To be absent in the body is to be present with the Lord
The Bible teaches that even though the human body dies, that is, it goes to a state of inexistence, we do not die absolutely; there’s a part within us that does not cease to live. This part within us, within our body, is our real-self. At death, for any Christian, this part leaves the body and goes to be with the Lord.
This implies that death is not to be viewed as “absolute” cessation of life, the human consciousness which, of course, is our real-self and is invisible, goes somewhere. Again, for the Christian, it goes to be with the Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present
In the above, Paul meant that to be bodily absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
I’m quite aware that several have lost their loved ones to death. Just this month alone, we never can tell the number of people who’ve been dashed into irredeemable sorrows owing to the sudden departure of their loved ones.
I knew what it feels to be to lose a loved one when my Dad passed away in November, 2023. Nevertheless, prior to that, I had lost a parent. That one too was grievous, not really to me, because I had no mental maturity then.
But, in the case of that 2023, I felt the pain was great and the tears were too grievous to be held in the burial. I found it a delight to always write on subjects like this from time to time because people are dying day to day and people in my shoe must find comfort by all means.
God comforted us from the 2023 loss that we may comfort those who’re in similar tragedy by the comfort wherewith we were divinely comforted.
2 Corinthians 1:4 (KJV) Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.
Where are your deceased loved ones right now? What the Bible says
If you’ve ever lost a deceased loved one; a parent or parents, a grandparent or grandparents, any siblings, pibbling, or nibbling, you never can do without asking such a question. You want to be assured and reassured that you will see them again because as long as you’re on Earth, you will always miss them. You’re spiritually and biologically connected to them. In most cases, they wouldn’t have wanted to leave you; but nature forced them to leave.
You will always find various answers to that question, I tell you. But these answers are often subjective and may not at all reflect what the reality is. Regarding the afterlife, there are many opinions and they are often extremely subjective. They do not perfectly describe the afterlife. Some of these opinions even posit that death is the end of life; that one remains lifeless until when the trumpet shall sound.
But as Christians, we can trust the Bible because it is Infallible, Inerrant, Accurate, and Error-less. It was written by men who were shown the things beyond this world and would not bother dying for the proclamation of the gospel.
Regarding your deceased loved ones, where they may be right now, there is no truth other than saying that they have gone to be with the Lord. Apostle Paul told us that he was “always confident” of this fact.
2 Corinthians 5:6 (KJV) Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord.
This confidence could only come from at least a piece of evidence. And the evidence is not observable by sight but by faith. There’s what faith can see; there’s also what sight can see. Thus he said,
2 Corinthians 5:7 (KJV) (For we walk by faith, not by sight.)
None of the apostles viewed death as cessation of life or extinction. In fact, one of the Psalmists said that he would even praise God beyond the grave.
Psalm 115:17-18 (KJV) The dead praise not the LORD, neither any that go down into silence.But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD
For the Psalmist to bless the LORD for evermore, a part of him has to still be alive somewhere else to do that.
Furthermore, Jesus’ word to the thief at his right hand at Calvary highlighted the fact that there’s a part of us that continues to live on even at death.
Luke 23:42-43 (KJV) And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
Why then the Resurrection?
At death, what only dies is the human body. The whole of the story in Luke 16:19-31 established this very fact.
At resurrection, it is not the soul that will be resurrected; it is the body that has been made to lie in the soil of the Earth. Why the resurrection?
Because death is an enemy and has robbed man of his body which gives him the capacity to live in the material body, God has assured that not even a part of us shall be lost to death. Jesus said that even the very hairs of our head have all been counted.
Matthew 10:30 (KJV) But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Jesus also tells us that the human body is even important to God.
Matthew 6:25 (KJV) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the BODY THAN RAIMENT?
No part of us is going to be lost to death. That’s why the resurrection shall happen.
