The sure hope of the believer in Jesus at death as expressed so clearly in Psalm 16:11
“Praise ye the Lord” (Psalm 106:1)! “O give thanks unto the Lord” (Psalm 107:1)! “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits” (Psalm 103:2)! How we need to be reminded (II Peter 1:12-13) of the on-going praise and thanks we owe the Lord God for the many undeserved (Genesis 32:10) blessings and gifts He has graciously provided for all souls, especially that priceless gift for “all [who] have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), that priceless gift being spelled out so wonderfully in these words: “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). Concerning this “Gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24), Scripture plainly declares to all: “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned” (Mark 16:16).
Those who die as unbelievers in Christ will immediately receive the judgment (Hebrews 9:27) of “hell” (Luke 16:23) because there is no other salvation from the guilt (James 2:10) and “condemnation” (Romans 5:18a) of sin except through Jesus (Acts 4:12), “the one Mediator between God and men, . . . Who gave Himself a ransom for all” (I Timothy 2:5-6). Hell is indeed the “prison” (I Peter 3:19) where all unbelievers will be “in torments” (Luke 16:23), with the holy, just “wrath of God” (John 3:36) resting on them forever and ever.
On the other hand, all who, by the grace of God (Eph. 2:8-9), die as believers in Christ, will immediately receive the merciful (Lamentations 3:22-23) judgment (Hebrews 9:27) of “paradise” (Luke 23:43) with Christ (See also Philippians 1:23.). It is the Savior Himself Who said to His believers: “I go to prepare a place for you, . . . that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2-3). So, when the believers die, they are with Christ, the heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit in heaven. And how does the Messiah Himself describe the paradise of heaven: “In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Being with Christ in heaven after death is “far better” (Philippians 1:23) for the believer because there is perfect, full, and complete joy; there will be everlasting pleasures with God at His right hand. Therefore, we must, on the basis of these revealed truths from Holy Scripture, reject “soul sleep,” the false teaching, as held by the Seventh Day Adventists, that after death souls are neither in a state of bliss nor in condemnation, but are in a state of unconsciousness until the resurrection. Instead, with many thanks to our dear and only Savior, Who has given us “the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Eph. 1:7), all believers can declare: “In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” This is most certainly true!
–R.J.L.