So where do we go from here?

Every adult of sound mind knows that they will die one day. They also know that all their friends and family will die. Indeed, they understand the truth that death comes at some point to every single person on the planet, as it does similarly to every other living thing.

Most people are well aware of death around them and close by them every ordinary day in some form or other, whether it be by way of a rotten apple fallen from a tree, a bunch of flowers withering in a vase or an ant trodden underfoot on the pavement. There is also the daily news of life-ending events taking place around the world; hearing of these helps to ensure that the subject of death is never very far from our consciousness.

In summary, death is an everyday part of...well, life, and it cannot be easily ignored.

And every adult of sound mind at some time wonders whether there is anything afterwards, whether there is any form of life after death. That is, they wonder, ‘Where do we go from here?’ When you have wondered that, what conclusion have you come to? And just as importantly, how have you come to that conclusion?

How can we know?

It is not possible to prove scientifically that there is life after death (or that there isn’t, come to that). Scientific proof of anything is based on multiple repeats of the same conditions, with reasonable conclusions then being drawn from the results of the 'experiments'. For example, we heat some water 100 times and see whether any deductions can be made about the temperature at which it boils. From these experiments we would reasonably conclude that water boils at 100 degrees centigrade at sea level. Clearly, in the matter of life after death this kind of 'experiment' is not possible, so we must look elsewhere for the evidence on which to base our conclusion about what, if anything, awaits beyond the grave.

Be careful how you decide

If we decide to reach our conclusion on this subject by trusting what someone else says about it, we must ask, 'How reliable is their opinion; what evidence is their opinion based on?' For sure there is no shortage of material if we choose to go down this route, with books, DVDs, and on-line courses proliferating, with plenty of people out there who would just love to provide us the answer to the question. Of course, that answer is very likely to come at a price to you, and that should alert us to another question – what is the motive of these people for telling me this? If we decide to trust just our own instincts then we must at the very least acknowledge the risk involved in doing this. Have your instincts always proven to be correct, 100% of the time throughout your life, without any single exception, ever? Neither have mine.

Eternal life – most people agree

The proposition that there is some form or quality of life after death is common not only to all of the major faiths and religious systems of the world but also to the majority of the minor (less common) ones. Furthermore, the likelihood is ingrained in our culture and in the very language we use when to converse with one another, even though we may not realise it. We speak in terms of people 'passing on' or 'passing away', or as being 'no longer with us'; an obituary may read that a certain person ‘fell asleep’ on such a date. Our hope is that they ‘rest in peace’. All these phrases imply an unspoken understanding and belief in the notion that physical death is not the end of the matter, but rather that there is indeed something beyond it.

Eternal life – eternally fascinating

Not only this, there is much we can see around us which demonstrates the (eternal?) fascination human beings have with the subject. Many secular thought programmes which people join (man-made philosophical programmes claiming no belief in or allegiance to any god or supreme being) embrace the idea of some variety of 'other realm' which the human spirit may or may not inhabit after death. There will be differences in the detail, but agreement in principle.

A few minutes reviewing well-known cinematic releases or the best-seller lists for books will find many films and novels that have achieved widespread popularity over the years by tapping into our interest in this question of where we go from here, succeeding at the box office or on the book stall because it is a question which has a continuing fascination for mankind. A very reasonable question to ponder, then, is why should we be so interested in the subject – where did this interest come from? To those who argue for evolution the question can then be put, “Why would such an interest evolve – in what way does it aid development of the species?

So, where do we go from here?

The Bible asserts that a human being is not merely a physical thing (a body), but that he/she comprises a non-physical element (soul) as well. It declares that there is continued existence of this non-physical element after the death of the physical body takes place. The Bible says that after the body dies, every human soul continues in a conscious state forever, and the main distinction it draws is between those souls that will spend eternity in heaven with God and those that will do so away from the presence of God in a state of torment.

Please note that contrary to some popular belief, it is far more accurate to say that each person decides for themselves in which of these destinations their soul will spend eternity than it is to say that God chooses for them, because God has explained to everybody beforehand the possibilities (in the Bible) and has given everybody the option to choose eternity in heaven with him. If a soul spends eternity away from God in torment, that is because they have chosen to do so.

Mmm…still not convinced?

Some people, of course, would deny most of the above and maintain that there is nothing after this earthly physical existence, proclaiming that, ‘When you’re dead, you’re dead’. There are some differences in views here, but the two most common ones which argue this position are that either all souls are destroyed at the point of physical death or that while the souls of believers live on, the souls of those who do not go to heaven are destroyed (i.e. that there is no eternal conscious torment).

Interestingly, some people argue this latter position from the Bible itself, claiming to be able to show verses from which we can reasonably conclude that at the point of the physical death of a non-believer in Christ, that person’s soul is also destroyed (this view is known as annihilationism). A proper understanding of the Bible verses in question, and their reading in the light of a full understanding of the purpose of the saving work of Jesus Christ, shows both of these views to be mistaken.

In conclusion

So there we have it – a little look at a big question, with lots to think about.

If you have never done so, please consider the matter very carefully. Today will be their last day on earth for approximately 153,000 people around the world (World Health Organisation figure), and the majority of those people did not awake this morning knowing that this would be the case. We are all only guaranteed this moment.

And our question, ‘Where do we go from here?’ can only be considered while we are alive; dead is too late. Consider it carefully, but consider it wisely. Where will you go for help with it? The Bible has stood the test of time, of thousands of years, in fact. May I suggest you start there.