When You DieSample

MYTH #3- You will lose your identity

Some people believe that we will turn into nameless faceless spirits that just get absorbed into God – but that is eastern religion. This comes from a worldview that says that what’s wrong with the world is everything physical, that our physical bodies are where evil lies, where our passions reside, and true enlightenment will come when we finally throw off these physical shackles and merge our consciousness with the great spirit in the sky. That is not Christianity.

One of the by-products of the resurrection—the core doctrine of the Christian faith—is that in addition to being saved by Jesus’ victory over death, we will have our bodies resurrected after death like Jesus did. And we will retain our identities and be forever restored. 1 Corinthians 15:53 says, “this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.” And on the day that we receive our resurrected bodies, we’ll be most fully ourselves, in body and in spirit.

Ask Yourself:

-What makes you unique? Think about someone you love- what makes them unique?

-How does it change your view of heaven to imagine that you and every Christ follower will be most fully and perfectly themselves?

Pause to Pray:

God, thank you that even in my own self there are glimpses of eternity, glimpses of your glory…

Take a Next Step:

Encourage someone by sharing the unique attributes that you admire about them. Take it a step further and share the exciting news that those good things God has made in them will be perfected one day in heaven! (And if they don’t yet have a relationship with Jesus, invite them to have a conversation with you about that!)