WHAT HAPPENS TO ME AFTER THE GRAVE
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Wat gebeur met my na die graf?”
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone asked me, for my opinion about life after death and firstly I must say that I do not have all the answers. I also believe that there is not a true child of God which is so silly to believe, to say that they have all the answers to this matter
Like my great hero Paul said, I say:
1COR13:12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
As I have been asked I will give my opinion and I know people will maybe have other interpretations of the matter and I do not want to get involved in a dispute over interpretations. I am saying just what I believe.
You see my great hero Paul also says:
1COR 11:16 If anyone wants to be contentious about this, we have no other practice—nor do the churches of God.
I also do not want to make this a long interpretation, because someone might like to send this to another person at work and then people do not have the time to read long interpretations. Therefore I will give you a couple of key verses, which speak for themselves.
To begin – I do know that there are people who believe that when we pass away, we are going into some kind of sleep, or that we are going to a place of safety or something like that.
I believe that I will go directly to Christ and that I will live eternity forever with Him:
Here is the proof that I lay on the table:
Firstly, here hangs Jesus and two other people on a cross.
All three are shortly going to leave this life.
Luke 23:40-43
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?
41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
Jesus does not say to the man on the cross next to Him that this will occur one day, He says, that he will be with Him today in paradise.
As I always say to people –
God does not say or do anything just to say or do it. If Jesus say “today,” then you can know it will still be today.
MatT 17:2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.
MatT 17:3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.
Moses and Elijah left this life many, many years before and here they came and visited Jesus before He walked to His crucifixion. And they were truly really people, so real that Peter there and then, wanted to organise A place for them to stay.
Now we must not forget – this was a special occasion which God organised for Jesus, on the mountain of Transfiguration.
My great hero Paul says the following about this matter of where we will be when we depart:
PHIL 1:19-23
19 for I know that through your prayers and God’s provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance.
20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
22 If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labour for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know!
23 I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far;
Therefore, and how wonderful –
When I leave from here, I’m going to be with Christ.
Christ’s Spirit lives in my heart now, but after I leave here, I will, to put it this way, be with Jesus in person and I will be with Jesus in heaven.
Not somewhere in between, as some proclaim.
Jesus did not ascend to some intermediate place where I will be with Him.
I am going to be with Christ in Heaven, like Paul and for example Moses and Elijah, whom the 3 disciples also saw on the mountain of glorification:
REV 3:21-22 (AMP)
21‘He who overcomes [the world through believing that Jesus is the Son of God], I will grant to him [the privilege] to sit beside Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down beside My Father on His throne. 22‘He who has an ear, let him hear and heed what the Spirit says to the churches.’”
Then there is also something I very certainly know and it is the following:
Where people go after they have departed, if it is to Christ or to another place, once you are there, you are there forever (for eternity).
Jesus explains this very nicely in the ”Rich man and Lazarus”. You can certainly read this story. You will find the story in Luke 16 from verse 19. This story is full of lessons but I am only going to show you what is pertinent to this matter:
LukE 16:24-31
24 So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’
25 “But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.
26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’
27 “He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family,
28 for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’
29 “Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
I can say many more things about this passage but then this writing will become too long. The following will suffice for me:
Luke 16:22 “The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. (In this way, when your earthly life is over, your friends shall welcome you into the eternal dwelling.) The rich man also died and was buried.
LukE 16:23 In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side.
When Lazarus opened his eyes on the other side of the grave he was where Abraham was Please note – Abraham was alive and completely in control of his senses
When the rich man opened his eyes he was, it can only be described as, being in hell – and he was also alive and completely in control of his senses.
Remember who is telling us this story, it is Jesus and Jesus is the only Person who has walked on this earth, which has a deep understanding of both these places.
If I am with Jesus, I will never want to go anywhere else, especially not to this earth and even if I wanted to – I cannot.
If I am sitting in that terrible jail and waiting to be sentenced, I cannot leave.
So, please do not believe in ghosts or people that can talk to you from the other side of the grave.
Here on earth satan uses his angels as imitators (copycats) of human forms to mislead you.
If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Redeemer and Saviour and are following His way of life, you are on your way to the right place.
One will call the place one thing, and another will call the place another thing. I call it Heaven and all I know for sure is that I will be with Jesus.
What we all are going to see, (because I personally shall also see) and experience, this I do not know exactly, but it will be wonderful, magnificent and glorious forever.
I say again like my great hero Paul said – and I quote from The Amplified Bible:
1COR 13:12
12For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].
Greetings,
Sakkie
Email: bediening@sakkieparsons.co.za
Website: www.sakkieparsons.co.za
Cell: 083 457 6669
Jude 1:24-25 24 To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy – 25 to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (NIV)
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All verses quoted are from the New International Version of the Bible (NIV) unless otherwise specified.
New International Version (NIV)
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