Is Grandma in Heaven?

Hanging by a Thread said:

At funerals they say “She’s in a better place now”. But what I find in the Bible is that Jesus is coming back to judge the living and the Dead. And as far as I know, we’re all still waiting, so judgment day has yet to occur. So where’s Grandma?

(Please no responses regarding Grandma’s judgment. That’s not the intent of the question. For the sake of this post, let’s assume Grandma has met the requirements to get into heaven)

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Sunshinee777 said:

Yes, I have to admit that I always thought before that people go heaven right after they die (although now I know is not like that) what I believe is that when we die, we are in a state of sleeping as long as Jesus will return. But I don't know what happens to those who are cremated. Do their soul remain in those ashes?

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Llewelyn Stevenson said:

Just to make sure I am connecting to the original question, I can assure you on the basis of Scripture that your grandma is in heaven in the presence of God though not in body for that will only be after the resurrection.

Firstly, as you have been told the Scripture says, "Absent from the body, present with the Lord."

We can understand what this means when we go to the parable of the rich man and Lazarus. Both died and both still existed, apparently in a recognisable form. One was in a place of comfort known as Abraham's bosom and the other in hell where he felt torment and discomfort. To understand how one enters Abraham's bosom you must remember that the just live by faith. Abraham is the father of faith. Those who were in this place are called prisoners of hope by the Scripture.

Between Christ's death and resurrection this place [sometimes called paradise] was taken to heaven as it says that he led captivity captive. The believing dead who waited for the manifestation of God's salvation were seen alive as proof of this. Now they are in heaven but their state is unchanged: they are without the resurrected body that we all will receive at the coming of our Lord Jesus when the dead in Christ will rise first [that is: receive their heavenly body] and we who still live will be transformed [putting off corruption and putting on incorruption] and together we will be with the Lord.

At this time those who belong to Christ and have died are with him but without the body for they have put off corruption by death and are absent from their body but present with the Lord waiting for the resurrection.

Know this: everyone is made up of three parts and the central part is the soul. We are all souls.

Man is a soul, has a body, and has a spirit. There is Scriptural evidence for this.

1. Jesus considered it utterly fatal for one to lose their soul. "What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his soul."

2. Scripture tell us that the spirit in man is the candle of the Lord and, when we die, the spirit goes back to God who gave it. Proverbs 20:27 & Ecclesiastes 12:7.

3. It is the soul that is given redemption and it is souls that John saw in heaven as exampled in Revelation 6:9. See also 1 Peter 4:19.

So your grandma is now absent from the body and her soul [her being] is present with the Lord awaiting that beautiful day when we all get to heaven in our new incorruptible bodies even as Job said, "I shall see him in my flesh."Job 19:25 & 26.

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Jaxxi said:

Was this about Lazarus, before Jesus brought him back to life because he wasn't in Abraham's bosom long right? If he was in Abraham's bosom, Jesus said he was just " sleeping". It is so hard to know sometimes because the Word of God is a Double edged sword. It says one thing, but then contradicts itself of makes an exception and I do not understand this. Is one answer for the physical world and the contradiction for the spirit world?

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Llewelyn Stevenson said:

Since the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is in Luke's gospel and the event of raising Lazarus is in John's gospel most do not link them together, however they do provide you with the answer you are looking for.

Why did Jesus say Lazarus was only sleeping when, in truth, he had physically died?

To understand this you need to read the whole event of Lazarus' death and resurrection [that is: from the physical point of view]. Jesus was establishing that he is true life and all who believe in him have this life now. (Please understand what is is to truly believe. It is not enough to say you believe. A believer does as the believer is. Merely saying just doesn't cut it.)

Let us follow the account in John

Joh 11:11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

Of course, the disciples are confused so Jesus plainly tells them

Joh 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.
Joh 11:15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

Jesus was going to give them a greater revelation of who he was. They had seen the dead raised before but still didn't see that Jesus was life and that everlasting.

You need to see this in Jesus'conversation with Martha.

Joh 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
Joh 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Did you see that in bold? Read it to yourself a few times. I have highlighted it for your enlightenment.

When we were in our trespasses and sin we were dead, though appearing alive. But now we believe we are alive: truly alive with the eternal life only Jesus can give.

Jesus knew Lazarus was alive because he knew Lazarus believed, only, Jesus was not yet raised from the death in victory and seated at the right hand of God so, yes, it is likely that Lazarus was in Abraham's bosom but, unlike the rich man who had death [eternal] Lazarus was alive because Lazarus was a prisoner of hope. When Jesus rose again he led captivity captive and Abraham and all those in him [children by faith] went to heaven to be with the Lord, though not yet in their resurrected bodies.

When a person dies we use the term of burial "we lay them to rest." Jesus is using this to explain that Lazarus is still alive though not in body, however, to prove that he is the resurrection and life he will bring Lazarus out of the grave in his body for all to see.

All we who believe will never die though we must leave this corruption so that we may take on the incorruptible. Paul picks up on this revelation Jesus gives and also uses the term "sleep" for those who have died in Christ though he knew full well that absent from the body meant present with the Lord: alive and not dead.

Sin rules this world and sin kills even, when it is possible and if it were possible, the innocent. A babe in arms or a young child may be considered innocent. That is why I say, when it is possible. For the rest I say "if it were possible" for the Bible says all have sinned and there is none righteous, no, not one.

But I say this also so that you may understand that those who die in faith do not die because of their sin, which is forgiven, but because we live in corruption and must one day put it off. Therefore we die physically as the innocent, but our souls cannot perish, and so they go to be with the Lord until the resurrection of all who believe.

So you have answered yourself in the sense that "sleep" refers to the physical [outward appearance] and the other to what we would term "spiritual", which is actual.

Do you understand that if and when you believe you can never die [that is: with what is termed the 2nd death and is eternal death and the one Adam was warned of]. You have everlasting life, which is what the gospel plainly declares.

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

You are not saved, only when you get to heaven as I have heard a few say, but you are saved now. You have received life now and have passed from death to life.

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