She's dead.
Christians are promissed eternal life, no? How is the Mother of God DEAD if she LIVES life eternal?
She has no role on earth at this point.
The living saints in heaven, the Church Triumphant, have NO ROLE? What authority have you for such a claim? How do you square that with the following?
I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Creator of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:
Who was conceived of the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day He arose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty,
whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy *catholic church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.
Amen.
Christians are promised eternal life - spiritually. I can't believe how ignorant of scripture and reality you all are. Hebrews says your body WILL die. That has zero to do with whether your spirit dies or not. It is merely the 'come to Jesus' moment. At the point your spirit leaves your body for the last time, your life decision has sealed your eternal fate. Paul said flesh and blood will in no wise inherit the kingdom of heaven. Doesn't mean you're spiritually dead if you can't take your body with you.
Don't believe me, go dig up a dead relative and take them to dinner. But I'll advise that it will be a stinky, messy and repulsive afair. And you'll probably be arrested; but, rest assured, you can explain to the cops how they are christian and they are really alive. By the time you're done, I'm sure the community will know just how bonkers you are. But you guys are pushing it to that absurdity.
The living saints in heaven, the Church Triumphant, have NO ROLE? What authority have you for such a claim? How do you square that with the following?
Scripture proclaims it. And I'd ask you the opposite, who are you to ammend your philosophies to God's sealed Covenant and try to sell it as having the same weight. Ecclesiastes says the bodily dead are done with any involvements with the living here. Doesn't mean you'll never see or hear from them again- just not here. Saul was put to death for trying to communicate with the dead. A dead prophet as it were. You want to try and convince anyone here that a prophet of God who's body died was damned and spiritually dead. These are the gymnastics you are trying to accomplish. You can quote all the philosophy you want. Christ's body died and he couldn't set foot among the living again until he was raised. Go read it. Lazarus was dead and gone, Christ brought his body back to life and he was able to interact here again. Lazarus currently is dust. His spirit lives on; but, that's no different than what is discussed in Ecclesiastes. Your communion of saints may be a cute philosophy; but it's nowhere in scripture. It rather belies scripture and that's called blasphemy. Something the authors of your philosophy seem to have excelled at.
The living saints in heaven, the Church Triumphant, have NO ROLE? What authority have you for such a claim?
NIV John 11:11-27
11. After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep (died) ; but I am going there to wake him up."
12. His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better."
13. Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14. So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,
15. and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
16. Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
17. On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
18. Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
19. and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.
20. When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21. "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22. But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
23. Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
24. Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
25. Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
26. and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
27. "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
Jesus did NOT say that Martha's statement was wrong.
NIV Acts 7:8, 59-60
8. Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people.
59. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
60. Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep (died) .
NIV Acts 13:36
36. "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep (died) ; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. (A man after God's own heart)
NIV 1 Corinthians 11:30
30. That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep (died) .
NIV 1 Corinthians 15:6
6. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep (died) .
NIV 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
20. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (died) .
21. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
22. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
23. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.
NIV 1 Corinthians 15:51-52
51. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--
52. in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
NIV Ephesians 5:13-14
13. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14. for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."
NIV 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
13. Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep (die) , or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope.
14. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep (died) in him.
15. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep (died) .
16. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
17. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
18. Therefore encourage each other with these words.
(All these verses speak of the dead as SLEEPING. And, at the SECOND Coming, THEN they will join Jesus: not before)