Today with all the medical knowledge we have we can be told that we may be dying from certain diseases such as cancer. It is these people who should really know how Jesus felt knowing they are going to die; “not my will but thine be done”. This is extremely frightening and Christians do get scared and are also concerned of the fact they feel they have done something wrong. When this occurs we can bring in another aspect of faith of Jesus and Christians which is reconciliation and their sins can be forgiven.
I think Christians should now believe that they will not feel abandoned in the way Jesus felt because there are now strong and large families within the different Christian Churches. They give support, comfort and compassion and that we are simply moving on to join our brothers and sisters who have gone on to their eternal life before us.
The most compelling and beautiful concept of Christ dying is that he offered his life and death for our sins and he has the faith that we would become the people God longed for.
AOI - Part 2 Suzanne Crawford
LIFE AFTER DEATH
The resurrection has always been at the heart of Christianity. Paul’s teaching was that all those who were joined to Jesus by Baptism into his Church will enjoy the resurrection from the dead. For Paul resurrection was not into a world like this one with all its corruption, but rather to a new world changed by the elimination of sin, a world ruled by God.
“Both then and now Christian faith stands or falls with the resurrection of Jesus from the dead”. (Paul)
There is no historical evidence for the resurrection apart from the fact that the disciples believed that it happened. Even though nobody witnessed the resurrection the Christian faith stands or falls with the resurrection. As Paul says in his first letter to the Church of Corinthian:
“If there be no resurrection, then Christ was not raised; and if Christ was not raised, then our Gospel is nil and void, and so is your faith.” (I Corinthians 15:13).
For Christians, there is hope for eternal life confirmed by the life, death and resurrection of death. They generally believe that they retain their personal identity and individuality after death. Traditionally Christianity has taught that a good life will be rewarded in heaven and a bad life will be punished in hell. Roman Catholics believe that only those Christians who have led a very good life will straight enter into heaven straight away. Most will go to purgatory – a type of purification process and preparation for heaven.
Many Christians, modern Christians reject the idea of hell. They believe that heave is being with God and hell is being apart from God.
“For Christians, there is hope of eternal life confirmed by the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ”. (Christianity by Joe Jenkins)
To most Roman Catholics they see purgatory as a place of spiritual cleansing. Those who have to be forgiven for the venial sins they have committed in their lifetime.
The Bible is unclear about hell and it is life however from the parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) gives us an idea of what hell is said to be like. We do however have to remember that this is the early Christians point of view so Christians today may have a different point of view or opinion.
Overall, the majority of all Christians believe there is life after death, “eternal life”.
