LIFE AFTER DEATH
Salvation Series: Lesson 1
Physical death can happen anywhere, anytime and to anyone. It may occur in the
morning, noon, afternoon, evening, dusk or dawn. Child or adult, male or female,
rich or poor succumb to death. Life may end in a violent, abrupt and unexpected
manner such as accident, calamities and murder. Some deaths are anticipated
results of sickness or old age. Its appointed time may be delayed through
medicine, physical fitness or healthy dieting. But death cannot be stopped.
Everyone will die, unless he or she experiences the actual second coming of the
Lord Jesus Christ.
1. WHAT AWAITS DEATH?
“Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,”
Hebrew 9:27
 Judgment follows death. Every soul will have to stand before God and give an
account of his or her life on earth.
2. WHAT IS JUDGMENT?
“12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were
opened. Another book was opened which is the Book of Life. The dead were
judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 15If anyone’s
name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of
fire.”
Revelation 20:12, 15
 Judgment is the moment when Almighty God decides whether He will accept
someone or not into His kingdom. Death is the door to eternity. There are only
two places a soul can go to after physical death- heaven or hell (Luke 16: 19-23).
*If God rules you to go to hell, there you will be. If God receives you into His
kingdom, heaven is your final destination. There is no neutral ground between
heaven and hell.
3. HOW DOES THE BIBLE PICTURE HELL?
* This is the place where Satan and his demons and all sinners will be
condemned.
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed,
into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angel!’”
Matthew 25:41
 All cowards, deceivers, murderers, adulterers, sorcerers, idolaters and liars
shall have their place in the lake of fire (Rev. 21:8). Can you imagine yourself
being with the Devil and all wicked men on earth for all eternity? This is what will
happen to someone who defies God.
* This is the place where misery and torment abound.
a. There are worms that never die and fire that never stops.
“… 48 where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.”
Mark 9:47-48
b. There is much pain and gnashing of teeth.
“…There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
Matthew 25:30
c. There one can remember his or her life while on earth.
“…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.”
Luke 16:25
 In hell, the sinners can feel remorse but they cannot anymore repent. They will
remember with much anguish the times they wasted their lives on sinful living.
They would lament over the memory of their loved ones who counseled and
admonished them to get right with God.
* This is the place where the sinners are eternally separated from God.
“They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the
presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power..”
Thessalonians 1:9
 Indeed, the message of hell is terrifying, but it is also a message of Love. Love,
because God is warning us before it is too late that there is a place called “Hell”,
and that we need to enter His door and walk in the path He already appointed to
enable us to reach that place called “Heaven”. (Matthew 7:13-14; Philippians
3:20)
4. HOW DOES THE BIBLE PICTURE HEAVEN?
* This is a place without tears, suffering, mourning and death.
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or
mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”
Revelation 21:4
* This is a place without wickedness and evil-doers
“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or
deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
Revelation 21:27
* . This is the place where God will dwell with us forever.
“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is
with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself
will be with them and be their God.’”
Revelation 21:3
5. WHEN SHOULD WE PREPARE FOR LIFE AFTER DEATH?
“27 He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father’s house, for I
have five brothers. 28Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this
place of torment’.” Luke16:27, 28
Luke 16:27-28
 In the above passage, the rich man begs that Lazarus be sent to warn his five
other brothers that if they don’t come to God and change, they will end up in
the same place of torment where he is. He knows that his brothers are living in
sin as he did while he was still with them. So, when are we supposed to prepare
for the place we want to spend eternity? Now while we are still breathing!
Don’t wait for tomorrow or it might be too late. The devil doesn’t want you to
believe that there is heaven and hell so you will not prepare in this life.
6. HOW SHOULD WE PREPARE FOR LIFE AFTER DEATH?
“29 Abraham replied, “they have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to
them.’ 30 ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone one 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.’”
* In the above verses, Abraham declines the rich man’s request. The condemned
man wants Lazarus to rise from the dead to warn and convince his brothers to
change their sinful ways. But Abraham makes clear that there are already living
servants of God who are preaching the message of salvation, and if the five
brothers refuse to believe them, then there is no other way for them to be
saved. How, then, can we prepare for the next life? We must listen to our friends
and other people who remind us of the reality of heaven and hell according to
the Bible.
The next lesson will teach us how we can be assured of salvation. So let us not
miss the next topic for us to be ready for the life ahead and for us to be the
agent of this important message to others. Now is the time to be saved, and not
tomorrow when you are already dead!
APPLICATION:
1. Are you afraid to go to hell? Why?

2. Are you sure you will go to heaven if you die today? Why?