Now, it is wrong to think that physical death for a Christian is like the death of an unbeliever. Jesus said, “If you live and believe in Me, you will never die.” To say that a Christian has died isn’t correct. What has happened is that the Christian has moved from their earthly body into their new spiritual body, and into the presence of God. Jesus said, “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). Jesus is not talking about a mansion like we see here on this earth; Jesus is talking about our new spiritual and immortal body that He will give us when we leave our earthly body.
The Bible says: But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him…While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:55-59). We see here that Jesus received Stephen’s spirit into heaven at the very moment he died. I believe that Jesus personally receives every Christian into heaven.
The Bible has two definitions for death. The first definition for death is the separation of man’s spirit from his body; the term is used in the Bible, “And he gave up the ghost, or spirit.” There is a separation of a person’s consciousness from their body, when there is no brain activity a person is considered dead. The biblical definition of the death of a Christian is the separation of a man’s consciousness from his earthly body. But a Christian never loses their consciousness of God, because they immediately move into the presence of God and into their new body.
The second biblical definition for death is for the unbeliever, and that is the separation of a man’s consciousness from God. Referring to people before they became believers, Paul said, “And you, has He made alive who were dead in your trespasses and sins” (Ephesians 2:1). And that is where we were all at before we put our faith in Jesus Christ, spiritually dead in our sins and separated from God. All unbelievers are spiritually dead, even before their body dies. Paul says that a person who is living only for pleasure is spiritually dead (1 Timothy 5:6). John wrote, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on him” (John 3:36). God will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His power (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).
In the New Testament, the human body is likened unto a tent, a temporary place to live in (2 Corinthians 5:1, 4, 2 Peter 1:13). Paul tells us that when our earthly tent is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands (2 Corinthians 5:1). But until we have that spiritual body, we have to dwell in our earthly tents. Paul realized how much trouble our earthly body gives us. He said, “Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling” (2 Corinthians 5:2). Having problems with our earthly body is one thing we can all identify with, especially as we get older.
Then Paul makes this amazing statement, “Because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked…because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:3-4). Paul is saying that when we leave these earthly bodies we will not be a spirit without a body, but we will instantly be clothed with our heavenly body. Then Paul adds, “Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord” (2 Corinthians 5:6). The implication here is that when we leave these earthly bodies we are instantly in our heavenly body, and in the presence of the Lord.
As a believer in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you will never die spiritually; you will never be consciously separated from God. David wrote, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:4-6).
One day my life’s path is going to take a turn into a valley, and in that valley a shadow will cross my path. Jesus will take me by the hand and lead me beyond that shadow into His light. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). And He will take me into His Father’s house where I am going to dwell forever in the house of the Lord. Have you put your faith in Jesus Christ so you can dwell in the House of the Lord forever? John wrote, “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 1:17).