THE WAY YOU ARE BURIED IS NOT IMPORTANT, BUT WHETHER YOU ARRIVE WITH JESUS ON THE OTHER SIDE
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Die manier waarop jy begrawe word is nie belangrik nie, maar wel of jy met Jesus aan die anderkant arriveer.”
I received an e-mail in which a man speaks out against cremation and makes some statements, which one could even smile at, if it were not that it was such a serious matter.
The first point I want to respond to is the following:
He says and I quote him:
“Not even tattoos may be applied to it” (LEV 19:28): “Neither shall you make any cuts in your flesh for the sake of a dead person, nor do not make a drawing in your skin. I am the LORD.”
One must be very careful how and when one quotes the Scriptures/Bible.
I said one could smile if it wasn’t such a serious matter.
Now if I must understand the verse in the Bible in the same context as him, then I, and many other people are lost, because I have already had quite a few operations and therefore have quite a few cuts on me.
This verse is part of the Law. We must remember that we are no longer under the law but under grace:
Gal 3:25-25
25But now that faith has come, we are no longer under [the control and authority of] a tutor and disciplinarian. 26For you [who are born-again have been reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified and] are all children of God [set apart for His purpose with full rights and privileges] through faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:13 13Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS [crucified] ON A TREE (cross)”—
ROM 6:14 14For sin will no longer be a master over you, since you are not under Law [as slaves], but under [unmerited] grace [as recipients of God’s favor and mercy].
I do not say tattoos is right; I’m just saying be careful how you quote Scripture.
Then the person makes another statement, but he does not tell what the grave or graves looked like. I quote him:
” People who were faithful in the LORD and in their faith will be buried.
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried (GEN 25:9-10; 35:29 AND 47:29).”
Again, he makes a statement which in my opinion is not entirely correct. At that time, the children of GOD, and many pagans, usually did not bury their dead as in the ground, but in tombs or caves as we find them in the Scriptures.
Genesis 49:29-33
29He charged them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, 30in the cave in the field at Machpelah, east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, that Abraham bought, along with the field from Ephron the Hittite, to possess as a burial site. 31There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— 32the field and the cave that is in it was purchased from the sons of Heth.” 33When Jacob (Israel) had finished commanding his sons, he drew his feet into the bed and breathed his last, and was gathered to his people [who had preceded him in death].
Now, if I must understand the Bible as this man apparently understands it, to be buried means to be buried in a cave/cavern, or in our modern times probably burial vault. If this was how we were to understand the Bible, a niche would not be such a bad choice. A niche could then pass as a miniature tomb.
However, this is not how we should read the Bible.
Even in Jesus’ time the practice was still widespread. Nor was Jesus buried in the ground, in a coffin. Neither was Lazarus.
Does this mean that we are now sinning because we bury our dead in a different way?
The word ‘buried’ does not necessarily mean “in a coffin, in the ground.”
I believe that your and my GOD is completely satisfied with us, if we bury or cremate our loved ones with love and compassion. I also don’t think GOD, who loves man so much will have a problem with me giving my body for organ donation or for research.
What particularly disturbed me was the following statement that the man made:
” If a person chooses of his own free will to have his body cremated after death,
God’s name cannot be included in it. “
If it wasn’t so shocking, I say again one could laugh about it, but it was the man’s statement that forced me to react.
What then about all the children of God who, for example, are charred in buildings or cars?
What about all the early Christians who were burned by the Roman emperors?
He uses the words “free will” which I believe is precisely to get away from the dilemma.
However, there is another dilemma that he probably did not notice which is the following:
It seems to me that the man has a problem with ‘ash’.
Although I do not see the glorified body as some people do, it will not matter to my GOD whether it is ‘ashes’ or ‘dust’.
What I say now, I say ‘with my tongue in my cheek’. Or as my great hero Paul would put it; Now I’m talking like a fool.
If this were to be a problem, you can imagine how big the problem would be with all the early Christians who were fed to the wild animals. If anyone has a problem with ‘ash’, then the problem is even greater with lion dung and other animals that have torn and eaten people throughout the ages. Not to mention all the people who perished at sea and were eaten and excreted by fish and dissolved by the waters of the sea.
Come on people, let’s not be petty-minded about such an important matter. Dust, ashes or manure or whatever – GOD will not have a problem with the resurrection of your glorified body.
Therefore, I don’t think cremation is a problem for GOD. Cremation will not keep you out of Heaven.
I’m not going to explain my view on the glorified body here, but I just want to quote a few verses from GOD’s Word:
1 Cor 15:40
40There are also heavenly bodies [sun, moon and stars] and earthly bodies [humans, animals, and plants], but the glory and beauty of the heavenly is one kind, and the glory of the earthly is another.
1 Cor 15:44
44it is sown a natural body [mortal, suited to earth], it is raised a spiritual body [immortal, suited to heaven]. As surely as there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body.
1 Cor 15:49-50
49Just as we have borne the image of the earthly [the man of dust], we will also bear the image of the heavenly [the Man of heaven].
50Now I say this, believers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit nor be part of the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable (mortal) inherit the imperishable (immortal).
I want to say something now and I’m not pointing the finger at anyone. I only say this so that we should know that we should always be very careful before we simply accept a statement that someone makes, or go after anyone who says he or she is from the Lord .
Jesus is saying:
Matthew 7:21-23
21“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to Me on that day [when I judge them], ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, and driven out demons in Your name, and done many miracles in Your name?’ 23And then I will declare to them publicly, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME [you are banished from My presence], YOU WHO ACT WICKEDLY [disregarding My commands].’
Someone once made a very nice statement.
“You can’t talk about what you don’t know.
You can’t communicate something you don’t feel yourself.
You cannot convey what you have not experienced yourself.
You cannot give what you do not have yourself.
To know, to feel, to experience and to care, it must first be part of you.”
I don’t think there is anything it applies to more than me being a child of GOD, and the knowledge of His precious Word.
Listen my friend and I conclude with this:
The way your body will be disposed of after your departure from this life, or how you will be buried, has so to speak, no say in where you will spend eternity.
There is only one determining factor when I leave this life, which will determine where you or I will spend eternity!
And it is:
To arrive on the other side of the grave with JESUS
In other words, did you, in this life while you had the chance, accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour?
In other words, Is Jesus’ Holy Spirit living in you?
GAL 2:20
20I have been crucified with Christ [that is, in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body I live by faith [by adhering to, relying on, and completely trusting] in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.
If you have not done it, it really doesn’t matter how wonderful, and in what way you are buried, you willopen your eyes in hell – like the rich man that Jesus tell us about:
LUKE 16:23-26
23In Hades (the realm of the dead), being in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom (paradise). 24And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in severe agony in this flame.’ 25But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things [all the comforts and delights], and Lazarus likewise bad things [all the discomforts and distresses]; but now he is comforted here [in paradise], while you are in severe agony. 26‘And besides all this, between us and you [people] a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to come over from here to you will not be able, and none may cross over from there to us.’
36“He who believes and trusts in the Son (Jesus) and accepts Him [as Savior] has eternal life [that is, already possesses it]; but he who does not believe the Son and chooses to reject Him, [disobeying Him and denying Him as Savior] will not see [eternal] life, but [instead] the wrath of God hangs over him continually.”
16“For God so [greatly] loved and dearly prized the world, that He [even] gave His [One and] only begotten Son, so that whoever believes and trusts in Him [as Savior] shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17For God did not send the Son into the world to judge and condemn the world [that is, to initiate the final judgment of the world], but that the world might be saved through Him. 18Whoever believes and has decided to trust in Him [as personal Savior and Lord] is not judged [for this one, there is no judgment, no rejection, no condemnation]; but the one who does not believe [and has decided to reject Him as personal Savior and Lord] is judged already [that one has been convicted and sentenced], because he has not believed and trusted in the name of the [One and] only begotten Son of God [the One who is truly unique, the only One of His kind, the One who alone can save him].
Therefore – it is good to plan how you want to be buried, but it is vital, yes, eternally vital, that you make sure you do not arrive on the other side of your grave without Jesus.
Greetings,
Sakkie
Email: bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Website: www.sakkieparsons.co.za
Cell: 083 457 6669
Jude 1:24-25 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy, to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.
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