The Fate of the Soul

I have tried to recall my first. I know that it was at Vanderbilt Medical Center and I know that it was on the south side of the 7th floor, but that is all I remember of the details. Since then, there have been countless others and it makes me sad that I cannot pull from my memory all of the names, or even the faces. There is something that I do remember, though. Whether it was my first encounter with death, or my thirty-first, there was something in those moments that I will never forget—something that I have, in vain, attempted to describe on occasion. Maybe this time I will find the words.

At the end, something changes. More than the physiological signs that indicate the arrival of death, there is the distinct departure of life. Described in James 2:26, it is the separation of the physical and spiritual. It is the difference in the soul being present in the body and the soul having left the body. It is the realization that the body is only a shell and in that moment, for that individual, the soul is experiencing its first entirely spiritual existence without the physical limitations of the body. It is sobering. It demands reflection.

I have been deeply affected by those moments—wondering what the soul might be encountering–right then—as I am standing at the bedside holding the hand of the body left behind. It has either been taken to a place of torment or to a place of comfort—a place of suffering or a place of joy—a place of never-ending death or a place of never-ending life. It has learned its eternal fate. It knows.

At those times, I feel so close to the spiritual world around me. It’s right there. We are sharing a room. As I hold the hand of one whose soul is entering into the Hadean realm, for just a second, I understand clearly how close we really are to that place.

I do not mean for this to sound cold or frightening; but I do mean for us to think about that moment. I want you and I to think about it because in this life we can know what the destination of our souls will be at that second we separate from our physical bodies. We can know what to expect when death comes, and we don’t have to be afraid.

First, consider these two truths from God’s Word:

1. The fate of your soul does not rest on goodness alone (Matthew 7:21-23).

2. The fate of your soul does not rest on faith alone (James 2:14-26).

This is not to say that both goodness and faith are not necessary, but we must realize that goodness and faith, in and of themselves, do not determine our eternal destination. If goodness and faith are all that matter–then Jesus should not have had to die. But He did. He died because a perfect sacrifice was required to atone for our sin. His blood had to be shed because all of the goodness in the world would never be enough to save man.

The truth is, there is none that is righteous—not one (Romans 3:10). We all sin and fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). Our goodness cannot get us into Heaven because our sin keeps us out! Our sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2), but Christ suffered for our sins so that we might be brought back to Him (1 Peter 3:18). It is through the blood of Christ, which He shed on the cross, that we receive the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 1:7, Revelation 1:5b, Matthew 26:28). We contact His blood when we are buried into His death through baptism (Romans 6:3-4). His blood cleanses us from sin (1 John 1:7) and when we rise up out of the water we walk in a new life (Romans 6:4), as followers of Christ—as members of His church (Acts 2:47)—as Christians (Acts 11:26).

After we have been baptized into Christ, we live faithfully as Christians—not perfectly—but faithfully (Revelation 2:10). Obedient faith calls us to take action! Just as James 2:26 tells us that the body without the spirit is dead, faith without works is dead also! We try to have the mind of Christ (Philippians 2:5). We show love to others (John 13:34). We do good works (Ephesians 2:10). We teach others the Gospel (Mark 16:15-16). We read and study the Word of God (2 Timothy 2:15). We do all of these things and more—not because we will save ourselves by doing them (Ephesians 2:8)—but because God has told us to do them; and when we love God, we keep His commandments (1 John 5:3).

I am comforted that I can know where I will go at the moment of my soul’s separation from the body. If you have heard the Gospel, repented of your sins, been washed by the blood of Christ in baptism for the remission of sins, and remained faithful, then you do not have to be afraid of what awaits you after death. For the Christian, it will be a coming home to live forever in the presence of God. What a glorious future! We can speak with joy the words of Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, yes, well pleased, rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.”