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Sunday, December 20, 2009

Bible Questions Answered: Remembering This Life After Death

Bible Questions Answered:
Once in heaven, will we remember what we did here on earth?
Freja/ Eidsvoll, Norway

Bible Answer:

Our Lord, best answers this in His story of the “rich man and Lazarus.”

Text: Luke 16:19-31 KJV
19 There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day:
20 And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus*, which was laid at his gate, full of sores,
21 And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
22 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;
23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
24 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.
25 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.
26 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.
27 Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house:
28 For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
29 Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
30 And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
31 And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.

*Lazarus-A form of the Hebrew word Elazar (El-aw-zawr): God is my helper. (Abingdon/Strong)

In the first eight verses of St. Luke sixteen, Jesus tells the story of a wealthy man and his shrewd manager, who was dishonest with his employers money to say the least, and to his own advantage.

Then Jesus addresses the Pharisees by saying....

Luke 16:13-15 NLT
13 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
14 The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at Him.
15 Then He said to them, “You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God.

The “love of money and riches,” again outlines the last story of Luke sixteen, that of the rich man and Lazarus.

The debate of whether this is an actual story or parable will go on infinitude.
Luther say, that he believed the story to “actual,” due to the informative content of the story.
It has long been pointed out that Jesus did not use proper names in His parables, and yet here He does.

The rich man and his love of luxury and wealth, which excluded any love for God, and his fellowman with their needs, had landed him in hell.
The poor diseased, Lazarus, was born to paradise on angels wings.

And now the question, what survives death?

First answer, the soul.
There may be some who doubt the existence of the soul, but God's Son, specifically stated that it was so.

Both men existed, “after-death.”
They weren't reincarnated, which is a false idea!

Hebrews 9:27 KJV
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Hebrews 9:27 NLT
And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,

Hebrews 9:27 NAS
And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

Hebrews 9:27 NRSV
And just as it is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment,

Hebrews 9:27 AMP
And just as it is appointed for [all] men once to die, and after that the [certain] judgment,

One life/ one death/ one judgment.

Men love to embellish these simple facts, so that they may have countless tries at heaven, salvation, the life here after, but that is simply “not,” the case.

These two men had died.
Death is the “agent,” that forever seals, and sets, life's mold of spiritual choice, forever.

These two men had been judged.
These two men had a final resting place by their choices in life!

They had an eternal soul, their life did not end upon the death of their body!

And now what of the quality and satisfaction of the soul?

The beggar, Lazarus.
Where as in life (physical), he had only pain and disease, poverty, and disrespect.
In eternity, he was whole, and elevated as a “child of God,” carried to paradise.

Psalm 16:11 KJV
Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

The beggar, was without disease, whole.
The beggar, was in the luxury of paradise.
The beggar, in his thankfulness and rejoicing (assumed, but certainly true), had no regrets.

Then there was the “rich man.”

Whereas he once (in the flesh), lived in total “selfishness,” luxury, and wealth, he found now that they had left him.

He was, now the beggar, and beg he did, and still is!

A wealthy man is “used to,” having every wish of his desires granted, and so commanding orders was nothing new for the rich man.
But though commands were given, nothing was given to him.

24 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.

A test, for could a drop of water be brought to the rich man, then too the flames of hell could be assuaged, but water cannot exist in a flame!

The rich man, was now...destitute, penniless, without luxury and without servants.
But he was rich in ….torment, tears, requests, and a multitude of regrets, and fears!

He was not in paradise but hell.
He was tormented in the flames of hell, yet “not,” destroyed.
He cried.
He petitioned, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me...”

He saw and remembered Lazarus, and requested that the now well-bodied child of God, come help him, to no avail.

He remembered, with regret, his five brothers who would no doubt follow their older brother's example, and one day one by one follow him into hell.
(Was he in agony over their coming to such a place to suffer, cursed idea/ an implantation by the seducer!
This “selfish man was in agony over their coming to hell, to deride him (torment) for time without end, because of his sinful life, which they would follow!)

Men in hell, do not, “get religion,” they exist as they existed on earth.
The rich man was a “selfish man,” and we see true to form, his sin, of selfishness, was now all the more “full-blown, in nature,” the seed sown in life had now come to fruition!

And the rich man could do something earthly men could not do, he could see into paradise, it was there that he saw Lazarus.
What remorse, what regret, that he too could have been there in paradise, but for his sinful gluttony, and lack of serving the Creator more than the creature.

Dear friend, do not, be confused, all the regret possible, in hell, is regret eternally misplaced, and forever worthless!
It is worthless, because it is not regret, that one did not live a “Godly,” life!
It is regret that one cannot be in paradise, and sin just like they did once on earth.....and this will and can never, ever be!

Will we know or remember our earthly life once passed on to our reward?
Jesus, definitely says yes!

Hebrews 12:1,2 KJV
1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith..."

Who are these heavenly witness of the affairs of earthly men?
No doubt they are the angels and saints of all ages, cheering the children of God on, on to victory, in the name of Jesus!