Conclusion
Conclusion
They did not follow the fables of the Egyptians. Egyptians believed the spirits of the deceased lived on; they believed these spirits departed mummified bodies, and freely travelled throughout the universe.
Bible writers did not follow pagan ideas. Pagans worshiped the spirits of the dead thought to be living in trees. Neither did the Bible writers worship their deceased ancestors.
They did not follow the philosophies of the Greeks. The Greeks proposed that the real man was immortal. At death man was released from the bondage of the body to be free to live on a spiritual plane and achieve his highest level of existence. The Greeks scoffed at the idea of the resurrection of the body as proclaimed in Scripture.
Acts 17:18, 32 'Paul preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection... And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, we will hear thee again on this matter.'
Bible writers served the Living God
The authors of Scripture took God at his Word.
They understood that God made man from the dust -- God gave him life; and at death that life would return to God - and man would return to dust.
Genesis 3:19 'for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.'
They understood that when man is alive, he is alive; and when he is dead, he is dead.
A body in a grave is a sure indication that a person is dead; and a resurrected body indicates life after death.
These proofs are given in Scripture
A proof given that David did not ascend to heaven -- is his body lying undisturbed in the tomb.
Acts 2:29, 34 'let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day... For David is not ascended into the heavens.'
In contrast, the resurrected Christ is clearly proven to be alive because of the empty tomb.
Mark 16:6 'he is risen; he is not here, behold the place where they laid him.'
A Very Personal Invitation
Only God has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16).
The Redeemed will receive immortality at the glorious coming of our Lord (1 Corinthians 15:52-53).
This event is 'the still future highlight of history.' It's absolutely worth looking forward to.
My advice is that you 'secure tickets' and be a participant on that day.
Paul makes an outstanding promise in Romans 8:38, 39. It is this. "There is nothing -- not a solitary thing anywhere -- that can separate us from the love of God, as revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."
I accept this promise.
Author: Graham Dull
Conclusion
