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What a Christian Believes
that as long as we are at home in the body, we are away
from the Lord.' 'We are confident, I say, and would prefer
to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.'
So the Bible makes it clear that the spirits of christians who
die will be in the presence of God.
There is one group of people who will not die, those who will
still be alive when Christ returns. But all will be with Him, both
those who have died and those who are still alive.
This is not the end of things because God's final purpose of
RESURRECTION will be completed when the vision of John
comes to pass. Revelation 21 v1 'Then I saw a new heaven
and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth
had passed away and there was no longer any sea.'
God has only given glimpses of what is to come. It is
sufficient that christians can be completely confident in
their destiny and that it will last for ever, that is, it is
eternal.
Finally as the Resurrection of the Dead and the matter of the
spirit when it leaves the body is concluded there is a serious
warning that must be heeded.
When Paul spoke of being still in the body, he said this in
2Corinthians 5 v7 'We live by faith, not by sight.' The
after life and the spirit world is a realm in which men and
women are to have a confident belief but are not allowed to
go or to have direct contact with, whilst alive on earth.
Mans' contact with heaven is only through and by prayer.
The Holy Spirit brings the believers prayers to the throne of
God and the God communicates back to His people by the
Holy Spirit.
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