| For Heaven's Sake! - article by Joel Hempel
After it finally became clear that God was calling me into the ministry, and after three years of working in the machine shop and completing two years of college at Kent State University Satellite in Canton, Ohio, I transferred to Valparaiso University. One of the first courses I took was an introduction to New Testament theology. Sitting in that 7:00 AM class, I was shocked to hear the professor state that the soul dies with us when we die. What? That professor’s assertion drove me to study Scripture to see if there was any truth to his disturbing declaration. Some 55 years later, thanks to the prof’s upsetting lecture, I know Scripture teaches a radically different message than what Professor X was pushing. But what exactly does happen to the soul after the death of a Christian? Although there is a debate between those who believe the soul is in an unconscious sleep state (see John 11:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15; and 1 Cor. 15:51) and those who think the soul is in a conscious or aware state, I believe the bulk of biblical evidence supports the latter. But whichever way you may lean, when we Christians die, we are with Jesus. That is certain! We could explore many passages, but here are a few of the most straightforward verses. We know that when the thief on the cross repents, Jesus assures him that that day, “you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). Then in 2 Corinthians 5:1-9 and again in Philippians 1:22-23, Paul shares his dilemma of wanting to be with Christ in the next life (what he refers to as “our heavenly dwelling”) vs continuing to serve the Lord in this life. There was also the transfiguration of Jesus when Moses and Elijah met with Jesus in the sight of Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:3-4). These references and others (see Matt. 22:31-32; Luke 16:22-23; Acts 7:55-59) give clear, biblical proof that we are with our Lord when we die – and aware of our surroundings. When the Apostle John was given a vision of heaven, he saw a great multitude robed in white worshipping God (see Revelation 7:9-10). Many years ago, when I served at Laclede Groves Retirement Community, for an All-Saints Day worship service, I used white sheets to cover 14 of the chairs in the chapel (the number of people among us who had died that year). So, when the residents and staff came into the chapel to worship, they sat with and around the white-covered chairs. I wanted to symbolize that our departed brothers and sisters were still spiritually alive, with Christ awaiting the resurrection. We praise our Lord for the lives and souls of our sisters and brothers in the faith who have gone before us. And we thank God we get to join them! | 
