What happens when we die (1)

God's eternal Judgment will determine each person's eternal destiny. God will ultimately divide all mankind into 2 groups with 2 very different eternal destinies, which is decided at death, when a permanent separation takes place between the righteous and unrighteous. This Judgment, which happens when we cross over the threshold from this life to the next, will be solely a judgment of that individual, and the decisions he has made in his life (Ezekiel 18:20). The Bible teaches that mankind generally goes through 3 Phases of Existence: (1) this life in a mortal body, (2) the INTERMEDIATE STATE, and (3) the ETERNAL STATE in an immortal body. After death the invisible part of man (his spirit- soul), will live on independently from his body. This is called the Immortality of the Soul (Matthew 10:28). Although the body is made from dust that dies, the spirit is made from God’s breath (spirit) and so cannot die. It continues to exist and live on after death (Genesis 2:7). Physical death is simply the separation of the spirit from the body, when the body is no longer able to house the spirit (James 2:26). The condition of each soul at death will determine its destiny for eternity (Ecclesiastes 11:3, Rev 22:11). The first Stage of man's Eternal Judgment happens immediately after his death (Hebrews 9:27). Stage 1 determines a man’s guilt or innocence. You will either die 'in your sins' (John 8:24) or 'in the Lord' (Rev 14:13). The righteous go up to Paradise, and the wicked go down to Hades, where both groups wait for the 2nd Stage of their Eternal Judgment, which is at their resurrection. After death a man enters the next phase of his existence, the Intermediate State (a temporary State, the time between his death and resurrection). After leaving his body, he continues to exist as a disembodied spirit. In Stage 2 of man’s Eternal Judgment, at his resurrection, he will appear before the Judge for sentencing. Believers will come before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged according to their works to determine their eternal rewards. *Unbelievers will stand before the Great White Throne for their final sentencing. They are judged according to their works to determine the degree of their eternal punishment. They are then dismissed to their final place of punishment, the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15). A major change took place through the Death and Resurrection of Christ, so Derek shows what happened in Old Testament times before the Cross (Luke 16), and the difference that Christ made possible for us by establishing the New Covenant and providing the perfecting of our spirits through the New Birth. Thus before the Resurrection, Heaven was not populated by man (John 3:13), but now in Christ, our spirits have been changed, born again, and made perfect. So now when believers die, they go straight up into Heaven.