Category: Articles

The word “soul” can have different meanings in Scripture. One way it is used is to describe the part of us that exists in conjuction with our physical body. It is the part of us that will continue on for eternity.

If physical death comes before Christ’s return, our soul will go to Hades. This realm is described in Luke 16:19-31.

In Hades, there are some in “torments” (Luke 16:23,28). The “rich man” in Luke 16 was here. He was in so much pain that he asked for Lazarus to “dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool [his] tongue” (verse 24).

There are others, like Lazarus, who are in a place described as “Abraham’s bosom” (verse 22). This place is called “paradise” by Jesus in Luke 23:43. Paradise is a place where souls are “comforted” (Luke 16:25). What determines whether one’s soul is in paradise or torment is whether one obeys God while on earth (see verses 27-31).

Like our physical bodies, Hades is a temporary home for the soul. On the Day of Judgment, “all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28b-29).

This resurrection is the point at which our souls will be sent to an eternal home. All who have ever lived will stand before the Lord to be judged according to our deeds (2 Cor. 5:10). At this point, Christ will send the unrighteous “away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal” (Matt. 25:46).

Notice that Jesus stated that the unrighteous will face “everlasting punishment.” The Greek word for this place of eternal torment is “geenna” (Strong G1067). Eleven of the twelve times this word is used, it is used by Jesus. He described hell as a place of “everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41). It is a place of “outer darkness” where “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 8:12), and “the fire that never shall be quenched” (Mark 9:43).

We may wonder why our Lord spoke so much of hell. Perhaps the reason is that He loves us and wants us to be warned.

Instead of taking the path that leads to hell, Christ desires us to do the will of the Father, and thus be with Him in heaven for eternity (cf. Matt. 7:21).

Heaven is a real place where God resides (cf. Matt. 6:9; 7:21b). It is where Jesus ascended back to (Luke 24:51).

Heaven is a place where souls will be in the eternal presence of God. The “new Jerusalem” of Revelation 21 is a place where there is “no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof” (Rev. 21:23). It is a “holy city” (verse 2) where “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” (verse 4).

While nothing good is said about hell, nothing bad is said about heaven. Heaven is a place where the redeemed of all ages will be together forever.

Reflecting on these different possible “homes” of the soul causes one to understand that there is much more to our existence than our time on earth. Our life on earth is “even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away” (Jas. 4:14). We must therefore use the time we have on earth to prepare for what comes next.

Christ’s return could come at any moment (2 Pet. 3:10). We must be ready at all times (Matt. 24:42).

During our brief time on earth, may we live in such a way that we will be comforted, with the righteous of all ages, when our souls depart.

Philippians 4:4: Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, “Rejoice!”

To have the joy commanded by the Holy Spirit in this verse, we must be grateful. Throughout his letter to the Philippians, Paul expressed gratefulness and joy for the church at Philippi (Phil. 1:3), the preaching of the Gospel (Phil. 1:18), the chance to serve (Phil. 2:17-18), and the benevolence of brethren (Phil. 4:10). The inspired apostle “counted his blessings,” causing him to have gratitude that far outweighed his grief over difficult circumstances. He encouraged the Philippians, and would encourage us, to likewise “count our blessings,” considering gifts such as:

God’s Word: God has given us “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3) and made “known to us the mystery of His will” (Eph. 1:9a). God’s Word proves it is from Him and gives evidence that Jesus is the Messiah (2 Pet. 1:16-21). It is full of truthful, honest, just, pure, lovely, virtuous, and praiseworthy things (Phil. 4:8). It is our access to the “wisdom that is from above” (Jas. 3:17), and the guide to eternal life (John 6:68).

Jesus: God’s Word reveals His plan to redeem mankind from sin through Jesus (Rom. 5:7-8). No matter how many times we consider Jesus, He is no less remarkable. Are we grateful to God for the love, grace, and mercy He demonstrated by giving us His Son?

Forgiveness: The gift of Jesus allows forgiveness of sins for those who trust and obey Him. The Jews Peter preached to in Acts 2 had crucified the Messiah, yet were told it was possible for their sins to be forgiven (Acts 2:38). Saul was a persecutor of Christians, yet was told that if he submitted to God’s terms, his sins could be washed away (Acts 22:16). These individuals did not deserve God’s forgiveness, and neither do we. Are we grateful to Him for offering forgiveness anyway?

Prayer: Forgiveness for erring Christians comes through repentance and prayer (Acts 8:22). Prayer also gives us the chance to ask for divine help in our lives. It is amazing that God cares for us and wants us to ask for His help in meeting our needs (1 Pet. 5:7).

Peace, Assurance, and Hope: Faithful prayer leads to “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Phil. 4:7). If we are obedient to God, we can have assurance of eternal life (1 John 5:13). This assurance produces hope, which is the anchor of the Christian’s soul (Heb. 6:19). How wonderful is it to have the peace, assurance, and hope available in Christ.

Worship: Those full of assurance and hope are led to worship God constantly. Worship is an expression of gratitude, but it is also something to be grateful for itself. David said, “I was glad when they said unto me, ‘Let us go into the house of the Lord.’” (Ps. 122:1). Are we as thankful as David for the chance to worship God?

Opportunities for Good: Great joy should come to the Christian when we have chances to please God by doing good. Opportunities for good works are numerous. “The harvest indeed is plentiful, but the laborers are few” (Matt. 9:37) is a saying that applies not only to evangelizing the lost, but also to many other good works. Are we thankful for opportunities to do good?

Christ’s Church: Christ’s laborers are a part of His body (1 Cor. 12:27), which is made up of all who have chosen to put on Christ and are thereby chosen by God to be His adopted children (Eph. 1:4-5). Are we grateful to be a part of this body that was built by Christ and perfectly designed by its builder (Matt. 16:18)?

These are just a few of the blessings offered by God to those who trust and obey Him. May we choose to accept these blessings and be grateful for them. May we all “rejoice in the Lord always” and “Give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good” (Ps. 106:1).

– Michael Hickox

2 Corinthians 4:16-18: Therefore we don’t faint, but though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory; while we don’t look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal.

These three verses show Paul’s mindset toward the sufferings he endured as a Christian. No matter how difficult his life on earth was, the glory he brought to God and the eternal reward God promised made everything worth it.

Paul’s attitude sets a good example for us to follow when facing any hardships. God desires His children to be so focused on Him that when things are tough, we will faithfully obey Him with patience and joy.

This type of attitude brings to remembrance the hymn It Is Well With My Soul. The words to the hymn were written by Horatio Spafford shortly after the death of his four daughters. The message of the song is that no matter how hard our temporal circumstances are, everything is OK as long as we are right with God. Notice the second verse of the song: Tho’ Satan should buffet, tho’ trials should come, Let this blest assurance control, That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate, And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Consider both a good and bad example of this attitude from the book of Job. In Job 1, Satan killed Job’s children, servants, and animals (verses 12-19). Job said “blessed be the name of the Lord” after this (verse 21), and he “did not sin, nor charge God with wrongdoing” (verse 22).

In the second chapter, Satan “struck Job with painful sores from the sole of his foot to his head.” (verse 7). Job’s wife responded to this, “Do you still maintain your integrity? Renounce God, and die” (verse 9). Job answered, “You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (verse 10).

Job, unlike his wife, demonstrated the proper reaction to hardships.

Consider also the “exodus” generation of Israelites. God fulfilled His promise to lead them out of Egyptian bondage (Exod. 12:41; Gen. 15:13-14). Though they saw the “great work” God did in defeating the Egyptians (Exod. 14:31), the Israelites lacked gratitude toward, and faith in, God. They murmured against Him constantly, suggesting it would have been better for them to stay in Egypt (Exod. 16:2-3; 17:2-3; Num. 14:1-3). On one occasion, they even murmured because the food God provided was not as tasty as they preferred (Num. 11:4-6).

The difference between the Israelites and people like the apostle Paul is not circumstances, but faith. Joy, hope, and peace in the midst of trials are by-products of focusing one’s life on serving God instead of serving self.

This attitude enabled Paul to write (while in prison), “Not that I speak in respect to lack, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content in it” (Phil. 4:11). As far as Paul knew, the next day could bring sorer trials than he had ever faced. Yet, Paul was content knowing that He had been redeemed from sin through Christ (Eph. 1:7). Paul’s life on earth was filled with trials, but he rejoiced with the knowledge that heaven will be a place of eternal comfort.

If we are right with God, we can be at peace. Whatever earthly “state” we are in, we can say, “It is well with my soul,” and proclaim, “My sin, O the bliss of this glorious tho’t! My sin not in part but the whole, Is nailed to His cross and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!”

– Michael Hickox

In Acts 18, we are introduced to Apollos, who was a Jew, “born at Alexandria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures” (verse 24). He had been “instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord,” (verse 25). He knew “only the baptism of John” (verse 25), but was taught the need for baptism in the name of Christ by Aquila and Priscilla (verse 26).

The phrase “fervent in the spirit” used to describe Apollos is an important phrase. In Romans 12:11, the Holy Spirit says this phrase should be true of each of us. Speaking of what we should be and not be, He says: “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;”

The Greek word translated “fervent” in Acts 18:25 and Romans 12:11 is the root of the word often translated “zeal.” This word literally means “to boil with heat, be hot” (Thayer; see Strong G2204). It is used metaphorically at times to refer to one who is so passionate about something that it could be said he or she is “on fire.” Apollos had this much passion for the Lord.

The lukewarm church at Laodicea exemplified the more common approach to the will of God. The Lord commanded them, “be zealous therefore, and repent” (Rev. 3:19). Serving God is not something to be apathetic toward. The Laodiceans needed to get “fired up” for the Lord.

While God wants us to be zealous, He tells us that zeal must be properly directed.

In Galatians 1:14, Paul spoke of “being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of [his] fathers” prior to his conversion. In Philippians 3:6, he said “concerning zeal, persecuting the church.” Like those Jews he spoke of in Romans 10:2, Paul had “a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge” prior to his conversion.

These passages show that it is possible to be zealous for something, yet be wrong. What is more, it is possible to be zealous for God, yet be entirely wrong. Like Paul came to realize, our zeal must be based on God’s truth. The wide variation of beliefs among those who claim to be Christians indicates that many today have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. There are not many truths, but one truth (John 17:17).

God wants us to be fervent for the truth that is revealed in His Word (cf. Rom. 1:16). He wants us to be zealous for good works (Tit. 2:14), based on what His Word tells us is a good work (cf. 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

Apollos’ fervency caused him to “mightily [convince] the Jews” that Jesus is Christ (Acts 18:28). He loved God’s truth and was eager to share it with others, while putting it into practice in his life.

To please God, we must, like Apollos, be fervent for the Lord as He commands.

– Michael Hickox

The second verse of the hymn O Why Not Tonight? states “Tomorrow’s sun may never rise To bless thy long deluded sight; This is the time, O then be wise: Be saved, O tonight.”

Knowing that “tomorrow’s sun may never rise” should lead us to prioritize life properly. Recognize what is eternally significant, and prepare without delay, knowing that the earth may not be here tomorrow (2 Pet. 3:10).

If corrections need to be made for us to be right with God, why put them off? What could be worth looking back on our lives and wishing we had done differently as we stand unprepared before Christ’s judgment seat (2 Cor. 5:10)?

Matthew 16:26 asks “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Our souls are too valuable to lose for the sake of earthly pursuits.

It can be unpleasant to imagine one’s life on earth ending. Yet, every one of us will face this at some point. We have the choice to be ready.

Considering that “tomorrow’s sun may never rise,” may we obey God’s will at whatever cost, in order to prepare our souls for what lies beyond our brief time here on earth.

– Michael Hickox