to start with the Old Testament scriptures, since that is where soul sleep believers think it proves our spirits don't live on. Let's start with Ecclesiastes. Soul sleep believers try to use scripture from Ecclesiastes to support their false beliefs that our spirits do not live on after the death of our bodies, but the part of Ecclesiastes they use is about a message from Solomon of life if there were no God.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Ecclesiastes also says the dead have no more reward (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Do you believe that the dead have no more reward? At the resurrection the saved will receive their reward of eternal life. The Old Testament believers believed in a resurrection (Job 19:25-27; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; and others), so why would Solomon say the dead have no more reward if not to imagine a life without God, which would also be life without a coming resurrection.

 

[shroom]

It is probably best to start with the Old Testament scriptures, since that is where soul sleep believers think it proves our spirits don't live on. Let's start with Ecclesiastes. Soul sleep believers try to use scripture from Ecclesiastes to support their false beliefs

That when a person dies he is dead is not a false belief. The false belief is thinking that when you die you're not really dead. Death is an enemy, not the gateway to the afterlife.

that our spirits do not live on after the death of our bodies, but the part of Ecclesiastes they use is about a message from Solomon of life if there were no God.

That's quite the claim. I do not agree. I believe Solomon is explaining what happens at death.

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the realm of the dead, where you are going, there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge nor wisdom.

Ecclesiastes also says the dead have no more reward (Ecclesiastes 9:5). Do you believe that the dead have no more reward?

Yes, the dead have no more reward. The Bible plainly states it.

At the resurrection the saved will receive their reward of eternal life.

Everlasting life is not a reward, it is the gift of God (Rom 6:23).

The Old Testament believers believed in a resurrection (Job 19:25-27; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; and others), so why would Solomon say the dead have no more reward if not to imagine a life without God, which would also be life without a coming resurrection.

Because when a person is dead he can no longer do anything for God, he cannot accrue any further rewards. This life is the only time people have to decide to believe, to live their lives for God. Those people who did their best to please God will be richly rewarded, those who believed but didn't do much for God will be saved, but will not have much in the way of rewards.

 

[Mr E]

That when a person dies he is dead is not a false belief. The false belief is thinking that when you die you're not really dead. Death is an enemy, not the gateway to the afterlife.

That's quite the claim. I do not agree. I believe Solomon is explaining what happens at death.

Yes, the dead have no more reward. The Bible plainly states it.

Everlasting life is not a reward, it is the gift of God (Rom 6:23).

Because when a person is dead he can no longer do anything for God, he cannot accrue any further rewards. This life is the only time people have to decide to believe, to live their lives for God. Those people who did their best to please God will be richly rewarded, those who believed but didn't do much for God will be saved, but will not have much in the way of rewards.

Dorcas.

Lazarus.

That body tossed into Elisha's grave on New Years Day....

Jairus's daughter..... physically dead is not dead to God. (she was only sleeping, Jesus said)

 

[shroom]

Dorcas.

Lazarus.

That body tossed into Elisha's grave on New Years Day....

Jairus's daughter..... physically dead is not dead to God. (she was only sleeping, Jesus said)

All those people raised from from the dead in the Bible died again. The only exception, the only person raised from the dead to everlasting life, is Jesus Christ.

 

[Mr E]

All those people raised from from the dead in the Bible died again. The only exception, the only person raised from the dead to everlasting life, is Jesus Christ.

I don't disagree. But it negates what you said earlier- that dead is dead and there is nothing after. That simply isn't the case.

It's simply a descriptor of a condition subject to change should God choose.

 

[shroom]

I don't disagree. But it negates what you said earlier- that dead is dead and there is nothing after. That simply isn't the case.

It is the case unless the person who died is raised from the dead.

It's simply a descriptor of a condition subject to change should God choose.

The condition of death is that the person is dead, knowing nothing, no thought, no emotion, no work, and they cannot praise God. They are dead.

 

[Mr E]

It is the case unless the person who died is raised from the dead.

The condition of death is that the person is dead, knowing nothing, no thought, no emotion, no work, and they cannot praise God. They are dead.

This is your belief.

 

[shroom]

This is your belief.

Yep. Backed by the Bible.

 

[Mr E]

Yep. Backed by the Bible.

Except Jesus.

 

[shroom]

Except Jesus.

God raised Jesus from the dead.

 

[Mr E]

Before I was saved, there came a time that started with a search for God’s Truth and not some religion’s truth, the search went off and on for about 12 years, after which Jesus did finally save me. After Jesus saved me, there came a time the issue of our spirits was something extremely important to me and a serious deep study began. It had to be God’s Truth and not just my wishful thinking. It is my hope to give a good argument with scriptures, and hope to help persuade others who do not believe in the life of the spirit after the death of the body, and to strengthen those in the truth who do believe.

GT-- I'm glad you started this thread. One of my favorite topics. Below is an excerpt from a friend of mine, who from a very early age had episodes of what you might call narcolepsy. He would just drift off at any moment of the day and though his mother took him to the doctors they didn't have any explanation for why this was happening- and not only this. He would also get up and walk off when he was asleep- totally unaware that this was happening. They once found him outside in the middle of the night laying on the ground out in the snow, body blue with cold.

It's a powerful tool to be able to name a thing. What I mean is that- it's difficult to treat something unidentified. At some point he realized what was happening to him and understood that he was falling into the spirit realm-- that place of consciousness most only visit when asleep or in some other altered state of consciousness. And when he realized that he began to understand that place with some degree of clarity.

Anyways-- here are a couple of stanzas. Let me know your thoughts on this.

The body falls
The soul does stand
Which was it first
The Soul or man?
If what we see, our spirit sees
Does not it have autonomy?

Of its nature, much is spoken
We see not more than just a token
Is all we glimpse, or think, or feel
More than a shadow of all that's real?

The body breathes, the Spirit leads
A symptom of duality