2-1/2 minute read

 

We believe in the future resurrection of the body (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17).

 

The soul begins at conception

At conception, we received physical life from our parents (Genesis 1:28) and an eternal life-soul from God the Holy Spirit (Genesis 2:7).* Our soul is an immaterial and individual part of our life. It is eternal. Upon physical death, the body remains on earth, but the soul departs to God.

​

*The cults.

The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that the "soul" is the entire human creature, and that the soul is the function of life itself, not something inside and created by God that survives the death of the body. They point to Genesis 2:7 and say when we were created, man became a living soul. As such, we are mere animals. When we die...we die. They bypass the previous phrase that says, "God...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." This makes us eternal.

​

Such heretical belief destroys any notion that each person is a special and unique gift of God, that we are higher than creatures, and that we have eternal life.

​

Iglesia ni Cristo teaches that the soul is our inner nature, or our personality. Our spirit is our life, or breath. As with the Jehovah's Witnesses, only the body is raised at the resurrection.

​

Mormonism teaches that we are all spirit children of the Heavenly Father and a Heavenly Mother, who is side by side with the divine Father. Their children are raised in an eternal mansion before coming to earth as infants, A veil blocks any memory of their pre-existence. Therefore, they say, every person ever born is our spirit brother or sister. Their teachings are completely based on non-Bible revelations.

​

The body will reunite with the soul

At a future time, Jesus will return to earth and call for the bodily resurrection of all who have ever lived. The body, whether it was decayed, dissolved, drowned or destroyed, will rise and reunite with the soul.

 

Once reunited, everyone will face the personal judgment of God for what they believe about the Christ (John 3:16) and the motives of their deeds in life (Romans 2:6-7 and 10).  

 

Jesus is in heaven with a resurrected body (check Luke 24:39, then John 21:12 and 15, then Luke 24:50-51). It is our resurrected bodies, reunited with our souls, that will praise him forever (Philippians 2:10). We will be joined by recognizable people from all ages, races and ethnic groups (Revelation 7:9).

 

​Lack of agreement

There are great differences of opinion about where the human soul is between physical death and its reunification with the body. People of great faith and humility have prayed and studied for an answer and come to well thought out conclusions. Sadly, Christians fight and break fellowship over inconsequential issues.

 

Two points to remember:

​First, lack of consensus? maybe no big deal

First, if there is no broad consensus, God may have deliberately kept it from us. Or it is not a critical issue relating to saving faith and a close relationship with God. God’s is not obliged to tell us everything about the future, otherwise we might become smug in our faith.

 

Second, love is our Lord's command

As Jesus’ day of death approached, he focused on what was critical to the church that would follow. He commanded, “Love one another,” (John 13:34-35 and 15:12). The apostle John repeated it, saying, “…love one another,” (1 John 3:11 and 23; 4:7 and 11).

 

Love is the ultimate life-test of true conversion

John goes deeper. If you argue, fight and break off fellowship over issues other than the basics of faith, John actually questions your personal faith, or at least your conversion and willingness to the Christ-life. Measure yourself against 1 John 3:11-24 and 1 John 4:7-21.

​

​​

Questions, comments or ideas? Contact us.

​

Next: click here for "the life everlasting."

​