Death

The resurrection of the body is an article of faith declared in the Creed of Nicea. Yet, it is probably an element of faith that is given least attention in the way that we typically speak about life after death.

Popular Christian culture speaks in terms of the soul of a deceased person being with the Lord, or going to heaven. However, this is but a part of the truth revealed in the Scriptures and in Christian tradition. Death is understood to be the separation in a human person of the soul from the body. Without the life-giving presence of the soul, there is nothing for the body except to fall into corruption and decay. The soul, sometimes referred to in Scripture as the “spirit”, continues in existence. At the death of Jesus, Scripture reveals that the spirits of the dead were seen in Jerusalem.

Scripture makes it clear, as does Jesus Himself, that judgment belongs to God and that God the Father has given His Son the authority to judge.Belief in the resurrection of the body derives primarily from the truth about the resurrection of Jesus. In spite of attempts by some scripture scholars to suggest that Jesus’ resurrection was not something physical, but rather a spiritual resurrection in the consciousness of Jesus’ followers, the New Testament goes to great lengths to describe the risen presence of Jesus in clearly physical terms. The risen Jesus could be touched; his risen body bore the marks of the crucifixion; he ate food with his disciples. At the same time, this resurrected body did not seem to obey the laws of nature as it once did. Jesus could appear suddenly in a room and disappear again.

St Paul clearly sees the resurrection of Jesus as the pattern for all of us. Romans 6: …. While this is therefore part of the mystery of revelation, at the same time, it is entirely reasonable. Human beings are a composite nature – body and soul – created by God. It would seem to be entirely fitting that, in planning to save humanity from the effects of sin, God would want to respect the creature he has made, saving him body and soul.

The resurrection of Jesus reveals the nature of the new creation that God is bringing about. Belief in the resurrection of the body is consistent also with the doctrine of the Assumption of Our Lady, which acknowledges Mary as the first to share in the resurrection of the body.

Judgment

Several places within the New Testament also confirm that the second coming of Jesus and the resurrection of the bodies of all of humanity will be followed by a final judgement. Along with the doctrine of the existence of hell, it is this final judgement that presents the greatest difficulties in our modern age. So much so that we hear of attempts to suggest that, if there is a hell, no-one will in fact be damned to hell’s eternity. Others have said that they cannot believe in a God who could judge someone to hell. Some find the idea of judgement incompatible with faith in an all-merciful and all-loving God.

Scripture makes it clear, as does Jesus himself, that judgment belongs to God and that God the Father has given his Son the authority to judge. When he comes again, Jesus will come as Judge. Even in his earthly life, at his first coming, Jesus is revealed as having authority and exercises the activity of the Divine Judge. He interprets Sacred Scripture authoritatively; He forgives sins; he condemns those who refuse to receive him; he offers paradise to the repentant thief on the Cross. At his second coming, the exercise of judgement will be universal and will determine the final destiny of each individual.

Faith in Jesus Christ as the final and universal Judge is only a direct consequence of the truth of who he is. In the New Testament, Jesus is revealed as he who was in the beginning with God, and who is God. All things were created through him and for him. He came to make known the Father and to bring human beings to salvation. We cannot avoid the consequence and conclusion that the ultimate destiny of human beings is also determined by him. It is also a consequence of the awesome freedom with which God endowed the human race. But freedom did not mean licence. God gave humankind the freedom to choose God or reject him; to choose to accept the salvation offered to the human race in Jesus or to reject it. However, the choice will have consequences and these consequences are made clear in the Scriptures and in the direct words of Jesus himself.

Heaven and Hell

Our concern is not only with the consequences of the judgement, but also with the basis upon which the judgement is made. Once again, Sacred Scripture makes it very clear that the final judgement and the destinies of heaven or hell are completely at the heart of the very message of the gospel of salvation. When we speak of humanity being saved, from what are we being saved? Ultimately, Jesus Christ came to save humankind from sin and its consequences. The consequences of sin are the separation of the human person from intimacy with God, the spoiling of our human nature – distorting it into something it was never intended to be. Death and the fear of death also is a consequence, and finally, everlasting death – an eternity of separation from God. Indeed, we might say, that Jesus came to save mankind from hell!

The consequences of sin are the separation of the human person from intimacy with God, the spoiling of our human nature – distorting it into something it was never intended to beThe radical nature of the salvation – the sacrifice in death of God’s own beloved Son, suggests that the awful future of humankind in an eternal hell was a certainty, from which only the merciful love of God revealed in Jesus has rescued the human race. The rescue in Christ itself has consequences. In becoming Man, the Son of God, became also the blueprint for the human race and for its ultimate destiny in the intimacy of the life of God to be shared forever.

The determining factor, the basis for judging which consequence we are to receive is our stance towards the gospel of salvation – the acceptance or rejection of the Good News of what Jesus has accomplished for us in his death and resurrection. Those who have accepted the Gospel and have embraced Christ in faith and set their lives upon him, have no fear of condemnation (2 Cor 5:17). Those who have heard the Gospel but have chosen to reject are likely to face condemnation (2 Thess. 1:7-10). Even lukewarm Christians can be in danger of being damned (Rev 3:15). Those who, through no fault of their own, have not heard the Gospel, can hope for salvation – for their attempts to live a good life according to their best lights are seen as a preparation for the gospel and as a work of God’s grace. Nevertheless, the Vatican Council thought that this would be rare rather than common. More common was the situation where people allow themselves to be deceived by the Evil One, changing the truth of God for a lie. Such people can be in a hopeless situation, and hence the need for the Church and for Christians to bear witness constantly to the truth of the Gospel – so that all might be saved