So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.     2 Corinthians 5:6-8 NKJV

I am always impressed by the questions children ask about the Bible. The other day we were studying John 3:16 which says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” When I asked them if they knew what perish meant, they correctly answered that it meant to die. And one young man asked, “Then why do people who believe in Jesus die if it says they have eternal life?

I believe the best way to answer this question is our Scripture passage for today. Paul was explaining that for those of us who are saved, we have the confidence of knowing our soul doesn’t die it simply transitions to heaven. We just change locations.

While we are here in our earthly bodies, we are absent from the Lord. This doesn’t mean we can’t communicate with the Lord through Bible study and prayer. It doesn’t mean we can’t feel the Lord’s presence in our lives, it simply means we are in a temporary place here on earth. This is not our permanent home. If we are saved, our permanent home is in heaven with the Lord.

Physical death which we will all experience here on earth is just that, it is the death of our physical body. Recently we looked at 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 which speaks of the rapture. It says the dead in Christ will rise first. This refers to the physical bodies of those who have died and were saved.

Paul said in Philippians 1:21 Paul said, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” When we devote our lives to Christ, we live in Him. We imitate Him and set an example for others. We do His work and serve Him while we live. When we die, however, we gain the awesome benefit of spending eternity in heaven with our Lord and Savior.

When a loved one dies, if we know they are saved, this verse can be of great comfort. We can know they have left this earth to be with God. We can know they are healed and are experiencing a kind of peace and joy we can’t even fathom.

I have been absent minded most of my life, but there will come a time when I am absent bodied or absent from this old body. My soul will not die, it will simply move on up to heaven. Being present with the Lord is for those who have accepted Christ as their Savior.

However, in Luke 16:19-31 Jesus spoke of the Lazarus and the rich man. Lazarus had lived his life as a beggar in the streets. This rich man had lived lavishly with daily feasts and failed to even give Lazarus scraps from his table. Lazarus died and went to heaven while the rich man died and went to hell. Hell is real and we must understand that our life here on earth determines our eternal destination.

If you are not raptured, there will come a day when your soul departs from your body. Now is the time to secure your place in heaven before it is eternally too late.

John 3:16 tells us all who believe in Jesus will have eternal life. Revelation 21:8 says the unbelievers will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.

I don’t know about you, but when the time comes for me to leave my temporary home here on earth, I want to be with the Lord. I hope to see you there.

Have a great day!