RESURRECTION, HEAVEN, AND HELL
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead;
of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord,
of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.
Christianity is built on the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15.1-19). If Christ was raised, then God is able to raise the dead – and that means He is able to raise any or all of us – and we have a certain hope for the future.
We sometimes forget that Jesus said everyone, not just believers, will be raised from the dead:
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when ALL who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5.28-29)
The promise to the believer is everlasting (or eternal) life – what we often call ‘heaven’, though the Bible promises both a new heaven and a new earth. Whatever its nature, it will be life with God, so we know it will be good.
I’d like to say that the rest can be left to the imagination, but Scripture says the heart of man has never “imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2.9).
Unbelievers are raised to judgment. We take that to mean a negative judgment. Christians differ about what that means. A few, concerned about everlasting punishment being unjust, teach that everlasting punishment is not conscious – that it means complete annihilation of the soul, being put out of existence. Traditionally Christianity has always taught, however, that ‘hell’ (or Hades) is a place of everlasting conscious punishment and our church teaches that view. We don’t find a biblical basis for any ‘third’ or ‘intermediate’ options (e.g. limbo, purgatory).
Some people create timelines involving multiple resurrections and judgments for different groups of people. Such discussions are fine over coffee. Truth be told, the timing of resurrection and judgment isn’t important; the fact that both are promised is what matters – and that’s why our statement of faith above includes only those basic teachings.
of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord,
of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.
Christianity is built on the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15.1-19). If Christ was raised, then God is able to raise the dead – and that means He is able to raise any or all of us – and we have a certain hope for the future.
We sometimes forget that Jesus said everyone, not just believers, will be raised from the dead:
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when ALL who are in the tombs will hear His voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment. (John 5.28-29)
The promise to the believer is everlasting (or eternal) life – what we often call ‘heaven’, though the Bible promises both a new heaven and a new earth. Whatever its nature, it will be life with God, so we know it will be good.
I’d like to say that the rest can be left to the imagination, but Scripture says the heart of man has never “imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Corinthians 2.9).
Unbelievers are raised to judgment. We take that to mean a negative judgment. Christians differ about what that means. A few, concerned about everlasting punishment being unjust, teach that everlasting punishment is not conscious – that it means complete annihilation of the soul, being put out of existence. Traditionally Christianity has always taught, however, that ‘hell’ (or Hades) is a place of everlasting conscious punishment and our church teaches that view. We don’t find a biblical basis for any ‘third’ or ‘intermediate’ options (e.g. limbo, purgatory).
Some people create timelines involving multiple resurrections and judgments for different groups of people. Such discussions are fine over coffee. Truth be told, the timing of resurrection and judgment isn’t important; the fact that both are promised is what matters – and that’s why our statement of faith above includes only those basic teachings.