Does it really matter what the sects say? The confusion lies in allowing others to tell us what God said, instead of believing Him when we read it ourselves.
Man is soil and returns to the soil (Gen.3:19). The spirit returns to God who gave it (Ecc.12:7). The soul returns to the unseen whence it came (Psa.9:17 and Acts 2:27,31). Job speaks of death itself as a return when he says: For I know that Thou wilt return me to death. (Job 30:23 AV).
There is no conscious existence in death for anyone. No believers “live” in some sort of spiritual body after they die. They are dead, their elements and life force no longer function.
The Scriptures describe in detail what the death state is. We do not experience another life “in heaven” with the Lord when we die, as some suggest when taking Paul’s statements out of context. They have managed to somehow dismiss his words on resurrection, besides not understanding what scriptural death is:
1C 15:13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
And if Christ be not risen, then [is] our preaching vain, and your faith [is] also vain
Those who are saved through Paul’s preaching are not only resurrected, they are instantly changed into the Lord’s likeness,”in the wink of an eye” when the Day of the Lord is about to be ushered in on earth.
God holds us accountable as believers, but that is not the same as the negative “judgment” that unbelievers receive at the Great White Throne a thousand years after He returns to earth.
2C 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things [done] in [his] body, according to that he hath done, whether [it be] good or bad.
This occurs for our benefit, to eliminate the record of the wrongs we have committed, and the acknowledgment of the good we have done according to His will during this life. It is a session of rewards for service. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, period.
I’m southern baptist 1950s and 60s upbringing and early 70s
It was fairly clear then
Death
Await judgement in front of God like everyone else before us in slumber
Awaken judgement
If so fortunate as to have believed then everlasting life in the kingdom of heaven
Where did it all get off track?
All these different interpretations
“Does it really matter what the sects say? The confusion lies in allowing others to tell us what God said, instead of believing Him when we read it ourselves.”
You have hit the very core of the reason there is all this bantering back and forth. An accurate and true interpretation of God’s W
ord only comes when man sets down his opinions and traditions and allows the WHOLE counsel of God to interpret itself. Every time I go to the Word to study (I write Bible Studies) I ask that all of my imaginations would be set aside and that I would be open the the truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit. In other words I am not entering into study to prove my points, but to have God show me His unchanging TRUTH!
It is amazing how the scales fall off and things that seemed to contradict or “rub” up against each other fall into place. So many try to make sense of the New without the Old and vice versa.
Your post was water to my soul. Thank you