© 18 Colin Melbourne
Memories After Dying?
Q: Do lost loved ones remember their lives on Earth?
A: Yes, those who die in their sins are fully conscious with perfect recall of every memory and detail of their life on Earth. We know because Jesus’ teaching reminds us constantly, for example in Luke 16:19-31 KJV;
There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.
But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.
And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.
Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.
Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.
And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.
And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.
Hot Bread From Heaven
This isn’t a parable.
The Word of God made Flesh tells us there was a certain rich man, and a certain beggar named Lazarus.
Jesus doesn’t use such determinate expressions when relating a parable, so we know this is a true factual account from the lips of Christ.
Notice; The rich man is conscious, his faculties and senses fully functioning, and he’s tormented in the heat and flames of Hell. Furthermore, the rich man remembers his five brethren still on Earth, whom he cares about enough to ask that they be warned.
In several other places the LORD warns mankind that we are personally accountable to Him for every idle word we utter. (Mtt. 12:36, Ro. 14:12, Heb. 13:17, 1 Pe. 4:5)
In order to give account for every word you ever spoke, you’ll need to have perfect recall.
You do not have that today, but The Judge will ensure you will remember every idle word when you face Him.
Watch Your Mouth!
Granny and Grandpa have forgotten most of their sins and words, but The LORD will bring them to account when they face eternal Judgment.
There’s nothing hidden that will not be exposed. Luke 8:17 KJV;
For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.
My Sin Judgment is Done
There’s only one way to get ready for Judgment: Repent and believe on Christ, and His Blood will blot out every guilty stain, and wipe every idle word off your record.
I’m glad Jesus has paid for my sins and idle words with His Life: Almighty-God-made-Flesh died for me, and cleared my debt once and for all. I believe that: I know that as clear as I know my name. It is a fact branded on my heart by His indwelling Spirit. And you can have the same assurance today.
When I face God for my Judgment, it will be to give account of all the good words, and good things He’s enabled me to say and do.
I’ve already confessed and repented of all the bad stuff, so it’s been judged on The Cross. 1 Jn. 1:5-10 KJV;
This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
Whenever I miss the mark, I repent, confess to Father, and it’s gone, under The Blood, forever, never to return in this life or the next. That is how believers are to ensure their record remains clean. Jesus’ Blood keeps my account spotless.
In Abraham’s Bosom
Q: What is “Abraham’s Bosom” in Luke 16?
A: Abraham’s Bosom refers to the place believers under the Old Covenant went to when they died physically; Job, Abraham, Rachel, Moses, Miriam, Joshua, Caleb, Isaiah, David, Hannah, etc.
If you think about it, you’ll realize they could not go direct to Heaven under the Mosaic Law, because their sins had not yet actually been atoned for. Only symbolic atonement was available to those faithful to the Old Covenant, which consisted of “types” of what was to come. They were then counted righteous on account, waiting for the coming of the Messiah: The Lamb of God.
Through faith in His finished Sacrifice you will enjoy the most intimate fellowship with Almighty God. In the Holiest Place of all, seated with His Son, clean, blameless, washed by God’s Blood shed for us by The Living Word. Heb. 10:19-22, Eph. Chs. 1-2. See: The Blood Covenant.
Only after Jesus, God in the Flesh, had shed His Blood, and fulfilled the typology of the Old Covenant could they legally enter Heaven: No longer merely counted righteous, but like us under the New Covenant, Made righteous by His Blood. Hit the ceiling Saints!
So a location for their departed spirits was required in the interim, and that is what Abraham’s Bosom refers to.
Once Christ had made full eternal atonement for the sins of mankind, and placed his Blood on the Mercy Seat, these Old Testament saints were taken from Abraham’s Bosom to Heaven itself, and there was no longer any need for Abraham’s Bosom.
It was a stop-gap measure for the interim.
Related: See The Soul-sleep Myth
The KJV Holy Bible Transforms sinners into saints: It opens the eyes of sinners to their guilt before God, and points them to the only way they can be forgiven, set free, saved, and at peace forever.
© 18 Colin Melbourne
The Inerrant Holy Bible: Get it, read it, do it! (C) CUP