Length: 8 Minutes

It’s always God’s will to give life to people. Thanks to Jesus, raising the dead is as simple as waking someone from sleep. That’s excellent news, but we should also know: Even while a believer’s body is still sleeping, their spirit has never been better! They have only changed locations.

If a believer’s body dies (or sleeps), their spirit that was inside their body, goes to be with the Lord in Heaven (Acts 7:3, 2 Corinthians 5:8). So, despite God’s will to raise their body up, you need to know that their spirit is doing great. They are still alive and well in their spirit. They are fully aware of everything going on in Heaven and on earth. They are rejoicing in everything Jesus has done. They are as perfect as ever! Their spirit is simply in better surroundings now. 

How do I know all of this? Because even when a believer’s spirit is still in their body, all of these things are true of their spirit (see Hebrews 12:23, Romans 8:16, and 1 Corinthians 2:16, to just name a few). 

The moment you get saved, the Holy Spirit comes into you and becomes one with your spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17)! In that moment, your spirit (the unseen you, inside your body) is made perfect, just like Jesus is perfect. Our spirits think like Jesus, talk like Jesus, and have all the power of Jesus. 

If a believer’s body sleeps temporarily (and oh, don’t you love that we can use that word “temporarily”), their spirit leaves and goes to be with the Lord, but their spirit is not more healed, whole, or at peace, while in Heaven with Jesus, then it was in their body before. Remember, our spirits are already perfect! If a believer’s body dies, their spirit has only changed locations. Their body is inactive for a short while, but their spirit is with the Lord. They are as aware as ever and rejoicing as always. 

The church has this notion that if a believer is sick and then they die, they say, “Well, now they are healed, whole, and with Jesus.” And as much as their spirit may be with Jesus, they are not any more healed and whole than they were before. 

Think about it: Their body is not any more healed and whole right now. And their spirit is not any more healed and whole either, because their spirit was already perfect, even while still residing in their body! The only thing that has happened is that their perfect spirit has changed locations. Their perfect spirit was in their body before, and if their body sleeps temporarily, their perfect spirit goes to be in Heaven with Jesus. No more healing, wholeness, or perfection was gained there, only a change of locations. Their perfect spirit was in their body before, and now their perfect spirit is in Heaven. Their spirit is just as perfect as yours is right now, if you’re a believer. No more. No less.

Of course, one needs to have believed in Jesus’ payment for these things to apply. But I will say that we don’t always know whether someone decided to believe in Jesus before they died, or not. But even if they did not, and they are not with the Lord right now, they can still be raised.

But as for a believer, even if their body sleeps temporarily, they are still completely aware of everything that your spirit is. We all have the mind of Christ! They are rejoicing the same way that your spirit is. Their spirit is totally and completely fine. Their spirit went on vacation to the resort that we are all citizens of. And I don’t say that for coping purposes. I say that because it’s the truth.

Wow, if that is true, then why is there even a call for raising up the body of a sleeping believer? Because God does not want their body corruptible, any more than He wants your body corruptible. Jesus loves life and so do all of those who know him. 

Proverbs 8:35-36 (NKJV) For whoever finds me finds life, And obtains favor from the LORD; But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul; All those who hate me love death.”

Jesus paid an extraordinarily high price, so that everyone’s body might be healed and alive. The reason it is important to talk about how good a believer’s spirit is doing, even if their body sleeps, is so that you are not discouraged because of misinformation.

The same inheritance that we celebrate and possess right now, is the same inheritance that every believer has, even if their body sleeps. If a Christian’s body dies, you cannot perceive them in a poor or pitiable light, any more than you can perceive yourself that way. Does God want to give life to their body? Sure, but God wants to give life to your body as well. 

The same way that you should not judge yourself according to your flesh, but according to all the perfection you have in your spirit, so you need to do for any believer, even if their body sleeps right now (2 Corinthians 5:16). That believer still has all of the wisdom, power, and life of Jesus, the same as you. And whether you believe it or not, they are still enjoying it, the same way that your spirit is right now. 

God definitely wants to wake up their body, but their spirit is alive, fully cognizant, and thriving, just like yours. Better said, just like Jesus!

In closing, notice this important truth. In Exodus 3:6 and Genesis 26:24, God speaks to Moses and Isaac respectively, and says that He was currently the God of Abraham. That might not seem profound, except that Abraham’s body had already died. Yet, God says that He was presently the God of Abraham. Why is this? Because Abraham was not gone or lost. He hadn’t ceased. Abraham had simply changed locations, and God was still His God as always. Jesus pointed this out to the Sadducees.

Matthew 22:31-32 (NKJV) …have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”

You see, God acknowledged Abraham as very much living, even after his body had fallen asleep. Abraham’s spirit was alive and God was still his God, just like any believer at the time. And today, after the cross, Abraham has a perfect spirit, just like us. He is doing just fine with the Lord. 

All of that is true. We have taken the time to go over this, because it’s a wonderful truth that God would not have us ignorant of. But here’s the thing: Jesus didn’t just pay for Abraham’s spirit to be perfect. God wants that perfection to come to Abraham’s physical body and mind as well. God wants that life to come to his flesh as well. God wants to see him thriving in his flesh as well. And we have the access to make that happen.

If you know a believer that has passed, I want to tell you that they’re still doing excellent in their spirit, just like you, rejoicing all the time. God is their God. Jesus is their Lord. Everything is just perfect in their spirit. But Jesus paid for more than our spirit. He paid for our entire spirit, soul, and body. In fact, He broke His flesh to restore ours.

If only He had someone on earth that would believe this. That’s all He’s looking for. He’s not looking for us to do miracles. He’s just looking for someone to believe Him. That’s all He wants. He’s done wonderful works for us. He will manifest it all through us. He only wants someone to believe Him. And perhaps, if you choose it, that person is you.

2 Chronicles 16:9 (KJV) For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro, throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them, whose heart is perfect toward him. 

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Length: 8 Minutes

As long as there is someone on this earth believing, as long as there’s someone in the situation full of the life of God, that person that “died,” is in fact not dead, but merely sleeping. 

Jesus said something quite wonderful and very interesting about a little girl that had “died”. Pay close attention to this.

Mark 5:38-39 (NKJV) Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.”

Jesus also said something very similar about Lazarus.

John 11:11 (NKJV) …and after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up.”

Jesus said about both of these people, that they were not dead but sleeping. In particular, regarding that little girl we just read about in Mark 5, Jesus very clearly says, “The child is not dead.”

Now, we know that it is impossible for Jesus to lie. We know that He’s always truthful and yet He just said about this child that she was not dead, even though she was lying there at a funeral. How can this be truthful? Hadn’t the little girl died? And yet, Jesus says she’s not dead, just sleeping.

I believe this interpretation to be sound.

For starters, what does death mean to most people? If you ask most people to describe it, what would they say? Well, most people would say that it’s the end of someone’s life. They would say that it’s a permanent state. If you’re religious, you might believe that it’s the permanent passing from one life to another, but you will see them again in Heaven one day.  They would say it’s the thing that there’s no cure for. 

I don’t believe that anything I just described is an exaggeration in any way. Even some of your most fanatic Christians believe some form of that. Even our dictionaries describe death in similar fashion. Yet none of that is accurate. And if that’s what death is, if that’s what death means to people, then that little girl lying at that funeral was not dead by any means. Neither was Lazarus. Neither are your friends or loved ones. They are not dead. They’re only sleeping.

You see, if people define death the way that I described (and they do), then your friends and loved ones have not actually died according to that definition. That is, as long as there is someone believing the Lord to raise them up. 

If death is defined as the end of someone’s life, then that person has not died because it’s not the end of their life. They can come right back. 

If death is the permanent passing from one life to another, then that person has not died because they have not permanently gone anywhere. Death is as easily fixable as the sniffles. 

If death is the loss of someone you loved, then they’re not dead at all because you haven’t lost anyone. They can be raised right now. Yes, right now, in this moment,  there is power from the finished work of Jesus to raise that person right back up. 

Why did Jesus say that the little girl was not dead? Because she actually wasn’t, that is, if you define death the way those mourners, and most everyone else, defines it. That little girl had not permanently passed to another life. That was not the end of that little girl’s life. And if that’s what death meant to those mourners, then that little girl wasn’t dead. Jesus was fully accurate. 

If you define death the way that the world, and most believers, define it, then the word sleep is actually far more relatable to what just happened. If death is a permanent passing and sleep is just a temporary unconsciousness, then “sleep” is far, far more accurate than the word death is. I believe that is why Jesus used the word sleep, instead of death. 

The people He was speaking to (who were mourners at a funeral) fully believed that death was a permanent passing and loss of life. And according to that definition, the child was not dead. Therefore, Jesus told them so.

When Jesus said, “The child is not dead,” this was not some spiritual or figurative reality. He was talking about that little girl’s physical body. Her physical body was not dead, by the mourners’ definition. Her physical body had not undergone a permanent loss of life. In just the next few moments, she was right back on her feet having a meal with her parents. That’s a real thing. If death is defined as permanent, that girl was certainly not dead, in any sense of the word.

You see, a word is only worth as much as it means to the person you’re speaking to. If I’m in America and want some cookies, I could ask someone to pick up some cookies for me. If I’m in Great Britain, they say “biscuits.” So if I want some cookies, I would have to ask someone to pick up some “biscuits” for me. Why? Because biscuits means cookies in Great Britain. So if I want to be accurate, I wouldn’t say “cookies.” 

And guess what? Death means something permanent to almost everyone, but sleep is temporary. So, if I want to be accurate by their definition, I would say “sleep” instead of “death.”  Because death is not a permanent state, as long as there’s someone on this green earth to believe the Lord and raise somebody up. 

In the confines of typical definitions, “sleep” is actually a more accurate definition of what had just happened to that little girl, then death was. Jesus was not going to use the word “death,” if clearly that word meant a permanent loss of life to the people He was speaking to.

Understand, I’m not saying that using the word death is wrong. Someone very well may have died. In fact, when Jesus told His disciples that Lazarus was sleeping and they misunderstood Him, thinking that Lazarus was just taking a usual nap, Jesus clarified and said that Lazarus was dead (John 11:14). So, it’s not wrong at all to use the word death. In fact, the Bible most commonly uses the word death. But when the Bible says “death” it does not define it as a permanent passing from one life to another. The Bible defines the word death, more akin to how the world (and most believers) would define the word sleep. 

Even most people reading this article right now probably do not realize just how temporary and fleeting death is when someone believes. Think about this: Jesus said that the state of that little girl was more accurately defined by what the world calls “sleep,” then by what the world calls “death.” This should give you some insight into how fleeting and reversible He perceived the situation.

Those mourners saw a permanent loss of life in that little girl lying there, but that was entirely, scientifically inaccurate. That girl had not permanently lost her life — clearly evidenced by the fact that the girl was up and about, just moments later. 

Jesus looked at that same little girl and knew that her unconsciousness was only temporary, and she could be easily woken up. That was a hard scientific fact about that little girl. Saying that she was sleeping wasn’t a coping mechanism by Jesus. It was the truth. And that girl got right back up, much like waking up from a nap, just as Jesus perceived she could.

This perfectly explains the huge discrepancy between Jesus’ reaction to the little girl and the mourners at that funeral. They wailed so deeply because they perceived the end of a child’s life. What a sad thing that would be… if it were true.

On the other hand, Jesus perceived the temporary unconsciousness of someone He could easily wake up. And therefore, He couldn’t understand what all the commotion was about. I’m not telling you to be insensitive to people, but when is the last time you heard someone at a funeral say, “What’s all the commotion about? They’re just sleeping.”

As stated before, perceiving death this way is not a coping mechanism. It’s just the truth. None of this is wishful thinking or unreasonable hopes. This is just the everyday gospel for those who believe. It’s nothing extraordinary amongst believers. It’s what we have on any given day. It’s the love wherewith Jesus has loved us at the cross. None of this is too good to be true. Actually, it’s your previous perception of death that isn’t true. 

Concerning anyone in your life that has “died,” their body is truthfully not dead, by the world’s definition. They are only sleeping. And fortunate for us, we have the kiss of the Prince to wake them back up.

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Length: 8 Minutes

We’ve already been over many scriptural proofs, but for anyone who believes scripture, this is the simplest and most profound proof that physical resurrection is a part of our inheritance. 

If we want to understand whether physical resurrection of the dead (or anything else) is included in our inheritance, we first need to ask ourselves, “How do we, as Christians, define our inheritance?” How do we know what Jesus provided or didn’t provide? Is there a list somewhere of all the things that Jesus paid for? Well, sort of. But the Bible defines a Christians inheritance easily with one term. Ready? Here it is: “The glorified Jesus.”

The Bible sums up every Christians inheritance by simply saying that we have everything that Jesus has in His glory. If Jesus, has it then you have it. If He doesn’t have it, then you don’t have it either. The Bible calls it being a joint heir with Christ. That means that you have received everything that Christ received from God.

Romans 8:17 (NKJV) and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him [persecution] that we may also be glorified together.

I wish that more Christians understood this simple truth. It would settle so many arguments about what we have or don’t have. A joint heir means that we have inherited the same things jointly with Jesus (including the hatred that He continues to receive from the ungodly). And so, if there was any question about our inheritance, the only question we would have to ask is, “Does the glorified Jesus have it?” If He does, then it’s ours as well. If not, then it doesn’t belong to us either. It is so straightforward and simple. 

1 John 4:17 (NKJV) …because as He is, so are we in this world.

We have inherited the same things that Jesus has. In fact, our inheritance is so much like Jesus’s, that the Bible actually advocates for us to look at Him to define what we have. The Bible even calls Jesus our mirror, because we need to look at Him to see who we are.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) But we all… beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory…

Why does 2 Corinthians tell us to look at the glory of Jesus “as in a mirror?” Well, the Bible defines a mirror as something you look at to see yourself (James 1:23–24). Knowing this, when 2 Corinthians tells us to look at Jesus as our mirror, it’s telling us to look at the glorified Jesus to find out who we are.

Doesn’t that just make sense? Doesn’t all of that just fit together seamlessly? If we are inheritors together with Jesus, then wouldn’t it make sense to look at what Jesus has to see what you have? If He has it in His resurrection, then you have it as well. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that 2 Corinthians tells us to look at Jesus to define ourselves.

And take note: what version of Jesus are we to relate to as our mirror? The crucified Jesus or the glorified Jesus? Noticed that it says that we behold “the glory of the Lord as in a mirror.” That means that we specifically need to look at Jesus in His glory and resurrection to define what we have today, as believers.

This may be the most profound thing you hear all day, so listen closely to this: What you see at the cross is everything Jesus was setting you free from (Romans 6:6). What you see in His resurrection is what you have today.  That is not a metaphor or an analogy. That is literal. What you see in Jesus is what you have living inside of you right now.

There is so much more we can say on this topic, but assuming you really understand what I just said, that is the most definitive scriptural proof that our inheritance includes physical resurrection for the dead. There it is.

Some people may still be wondering how that is definitive proof. If you truly knew that we define our inheritance by what we see in the glorified Jesus, it’s simple. Whatever He has is what we have. That being true, let’s look at the state of the glorified Jesus, our joint heir, to define what we have, shall we?

Romans 6:9 (NKJV) knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him.

Let’s not talk about our life, our neighbors experience, or our feelings right now. Let’s just talk about the glorified Jesus. Romans 6 names some characteristics of him:

1) He has been raised from the dead (physically, of course, with nail scars to prove it).
2) He will never die again.
3) Death no longer has dominion over Him.

These are all qualities of the glorified Jesus, which you can find written all through scripture. No Christian is going to disagree with you on that. But you would have to deny that you are a joint heir with Christ to not apply those qualities to yourself as well. If you are a joint heir, then if He has it, you have it. 

If Jesus has received power to be physically raised from the dead, then our inheritance includes power to physically raise the dead. If Jesus lives and dies no more, physical death no longer having dominion over Him, then it has no more dominion over us either. 

We have the same power that worked in Him when His own physical body was raised from the dead. 

Ephesians 1:19-20 (NKJV) and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead…

We have power in accordance with what? With His crucifixion? No, but with His resurrection. We don’t look at the crucified Jesus to relate with what we see there. We look at the resurrected Jesus and relate to what we see in Him.

If anyone disagrees with this right now, your disagreement is not with resurrection. Your disagreement is with being a joint heir with Jesus. Because once you truly believe you are a joint heir with Him, it is impossible not to apply all of His qualities to yourself as well. 

These things are inside of you right now. It may be more than you ever imagined before. It may be far bigger than you thought (which is to be expected — 1 Corinthians 2:9), but once you truly believe that you are a joint heir, it’s indisputable that we have the power to physically raise the dead, and the power to not die to begin with. Otherwise, you are not a joint heir with Christ. You are something else.

All of this may sound strange to some Christians, but on the contrary, it would rather be strange if we didn’t have the same things as Jesus, while still calling ourselves joint heirs with Him. What exactly is a joint heir if you haven’t inherited things jointly with the resurrected Jesus? 

You see, if we are just comparing ourselves amongst ourselves, looking at what Peter or Paul experienced, or looking at what our friends have experienced to define our inheritance, we are going to be very confused. And truthfully, much of the church is still very confused as to what they have in Christ. But once you stop looking at everyone else, and start looking at the glorified Jesus to define yourself, it takes all of the guess work out of it. If He, has it, you have it. If He doesn’t, then you don’t either.

The fact that our glorified Jesus has been physically raised from the dead is our definitive proof that we have that power as well. That may be simple. That may not be the theological argument you were expecting to hear, but for all its simplicity, it is the gospel truth. Nothing up our sleeve. No tricks being played. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that He has this power, therefore we have it too.

Our glorified Jesus has been physically raised from the dead, He dies no more, and death no longer has dominion over Him. My advice? Likewise reckon yourselves!

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Length: 6 Minutes

Because of what Jesus provided, raising the dead back to life is nothing extraordinary or unusual. You don’t need a “special anointing” to see it in your life. You just need to have a clear idea of what you have in Christ.

We have been so conditioned to the way the world works, many are simply not accustomed how the kingdom of God works. Unfortunately, many heed friends, watch movies, and listen to music that tell them how common death is. You need people around telling you how normal resurrection is!

Through simple knowledge of Jesus (and nothing else), the Holy Spirit will begin manifesting His life through you. And that life raises the dead! It can also heal the sick, give youth to oldness, and keep people alive to begin with, so that you don’t have to raise them! God prefers people to never die, so that resurrection isn’t even necessary. Resurrection is just plan B (John 11:25-26). But this is the Resurrection Handbook, so let’s focus on resurrection. 

This is simply not an extraordinary thing for us! Raising people from the dead is as ordinary for a believer as death is for this world! Raising the dead is not “miraculous” in the way that word is typically used. The word miracle in our New Testament just means a work of power. We use the word “miracle” like it means extraordinary and uncommon! We assume that you need to be a special person of God or need a special anointing moving before the dead can be raised. But there’s no such thing. There’s just the good, old fashion life of God here, available to you at all times!

Because some Christians have not frequently seen the dead raised, they assume this must be reserved for special moves of God or whenever God wills it, according to His very “mysterious plan.” None of this is accurate though. God already made His move when He paid for these things through Jesus. Therefore, it is relevant and available to us at all times. 

Jesus paid one price for all time (Hebrews 10:10–14), and therefore His provision is applicable to you at all times. The time you’re living in, the very moment you’re reading this, is a time that Jesus paid for. Therefore, the resurrection He provided is available to you at every moment in your day, not just for special occasions. Ephesians calls it, His resurrection power being “toward you” (Ephesians 1:19–20). It is ready and available, even at this very moment, because Jesus paid for this very moment.

Just because you haven’t seen something before doesn’t mean it’s not normal and every day for you, as a citizen of Heaven. Whether you realize it or not, you’re carrying it right on the inside of you. Just because you’ve never used something that Jesus gave you, doesn’t mean you don’t have it. Raising the dead is in fact normal and average for every believer. It’s not extraordinary. It’s not unusual. It’s not unpredictable. And as much as it is a wonderful blessing from God, it is completely normal. It simply has not been normalized in most of our minds. 

It is vitally necessary that we normalize these things in our mind, because we receive everything from God through knowledge, the same way that you got saved (2 Peter 1:2). These things are already normal for us, as a part of the kingdom of God! Now it just needs to seem normal. And that can easily be resolved.

The way that you normalize these concepts in your mind is by using them. I don’t mean using them in your life. I just mean using the truth of it in your thoughts, all the time. The Bible says that we can train our senses by using the things that God has spoken to us.

Hebrews 5:14 (NKJV) But solid food [the deeper things of the Gospel] belongs to those who are of full age, that is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

This verse is saying that your mind will be able to discern between what is right and wrong, truth and lie, only when your mind starts using the truth. The more you use it, the more accurate your mind will think. The more you use the truth, the more normal your inheritance will seem to you. 

You have a lot of wonderful things through Jesus, including life and resurrection, but most Christians think of these things as extraordinary. They would be shocked if they saw someone raised from the dead. The only reason for this, is because they don’t use these truths frequently (or at all) in their mind. They don’t have their senses exercised in the truth of our Resurrection and Life. Most people don’t hear about these things much at church, and if they do, they don’t practice these truths in their mind by meditating on them.

You’ve been changed. You have new privileges and rights. You are not a victim of your circumstances. You are a lord over this whole universe with Jesus, and you can reign over it in the life of God. That’s a fact. (Galatians 4:1, Romans 5:17). If it sounds weird to you it’s because your senses have not been exercised to recognize the truth of who you are. What’s normal for you has simply not been “normalized.”

Raising the dead should not seem unusual or something you just hear stories about. Raising the dead is something that a believer experiences on an average afternoon, walking down the street. You see an incident, you go to the deceased and say, “In Jesus name, get up!” They get up, you tell them about Jesus, you invite them to Reform Church, and you’re on your way.

If these things seem daunting or not in your personality, you just don’t know yourself very well. The Lord is not asking you to manifest these things yourself. He will, as you believe. But these things are not only possible for you, they are ingrained in the very nature of your spirit now. Yes, you’re that kind of person if you’re in Christ. As He is, so are you in this world (1 John 4:17).

To this world, raising the dead is a fantasy. To us, people stuck in death is a fantasy, and raising them is just another Tuesday. 

Thank God for His life that we have forever available to us! And thank God for His truth that is able to normalize it in our mind.

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Length: 9 Minutes

Paul was someone who suffered quite a lot for the gospel’s sake, but even he acknowledged that Jesus had fixed this, and the death and hurt he suffered was based on his own lack of knowledge (as is always the case – 2 Cor. 4:12, 2 Tim. 1:10, Rom. 8:6). But regarding the relief of his suffering and pain, he said these famous words:

Philippians 1:21 (NKJV) For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.

We’ve probably heard that verse quoted many times before. Paul is saying that there was some advantage to him dying. But why would Paul say something like “to die is gain”? That reason can be found here…

2 Corinthians 5:4, 8 (NKJV) For we who are in this tent [this mortal body] groan, being burdened… We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Paul speaks of the burden of his mortal body. He says that due to the burdens of that mortal body, he would be well pleased to be absent from his body and be present with the Lord in heaven. 

This explains what Paul meant when he said “to die is gain.” Simply said, Paul’s body was hurting, and he knew that if he died, his spirit would leave his body and be with the Lord, and he would no longer feel the suffering of that earthly body. It’s that simple. And you know what? That’s true. 

If a Christian’s spirit leaves their body, they no longer feel the pain and suffering that their body was experiencing before. Their spirit has changed locations. It has left. It is with the Lord now and is not inside a suffering body anymore. And when you leave your body like that, you can’t feel the hurt of a decaying body any longer. That’s actually true. 

So, in the sense of “temporary pain relief” (and only in that sense) this has advantage for a believer. It has “gain” you could say. Of course, this does not apply to an unbeliever who would end up feeling even more pain when they left their body, but this is true for a believer.

Here is the big problem that I have never heard a single person mention (outside of Reform Church). If you leave your body to be with the Lord, you may not be feeling the decay of that body anymore, but here’s the thing: You didn’t fix anything. Your body is still in a decayed, corruptible state. Your body is still broken. Your body is still dead. You didn’t fix anything. You just left.

Let me put it to you this way: if your house is in shambles and you go on vacation, you didn’t fix your house, right? You just went away and left it. Now, for as long as you’re on that nice vacation, you won’t be experiencing a house that’s falling apart. That’s true. But your house is still, in fact, falling apart. You didn’t fix anything, you just left for a while. 

Now, is there some advantage or “gain” to you in all of this? Of course, there is some gain because you’re not experiencing your broken-down house anymore. You’re on vacation! But did you fix anything? Did you rectify what was wrong? Did you build up that which was broken down? Did you please your landlord? (Hear what I’m saying). No, you just temporarily left, but the only real solution is to fix the house. Then you can happily stay in the house and enjoy the comforts of it. 

This is exactly what it is like for a believer to die and go to be with the Lord. In fact, our body is even called a house in the Bible. Just because there is some gain or advantage for a believer to die and go to be with the Lord, because now, they’re not feeling their broken body, the point remains that God wants to fix their broken body, not just avoid it. 

Paul — the same man who saw that there was some advantage to dying and leaving his body, because he would no longer feel the burden of it — said himself that his desire was not to die and leave his body. His desire was that his broken body would be swallowed up by life!

2 Corinthians 5:4 (NKJV) For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life.

When Paul says that we do not desire to be “unclothed” that is a word for death. Our bodies are called clothing, in addition to being called our house. If you are “unclothed” that means you’ve taken your body off.  Your body has died, and you have left it. Paul says, we do not want this. Let those words sink in for a while. Ponder them for a minute. You may have never heard that quoted to you before. Paul said that we do not want to die.

What did Paul say that we desire? We don’t desire to die (be unclothed), but “further clothed.” That means being clothed with newness to our body that this mortal body might be swallowed up by life. To sum this up, Paul is saying that we don’t want to die, but we desire for our body to be made new, so that all that hurt, pain, and suffering can simply get swallowed up by the life of God (listen to our, ‘Revealing’ teaching for more on this verse).

You see, there may be some “pain relief” advantage for a believer to leave their body, die, and go to be with the Lord. But that’s just leaving your broken house still broken, while your spirit goes on vacation. Paul says that we don’t desire that, and we have taken this entire series to prove that your landlord, “God,” doesn’t desire that either. We desire that God would give life to the suffering in our body, to fix it. 

You see? When God gives life to your body and heals it, that’s actually fixing the house. When God gives life to your body, that’s the remodel. That’s cleaning up the windows, lifting the beams, and resurfacing the door. That’s giving your house the facelift it needs. If your house is broken down, it’s better to fix it, than to just leave it and go on vacation. If your body is broken, it’s better to heal it, than to be absent from the body. Yes, I know that’s a radical statement. It’s better for your body to be healed than for it to die. That’s the will of God. That’s what Paul meant when he said, “Not that we want to be unclothed.” 

God hates death. And all those who love the Word of God hate death as well (Proverbs 8:35–36). It’s Adam’s curse. Under no circumstances is it a blessing. It has no place and no dominion with a child of God. God doesn’t just want your spirit to live, but your mind and body as well (Romans 8:11). That’s a real thing. Jesus paid a very heavy price to give life to the brokenness of our flesh and bones. Let’s not forget that.

Truth be told, no one (not even people in the world) want to die. They just want pain relief, whether that be emotional or physical. The Bible says that no one hates their own body.

Ephesians 5:29 (NKJV) For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church.

No one hates their own body and wants it to die. No one. They want it to be nourished. They want to cherish it. When people say they want to die, they actually only want relief, and they think that leaving their body is the only way they can get it. And unfortunately, death is the only relief that even most Christians are aware of, when seeing suffering in a person’s life. Not only so, but they even assume that it’s God solution, once a person has suffered enough. But that is the furthest possible thing from the truth. 

Jesus suffered our suffering, He was wounded with our wounds, He was made sick with our sicknesses, and He died our death to prove to us that He didn’t want these things for us. He proved to us that He was willing to take it Himself, so that we wouldn’t have to experience this anymore. Death is not a solution to suffering. Jesus is. 

Isaiah 53:4-5 (LSV) Surely He [Jesus] has borne our sicknesses, And our pains—He has carried them… And by His scourging we are healed.

Whatever you’re feeling, Jesus has already taken it for you. You don’t need to leave your body and avoid the pain. Jesus has fixed it. There is no trouble so tormenting that cannot be swallowed up by the life of God. Jesus paid for it all! 

If someone is dying and says they want to go home to be with the Lord, God is not condemning them, God is not angry with them, but I assure you, God doesn’t want people to be unclothed of their bodies. Many people may die, but it wasn’t because that was God’s solution. God wants to further clothe your body with life, to take away the suffering that Jesus already bore for you! 

For anyone that is suffering, death is not a solution. It never has been. It never will be. You don’t fix hurt and decay with more decay. You won’t be left with anything but decay. God fixes hurt and decay with the life of His Spirit, paid for by the flesh of His Son. That’s the solution. That’s the fix. Death is not a solution for suffering. Jesus is.

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Length: 7 Minutes

Paul said that he “finished his race.” So, doesn’t that imply that there comes a time when we’re supposed to die because our life is finished? Well, it would imply that, if the “race” he was speaking of was referring to his life, but that’s not the way the Bible defines the word “race” at all.

Before we proceed, note that this part in our series needs to be read in correlation with the previous parts, otherwise our broader point will not be conveyed. 

Ok, so let’s look at the verse where Paul says that he had “finished his race.”

2 Timothy 4:6-7 (NKJV) For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Paul not only says that he has finished “the race” but he has also fought “the good fight.” What is this race that he has finished? What is this fight that he has fought? If you define this race and this “fight” as his life, then it would seem obvious that he is saying that the time he was allotted on this earth has been finished, as if to say that there’s a time for everyone to die. But in fact, both the “fight” and the “race” that he is referring to, is not referring to his life, but referring to his “faith.”

Don’t get me wrong, in this chapter, Paul was telling Timothy that he was about to die soon (see our previous articles for that), but the “race” and the “fight” that he is referring to, that he had finished, is referring to his faith, which he kept all his life successfully. In fact, he defines it right in this very verse. Let’s look at it one more time:

Verse 7) I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

The fight that we are to complete is a fight to keep faith in Jesus. The race that we are supposed to finish is to come to a full assurance of faith in Jesus. That is why after referring to this fight and this race, he says, “I have kept the faith.” He defines the fight in the race very clearly as “keeping the faith.” But let’s use some other verses as well. 

Let’s see how Paul says to fight the “good fight” elsewhere in scripture:

1 Timothy 6:12 (NKJV) Fight the good fight of faith…

Do you see? Is the fight referring to Paul’s time on earth? Or is the fight referring to faith? It seems obvious from this verse that the fight that we are supposed to successfully complete is faith in Jesus.

How about the race that Paul is saying that he finished? Let’s look at the book of Hebrews:

Hebrews 12:1-2 (NKJV) …let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith…

How does Hebrews say that we run this race? He says, “Looking onto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith.” Again, the race itself that we are to complete, is faith in Jesus! Looking unto Jesus, in fact, is faith! Of course, he’s not saying that we look at Jesus with our eyes, but that we look at Jesus with our minds. That’s faith (2 Corinthians 4:18, 5:7).

Also, for those that understand “the obedience of faith,” and how our obedience to the gospel is “faith” (Romans 16:26), look at this verse below. It describes our faith (our obedience to the Gospel) as “running.” 

Galatians 5:7 (NKJV) You ran well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth [referring to faith]?

In addition to all of this, the concepts of fighting and racing are used together again in 1 Corinthians 9. Here, he says that the ONLY way to win the crown of glory at Jesus’s second coming, is to fight this fight and to run this race. 

1 Corinthians 9:25-26 (NKJV) …Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air.

This scripture says that only when you run this race, and fight this fight, will you receive a crown of glory at Christ’s second coming!  If the race is merely referring to our life, well, everyone does that. But if the race truly is faith, then that would make sense why only those that run this race will receive a crown of glory at Christ second coming! 

Here is the sum of it all: We do not have the privilege to define biblical terms the way that we see fit, according to our assumptions about life. We need to allow the Bible to define its own terms, and nowhere in scripture does it define “the good fight” or “the race” as our time here on earth. 

Paul said he had finished the race. If the race is his life, then that would mean he finished his life’s course. But if the race is referring to his faith, then that merely means that he kept the faith. 

You may have heard that “this race” was referring to Paul’s life on earth, but that cannot be substantiated scripturally. The Bible clearly defines this “fight” and “race” as faith, which needs to be completed by every man, if he’s going to see salvation. 

And so, this concept of, “Paul died because he had finished his time here on earth” is an assumption that cannot be substantiated by this verse anymore. Paul is referring to how he had kept his faith in Jesus and completed that task successfully, not that he had finished his allotted time on earth. 

Paul did die, but he didn’t die because God had appointed a time for it. Jesus already died all our death, once for all time at the cross. People die for lack of knowledge of that fact (Romans 8:6). Our appointed time to die was 2,000 years ago, hanging on that tree (Hebrews 9:27). Therefore God is not appointing that to us anymore.

It is so important to know that, because the going theory in the church today, is that God allots people, even His children, only a certain segment of time to live. That is an assumption that people make, in an attempt to explain why people die. And if you’ve thought the same, God is not mad at you, but He does want to show you the truth.

The truth is, death is a curse that was placed upon Adam, which is not God’s will for anyone; which is why Jesus came to die in our place, to remove it. That’s the actual truth. But, when we make assumptions, such as, “God allots only a certain time for people to live, even His children,” that tarnishes the reputation of God. We are teaching people that God has essentially given everyone a death sentence, and after you have run your course, He ends your life. 

The reason why I need to state these things so bluntly, is because this is what you’re actually hearing today, but most people will mask it in prettier words. But I’m here to tell you that, God has not allotted a certain segment of time for you or your loved ones to live. God wants you to hear His words, so that He can actually prolong your days! But how long does He want to prolong your days? As long as the days of Heaven (if you weren’t sure, that means forever). 

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 (NKJV) “Therefore you shall lay up these words of mine in your heart and in your soul… that your days and the days of your children may be multiplied… like the days of the heavens above the earth.

God wants to prolong your days forever, but for those that have died, God’s will is that they be raised up again! He just wants people to live, and He gave up the only Son that He loves to make that happen, if you’ll believe it.

What a beautiful God we have! What a beautiful Savior He is to us. There’s no one that has done for us what He has. And when you forsake old, man-made doctrine, and realize the truth of who He is, in Christ, you’ll go from crying out to heaven, “Why?”, to shouting out to God, “Thank you so much for what you’ve done!” 

(This article is only addressing a very narrow point, so be sure to read our other articles in this series for the full idea.)

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Length: 9 Minutes

When someone dies, people say that it was God’s “time” for them to die. Not only is that untrue, but God is trying to do quite the opposite. He’s trying to cause people to live (Romans 8:11). And you would think that would be less controversial than it is. 

It is so important that we have a firm foundation on how to understand God’s nature. We understand God by looking at Jesus. Even in Jesus’ earthly ministry you never saw Him call for someone’s death, not even once. In fact, He made it His practice to raise them back up. 

God is against death and would rather die Himself than to see anyone else go through that. And how do we know that? Because that’s what we see in His Son, His exact representation (Hebrews 1:3).

If we see it in Jesus, then we know it is true of God. Jesus never “called people home to heaven” or refused to raise someone because it was “their time to die.” If someone was dying, He healed them, so that they could live. If they were dead, He raised them back up, so that they could live again. That’s Jesus, and therefore that’s the Father. 

We’ve already proved so much in this series, so please read the previous parts. 

People don’t die because God appointed them that time. I assure you, He did not. People die for lack of knowledge of how Jesus already died for them. 

So if God is not appointing people a specific “time” to die, then why did Peter and Paul know that their death was approaching (2 Peter 1:14 and 2 Timothy 4:6)? Why does the Bible say that God told them they were going to die soon? Why would God tell them that? Well, the answer is as simple as can be: God told them that their death was approaching, because it was… but not because it was His will. Lots of things happen on this earth that are not God’s will (Matthew 6:10). 

For instance, God told Nineveh it was going to be destroyed. Is that because He wanted them to be destroyed? Of course not. He told them because it was true, and it was coming up. God actually wanted Nineveh to turn from their unbelief and live, and they did. 

All through the Old Testament, God pronounced wrath and coming judgment upon Israel. Is that because it was His will? Or is it simply because it was going to happen, despite Him wanting them to live (Ezekiel 33:11)? 

Jesus predicted Peter’s denial. Is that because it was his will? Or did Jesus predict it, despite His will? 

Jesus predicted Israel’s fall, because of their unbelief. He even said it weeping. Is that because it was His will? Or is it simply because it was going to happen, despite what He wanted for them (Luke 19:41-44)? 

Never mistake God prophesying something, for God willing something. God doesn’t always say things because He wants them to happen. He says things because they’re true. Likewise, the fact that God informed Peter and Paul that they would die soon, is not evidence that it was God’s will. In fact, it was not God’s will for them to die. 

You see, Jesus already provided redemption from death and resurrection to raise the dead. He already provided it, but we need to receive it by understanding it! This is Christianity 101. The same way that Jesus provided salvation, but you needed to believe it in order to be saved, so it is with the resurrection of the dead, or with anything else. Jesus provided it, but we need to grow in our knowledge to receive it. It’s not automatic. That shouldn’t be a shock. That’s how you got saved. 

And so, despite the fact that Jesus provided life for everybody, if people die, they die because of carnal mindedness. They die because of what they don’t know about Jesus yet. The Bible couldn’t be clearer on this:

Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

I challenge you to read the book of Proverbs. See if there’s even a single time that death is a result of the wisdom of God. Or is it rather due to folly and lack of understanding (Proverbs 8–9)? 

Peter and Paul definitely knew Jesus, but they did not know Him in full. And as with all death, it was because of what they didn’t know about Jesus that caused their death; not that it was God’s will or God’s timing. 

So, did God know when Paul and Peter were going to die? Yes, He did. Did God tell them when their death was approaching and that they would be with Him? Yes, He did. Was that God’s will or His timing? Not a chance. They died like anyone dies. They died because of what they did not know regarding Jesus’ provision.

But what about the book of Ecclesiastes? It says that there is a time to be born and a time to die (Ecclesiastes 3:2)? How can we possibly refute that verse? Well, quite easily. The entire book of Ecclesiastes is written from a purely worldly point of view. Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes to show the lot of someone who lives “under the sun.” In other words, “earthly.” That book is not written to show us our heavenly realities in Christ, or to show us all our spiritual blessings from the Lord. That book is written exclusively to show how useless and vain the life of a person is, who seeks meaning and purpose from the earth, rather than from God. And therefore, at the end of the book, Solomon concludes that the only thing actually worth doing, is to do what God says!

If you are relating with the experiences described in Ecclesiastes, you are relating with the lot of an unsaved person, living on the earth. We have a lot to learn about who we are in Christ, if we are relating with the experiences written in a book, which expressly states that it is describing a useless life (Ecclesiastes 6:12).  

Yes, for those living “under the sun,” for those who are of the earth, there is a time to be born and a time in which they will die. That’s the truth. But for those who have a Spirit from “above the sun,” we are able to live differently (Romans 8:2). We should be thinking on the things of heaven, where Christ is, because that’s where our life comes from (Colossians 3:2-3). 

So that’s Ecclesiastes, but what about that verse from Hebrews, which clearly says that, “It was appointed every man to die once.” The irony of that verse is, it’s actually amongst the best verses to show that men aren’t bound to death anymore.

Hebrews 9:27-28 (NKJV)  And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. 

People typically only quote the beginning of that verse which says, “It is appointed for men to die once.” Meanwhile, the whole point of the verse is found in the statement that follows. He says, “it is appointed for men to die once,” but that’s why Jesus offered Himself once (to fulfill the death that was appointed to us). 

We quote this verse as if it legitimizes the necessity for everyone to die, meanwhile it’s actually contradicting that statement. It’s saying that the very death that was appointed every man, is the one death that Jesus fulfilled on our behalf. Why was Jesus only offered to die once? Because that’s how many times it was appointed for us to die. This verse is actually proving that our appointed death was already fulfilled by Christ. Jesus died our death already, so we don’t have to die it again, neither does anyone have to remain in it.

So there was an appointed time for every man to die. We did receive that appointment through Adam, but our appointment with death was fulfilled, by Jesus’ once-for-all-time offering, at the cross. Jesus didn’t cancel our appointment with death. He simply went to the appointment Himself, so that all of us could live instead. 

For the amount of times that Christians say that God is their loving Father, you would think more Christians would find it complementary to His nature, to find out that God is not killing His children. We’ve been proving from scripture that God is not putting His children to death at an appointed time, but sent Jesus for us, because He wants everyone to live. And if anyone dies, He wants to raise them back up again. 

You would never put your children to death, so why would you attribute that to your Heavenly Father, despite the scriptures to the contrary? Probably because you were taught wrong. If a physical parent acted as terribly as we accuse God, we would put them in prison, and rightfully so. And if humans, being evil, know how to give good gifts to their children, how much more should we not be receptive, when someone comes around and shows us from scripture, that God is not appointing His children to a death sentence, but sent His Son so that we could live?

We have appealed to you on a purely scriptural level thus far, and will continue to do just that, but how would we not at least be receptive to hearing the scripture in this series, if even we, who are often ignorant and foolish, would never put our children to death. Yet we accuse God of these things that we would never do, and of things that we definitely cannot see in His Son.

Everyone’s time to die is done. It’s fulfilled. You could say, “It is finished.” If we will receive it, it’s now time for people to live. And that is all thanks to the love of God that was demonstrated in Jesus.

Hebrews 2:9 (NKJV) But we see Jesus… that He by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

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Length: 6 Minutes

When someone dies, the church tells us that the Lord “called them home” or, “It was their time.” If, when people die, it is simply because the Lord called them home at their appointed time, then why did Jesus routinely raise people back up from the dead in His earthly ministry? For that matter, why has God been raising people from the dead since the Old Testament? 

Jesus, who is the exact representation of God — Jesus, who said, if you’ve seen Him, you’ve seen the Father —  whenever He was called to the bedside of those who had died, actually raised them back up from the dead. 

If, when someone dies, God simply “called them home, because it was their time,” then why did Jesus, the exact representation of the Father, raise them back up from the dead. Perhaps God had His timing wrong? Perhaps God had called them home, but then changed His mind? Or perhaps we’ve literally been accusing God this entire time of killing people, and all the while, He just wants to give us life. 

How about all of the verses scattered throughout scripture, that tell us that, when we receive the word of God, it will prolong our days? Why would God advocate prolonging our days if He has an appointed time to call us home? Maybe He got the date wrong on His calendar? Maybe He needs to set it off in the future a little bit more, to get it right this time? Or maybe, God doesn’t like death and just wants us to receive His word, so that we can live (Deuteronomy 4:40 and 6:2, Proverbs 28:16 and 10:27).

Whatever you see in Jesus is what is in the Father. What you don’t see in Jesus, is not in the Father. We have a serious dilemma when we accuse the Father of “calling people home,” and yet we can’t say the same thing of His exact representation, Jesus. 

Jesus, the image of God, chose to raise people back to the land of the living. And if you’ve seen Him, you’ve seen the Father.

John 14:9 (NKJV) He who has seen Me [Jesus] has seen the Father…

Luke 9:56 (NKJV) For the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives but to save them.”

Did you ever see Jesus kill someone to send them to heaven? Really? Even one time? Can you show me one verse where Jesus caused someone to die? Even one verse, where He told someone, “No, I won’t raise that person from the dead because it was their time?” If this is the Father’s routine practice, — to call people home, at their “appointed time to die” — then why don’t we see that in His Son? 

Why don’t we see that even one time in all of Jesus’ ministry? The reason why you don’t see it in Christ, is because truthfully, you’ve never seen that from the Father either. We’ve simply made erroneous assumptions about God’s nature because we see someone die. All the while, the Father is not responsible for “calling people home” today. He isn’t calling anyone to die and go home to Him in Heaven. His Spirit is trying to give life to our mortal bodies, if we’ll receive it (Romans 8:11)! 

And yet, the book of Hebrews says that it was appointed for every man to die once, so doesn’t that disprove everything we’re saying? Not at all. It actually makes our point firmer. The problem is, people don’t continue to read the rest of the sentence. Hebrews says that although it was appointed for every man to die once (through Adam) Jesus fulfilled that one death appointed to us, by offering Himself up once at the cross. 

Hebrews 9:27-28 (NKJV) And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. 

This may sound simple, and it truthfully is, but most Christians do not understand the simple truth that Jesus died our death. Of course, they know that Jesus died physically, but it has yet to sink in that this physical death was ours that He was fulfilling. And if Jesus already died our death, how can we continue to say that it is appointed for every man to die once, today, if that appointment with death was already fulfilled by Jesus?

Jesus already fulfilled the death of those you know. Every man was appointed to die once, and therefore, Jesus died once to fulfill it for us! And doesn’t that just make sense out of all the people that Jesus, and His followers, raised from the dead? If Jesus was indeed coming to fulfill the death that was appointed to us, what call would there be for anyone to stay dead any longer? 

If a Christian dies, the Lord will certainly receive their spirit to Heaven, but it’s not because God appointed their body to die or called them home at that time. I’m not saying that a particular person that died didn’t know the Lord at all, but for sure, I am saying that people die for lack of knowledge of the death that Jesus already fulfilled for them. There is no other reason. 

Romans 8:6 (NKJV) For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(Also Proverbs 8:35-36, John 11:40, Ephesians 4:18, and Hosea 4:6)

The same way that Jesus provided salvation for the whole world, but if they don’t know it, or are immature in that knowledge, they can’t receive it, so it is with the resurrection of the dead, or anything else. If you don’t know it, or are immature in that knowledge, you’re not going to receive it, although Jesus already provided it. 

People die for lack of knowledge, not because Jesus called them home.

When people say “God called someone home,” unfortunately, they mean that God killed someone, even His children. If that sounds harsh, it’s because it is. But none of this is true. Quite the contrary. God has been so misrepresented and His reputation has been tarnished, but I have good news for you. God already sacrificed His own beloved Son in our place, to take away the death that was appointed to every man. 

God is not “calling people home” today. If you want to talk about people’s time to die, I sure hope you’re talking about 2,000 years ago, in the body of that Man hanging on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:14). That was the day that everyone died, through the body of that one Man who loved us. 

The time to die has already been fulfilled. The time for people to live and be raised has come! Welcome to the New Covenant.

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Length: 5 Minutes

Just about every Christian believes in immortality and in the resurrection of the dead, but many, if not most, see these things as something that is reserved for Jesus’ second coming, or for heaven someday. Of course, they believe that God has the ability to raise the dead now, but in their mind, this is more the exception to the rule than anything. What they don’t realize is, Martha thought this exact same way, but Jesus corrected her.

John 11:23-26 (NKJV) Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”  Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Martha agreed that her brother Lazarus could be physically raised from the dead, but she told Jesus that this was something that would only happen on the last day, when He returned. But you’ll notice that Jesus corrected her saying, “I am (currently) the resurrection and the life.” In other words, “I’m here right now. There’s no need to wait.” Martha said, “He will,” but Jesus said, “I am.” What Martha thought was for the future, Jesus knew was for the present.

So, Jesus encouraged Martha to believe Him, and then raised Lazarus’ physical body from the dead, as is normal and natural for those who understand that death has already been fulfilled through the cross. No need for anyone to be held by death any longer.

When someone dies, the vast majority of preachers are immediately going to tell you things like, “At least they’re in heaven now” and “You’ll see them in heaven one day” or “They will be raised when Jesus comes back.” Notice this: All of these things are about some sweet by-and-by in the future and do not acknowledge at all what Jesus has already finished for their bodies. Just like Martha, we don’t even consider that resurrection is here right now, ready, and available! 

It is absolutely true that when a believer’s body dies, their spirit is in heaven with the Lord. Their spirit is doing just fine. But to say, “They are in heaven, and we will see them one day,” shows that we have no idea that God’s will is for people’s bodies to be raised from the dead now (Matthew 10:8).

If we’re being honest, when someone dies, is the first thought in a preacher’s mind, “Oh, I can pray for them to raise them back up again”? I doubt it (it’s probably not in their mind at all). Our first thought is normally about how we will see them again someday in the future, either in heaven or when Jesus comes back. We feel that their death will only be rectified some time in the future. Brothers and sisters, this is wrong. Just like Jesus corrected Martha, we are wrong if we think that resurrection is something that we need to wait for in Jesus’ second coming. 

Jesus is not coming back again to die the death of the world (Hebrews 2:9), Jesus is not coming back to become our resurrection and life, and He’s not coming back to finally become our access into this grace (Romans 5:2). He has already done all of these things in His first coming, in which He abolished death and provided life and immortality for all of us, which can be given to our mortal bodies (2 Timothy 1:10 and Romans 8:11). 

It is unfortunate to think that Jesus came and died on the cross so long ago, freeing everyone from their graves, and when someone dies, all we can talk about is when we will die also, and see them in heaven. And, as with Martha, we believe their resurrection will only happen when Jesus comes back again. When someone dies, most Christians are left longing for the future, all the while they could be looking to that one beautiful victory over death in the past (Matthew 27:52). 

Martha thought the exact same way that most of the church thinks today. She was looking for Lazarus’ death to be rectified sometime in the future, completely missing the Answer that was standing right in front of her at the time. But Jesus is not going to be the resurrection and the life. He IS the resurrection and the life now. He already tasted death for everyone a long time ago, and He’s been waiting for people to receive Him as their Resurrection ever since. 

It’s not the exception to the rule, for someone to be raised from the dead now. It would be an exception to the rule if you waited. 

Martha thought she had to wait, but Jesus corrected her. And while most Christians wouldn’t want to admit that they would respond like Martha, if it’s hard for someone to receive this truth now, or even in this article, how do we think we would respond any different than Martha? 

Jesus isn’t mad at anyone. He’s not condemning anyone. He loves you so much and He simply wants you to believe this wonderful truth, that people can live again. After all, He paid an awfully high price to get it to you.

Jesus told Martha that she did not have to wait until heaven or the resurrection someday, to see her brother again. And the same thing is applicable to you, because Jesus died for everyone. No exceptions. This is not hard and it’s not too good to be true. It’s good and it is true. Family, friends, or anyone else can live again. It may take some time for you to understand what Jesus has given, but it is as simple as can be, because Jesus did the hard part. 

None of this is a problem anymore, and you don’t have to wait. Jesus, our Resurrection and Life has come.

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Length: 6 Minutes

When the church teaches about people living forever or being raised from the dead, it is most commonly taught as something that will occur when Jesus comes back. I am here to tell you that immortality and the resurrection of the dead is something we have received through Jesus’ first coming on the cross, not through His second coming.

Take a look at the account of Jesus’ crucifixion:

Matthew 27:50-52 (NKJV) And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Do you see how it says the graves were opened? That means that freedom was provided for everyone in the grave. That means that no person who has died is held there anymore. And when did that occur? Not in Jesus’ second coming, but in His first.

When Jesus died, He was dying our death. He was tasting of the death of all humanity at once (Hebrews 2:9). It wasn’t His own death, but ours. And that is why the moment that Jesus forfeited His life, everyone was given freedom from their graves. 

The veil had been torn, symbolizing access into the things of heaven, and the graves of the physically dead were opened, showing that the exit out of death had been made (Hebrews 9:24, 10:19). The physical bodies of many saints even came out of their tombs after Jesus was raised because of this! This was no spiritual resurrection. They appeared to many people after they came out of their physical graves.

Even though all believers will be raised from the dead in Jesus’ second coming, don’t misunderstand, if they’re raised on that day, they are late to the party! Resurrection is an old thing, provided at the cross, two thousand years ago, when the veil was torn and the graves were opened. They’re not going to be opened. They are open and holding no one. It’s not something that’s going to be provided, but something that was already provided.

2 Timothy 1:10 (NKJV) but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,

Jesus brought life and immortality to us in the first appearing, not His second. And yes, that’s speaking about life that God wants to give to people’s physical bodies (Romans 8:10). So don’t let anyone tell you that you need to wait to see someone raised from the dead. It is available today. Jesus isn’t going to die for you or your loved ones again. It is finished. Resurrection is available to everybody.

And yet, one of the top objections to this type of teaching will be, “If Jesus really provided it, then why do so many people die without being raised? Why do even many Christians die without being raised? If Jesus provided it, why don’t I see it?” But I’ll tell you, if you went by that logic, you wouldn’t even be a Christian today (1 Peter 1:8). You currently believe in a God that you’ve never seen. You believe in his Son, whom you’ve never seen either. You believe in a heaven, that you’ve never seen. You even believe that God has sent His Spirit to live on the inside of you, which you have never seen. You believed these things without seeing them, and only after you believed, did you receive these things. You believe without seeing first, and then you received it. That’s how it works.

You chose to walk by Faith, not by sight, and yet, when it comes to the resurrection of the dead, we allow our eyes to be our guide, rather than God’s word. Romans 8:10 says that God wants to give life to people’s bodies. John 11:25 says that Jesus is the resurrection (in context of raising someone’s physical body). Ephesians 1:19 says that we have the power that raised Jesus’ physical body. Matthew 27:51 says that Jesus’ death has released peoples bodies from their graves. The Bible is filled with scripture like this. And despite this clear scriptural evidence, sometimes our biggest objection is, “I’ve never seen that.”

You don’t see something in order to believe it. You’ve been called to walk by faith, not by sight. It’s not that you’ll never see it. You simply believe these things first, and then you will see it. This is the same principle that saved you. You believed without seeing first, and then you received it. Likewise, with the resurrection of the dead. You first believe that the cross of Christ freed people from their graves, and then you will see the evidence of it afterwards. It doesn’t work the other way around.

In fact, that’s the very thing that Jesus told Martha, specifically regarding raising her brother Lazarus from the dead. He told her that she had to believe it first, by His word, and then she would see it manifested.

John 11:39-40 (NKJV)  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” [then he proceeded to raise her brother’s physical body from the dead]

Martha was concerned, but Jesus told her that if she believed, she would see the glory of God manifested in raising her brother up. But she had to believe it first. Then she would see it. Believer, you should be used to this — believing in things you don’t see, I mean. You don’t see it to believe it. You believe it to see it. 

Jesus really did provide these things in His first coming. Jesus is never going to die a physical death for humanity again. It wasn’t His death. It was our death He died. And he died in a physical body. We believe these things because of the persuasion of the word of God first. And once these things are believed, you’re gonna start seeing people raised from the dead! But as long as we refuse to believe that Jesus provided something, because we don’t see it yet, you’re simply not going to see it in your life.

It is through belief and knowledge of these things that they become effectual in our lives (1 Peter 1:2, Philemon 1:6). So, keep reading with us. Jesus provided what you need. Take your time learning it. You don’t need to rush it. But just know that resurrection was provided at the cross, and the graves are open now, not later.

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