I. Introduction
a. Title: TV show, Ghost Whisperer (similar to Medium and Supernatural)
i. Star has the ability to see & communicate w/ the “spirits” of people who have died
ii. “Spirits” have not “crossed over” into their final resting place
iii. Must resolve something from their earthly life; star helps them do this
b. John Edward’s Crossover
i. Goes around the country to help people “contact” & “communicate with” relatives who have passed away
c. How do we evaluate these issues as we encounter them in our culture?
d. How should we, as Christians, respond to the issues of death, the grave, and beyond as they are presented in our culture?
e. What does the bible say about these subjects?
II. Couple of qualifications as we get started
a. Emotional subject & I want to be sensitive
b. At the same time, I want to exhort us to find hope& peace in dealing w/ death not in the pop culture of our day, but in Jesus and the scriptures—not that the grief will suddenly vanish, but that Jesus is sufficient for whatever we face
c. That the scriptures would shape our thinking on these issues; guard against misconceptions about death & what happens when we die that are pervasive in our culture
III. Nature of man
a. Vv. 1 & 4 – “tent” as an analogy for our physical bodies;
b. Physical bodies, like tents, are temporary dwelling places for our true selves, the real us
c. Conclusion: distinction made about our nature/composition; how humans are made up—material part (body) & immaterial part (soul)
d. Our soul is “housed” in our physical bodies, our “tent”
e. Distinction clear: vv. 6 & 8
f. Distinction is realized at the point of physical death—the body dies & the soul enters another state of existence, separated from the body
IV. What is that state of existence like?
a. Called the “intermediate state”—refers to the period of time between a person’s death and the resurrection
b. What happens to the body?
i. It decays and returns to the dust from which it was made—Genesis 3:19—“till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken, for you are dust, and to dust you shall return”
ii. It awaits to be reunited w/ the soul at the resurrection at which time the soul will be housed in a glorified body—one not subject to decay—1 Cor. 15:53—“for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality”
iii. Intermediate state is temporary—not the final state that we will be in when the new heaven & new earth are revealed in Rev. 21
iv. The eternal state is where the streets of gold & the crystal sea are
v. Either at the resurrection for those who have died in Christ or at the second coming, we will receive our glorified bodies (cf. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
c. What happens to the soul/spirit?
i. Popular theological positions
1. Soul sleep – the soul is in a state of unconscious existence until the resurrection
a. “sleep” – used as a metaphor, but it’s used to show the temporary nature of death, not as an exact analogy
b. Rich man & Lazarus story – both are conscious & aware of what is happening
2. Purgatory
a. RC tradition – soul stays in limbo until it has suffered for the sins committed in the body for which it did not receive punishment while on earth
b. Fails to acknowledge the sufficiency of Jesus’ atoning work on the cross for my sins
3. Reincarnation – Buddhism; Hinduism
a. Ideas of karma; coming back as something better or worse than before depending upon your karma
ii. Popular culture positions
1. Soul hangs on earth “floating” around trying to resolve some inner conflict or trying to communicate w/ relatives hoping to eventually cross over to the other side
a. TV shows – Ghost Whisperer, Medium, & Crossover
2. Naturalistic position – evolution; nature worship – our energy that connects us to the earth (not soul) returns to the earth to continue the circle of life
V. What do we learn from 2 Corinthians 5 for the believer in Jesus Christ?
a. V. 8
b. At physical death, an immediate separation occurs, and the spirit/soul for the believer is transported immediately into the presence of the Lord
c. Jesus is at the present time at the right hand of the Father, which we call heaven
d. During the intermediate state, believers are ushered into the presence of Jesus—this is between our death and our resurrection
e. Then, we enter the eternal state of Rev. 21 & 22 after we receive our resurrection & glorified bodies
f. Intermediate state is a state of blessedness & joy that will only get better; a divine foretaste of what is to come
VI. What about the unbeliever, those outside of faith in Christ?
a. Immediate separation of soul from body—transported immediately to a place of realization that they are relationally separated from God b/c they rejected Jesus as Savior & Lord
b. Beginning of the eternal punishment & torment for those who reject Jesus
c. Personally, I do not take this to mean “hell”—at this point
d. Hell (not dogmatic about this) is the “lake of fire” referred to in Revelation 20—the second death, the eternal death—it is the carrying out of the sentence of judgment & condemnation
e. Place of torment before the “lake of fire” is like those who are sitting on death row w/o the possibility of pardon until the sentence is carried out—they are already judged and condemned waiting to receive their just punishment
VII. Some practical considerations (3 questions)
a. Is it possible to communicate w/ the spirits of those who have died?
i. No, but…two cautions
1. Two incidents in scripture are worth noting
a. 1 Samuel 28:3-16 – Saul consults a medium and calls for the spirit of Samuel who shows up—scares the medium out of her wits—probably a con-artist
b. Luke 9:27-36 – Mt. of Transfiguration; Elijah & Moses are there
2. Explain these two incidents: They are isolated events through which God intervened for a specific purpose in a special set of circumstances, but they are not normative nor are they something we should go seeking after or expecting to happen on a regular basis (so someone can make a TV show)
ii. What about stuff people claim is going on today? (my conclusion)
1. OT forbids seeking after a medium to conjure up a spirit of someone who has died to make sure they are alright (psyhics, hypnotists, etc.)
2. Why—b/c this is an act of dabbling into the world of demonic
3. Our comfort does not come by getting in “contact” w/ someone who has died, but in trusting the promises of Jesus Christ and finding comfort in who he is and the reality that he has conquered sin, death, and hell on our behalf
b. Is it possible for spirits to haunt houses or make after death appearances?
i. No—spirits of humans who have died are transported to one of two places, immediately—the presence of Jesus for believers or the place of separation from the relational presence of God for unbelievers
1. So, what is my conclusion—either our minds are playing tricks on us in our sub-conscience, the power of suggestion, or demonic activity—therefore, ghosts do not whisper
ii. Don’t want to discount anyone’s experience, but I want to strongly urge us to interpret our experience by the scriptures & caution us against allowing popular culture or even our own imaginations to shape our thinking
c. Are there any second chances after death?
i. No…”today is the day of salvation”
ii. Rich man & Lazarus - Luke 16:26 – “and besides all this, b/t us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us”
iii. It is during this life that one has the only opportunity to enter into a saving relationship w/ Jesus Christ through repentance & faith—there is no purgatory, there is no praying for the dead, no baptism for the dead—no hope for those who die w/o Jesus Christ
VIII. Conclusion
a. Though there are some uncertainties surrounding death & what happens next, it is certain that death is a reality for all of us…the bell will toll for all of us, unless Jesus comes back first
b. In the resurrection of Jesus, He conquered death & the fear of death for us
i. 1 Cor. 15 – “death is swallowed up in victory; death where is your sting; hades, where is your victory; the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law; but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ”
ii. Hebrews 2:14-15 – Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
iii. Though the pain & grief we experience at the loss of a loved is real, as Christians, we need not fear death b/c Jesus has conquered death
c. Our comfort in death is not in wondering whether our loved one has crossed over or not—but, rather, our comfort is found in knowing whether or not our loved one trusted in Jesus Christ as his/her personal Lord & Savior & is in the presence of Jesus right now—it doesn’t necessarily make us cry less tears, but it gives us steadfast hope & confidence for facing eternity b/c we trust the one who has conquered sin, death, and hell
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