What do Baptists believe about the Afterlife?


What happens to a person when he dies? Some believe that nothing happens; people die, their bodies decompose, and the end is the end. But this is not what Baptists believe to be true. Baptists believe what Orthodox Christians have believed to be true for two thousand years.

Christians believe there is more to life than just living and dying. Christians believe the universe, the earth, humans, and all that is contained within it were created by God—an infinitely powerful being Who exists outside of time with no beginning and no end. It is this God Who gives life purpose and grants to His children eternal life.

Moreover, Christians believe God has revealed Himself to mankind in the Bible. The Bible is a special Book because its authors were guided by God’s Spirit to pen only truth (2 Tim. 3:16). This same Sovereign God has preserved His Word so that Christians are not ignorant concerning what happens to people after they die.

According to the Bible, followers of Christ will spend eternity in an amazingly glorious place of indescribable splendor, beauty and joy in the presence of the Light of the Universe—the Son of God—Jesus Christ (Rev. 21). Christians die; their bodies are buried but their spirits (or souls) are immediately ushered into the presence of the Lord in heaven (2 Cor. 5:8).
Some groups and religions teach a “soul-sleep;” which is a not Biblical. Instead, the Bible makes reference to God’s people as alive after death. For example, Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus to Peter, James, and John on a high mountain in Israel after they died (Mt. 17).

When Jesus Christ returns to this earth, Christians’ bodies will be raised from the dead, be made perfect, and be reunited with their spirits to live forever with Jesus (1 Thess. 4:16).

“What will we do in heaven for all eternity?”

In heaven, God will wipe away every tear, and there will be no sorrow, sadness, or mourning (Rev. 21:4). Christians will work, play, eat, learn, and worship in their resurrected, glorified bodies without the interference of evil (Eph. 2:6-7). The same God Who created universe is going to destroy this world with fire and create a new heaven and a new earth for His people (2 Pet. 3:3). This restored creation will be freed from the tragic effects of sin and the curse. Christians will still be known by their earthly identities, but anything contrary to obeying and enjoying perfect fellowship with God will have been destroyed (Rev. 21:27). In the purest sense, we will enjoy the company of our Lord and brothers and sisters in Christ forever (1 Thess. 4:18).

But those who have rejected the Son of God will be judged by God (Jn. 5:24), found to be wanting (Rev. 20:12-15), and be sentenced to spend an eternity with Satan and his demons in hell (Mt. 25:41). Now if the idea of people spending eternity in hell sounds overwhelmingly frightening to you, it should (2 Cor. 5:11)! It is intended to be an overwhelming and frightening thing designed by God as punishment for rejecting the offer of love, forgiveness, mercy, and eternal life that He extends to the world through His Son (Jn. 3:16).

Unbelievers [in Christ], murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns “with fire and brimstone: which is the second death” (Rev. 21:8).

The Bible doesn’t make any reference anything other than heaven and hell—purgatory or a place in-between is not a Biblical concept.

Christians, like unbelievers in Christ, will die, but Christians don’t experience the second death (Rev. 21:8).

The apostle John wrote that if anyone says that he doesn’t sin [or transgress God’s laws] he is lying and the truth is not in him, but anyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God (1 Jn. 1:8, 5:1). The Bible teaches that “born of God” describes a divine second birth whereby God adopts a person into His family as a son or daughter of God (Jn. 1:12,13). Only those who repent [turn] from their sin of lying, cheating, stealing, rebelling, idolatry, immorality, and/or anything that has previously kept them from believing in the person and work of Jesus as the Christ are born of God (Luk. 13:3, Acts 17:30).

Christians believe that Jesus Christ is God’s only Son who has always existed as the second person of the Trinity (Mt. 14:33, Jn. 1:14).

They believe over two thousand years ago Christ left the glories of heaven as the Messiah [the Christ] to the Jews (Phil. 2:6-8). He was supernaturally born of a Virgin as the God-Man (Mt. 1:23), lived a perfect life (Heb. 4:15), and then, according to God’s plan, was whipped, punished, and put to death on a bloody cross as an innocent man for the sins of the whole world (1 Jn. 2:2, Heb. 9:22).

God made Jesus sin for us, [in spite of the fact that] He knew no sin, so that believers could be made righteous in Christ Jesus. (2 Cor. 5:21)

Christ defeated death and the works of the devil when He rose from the grave and demonstrated to the world that God has the power to give the same life to all who believe (Heb. 2:14,15)—first to His Son—and then to all who declare themselves to be followers of Jesus (Mt. 10:32, 1 Cor. 15). Followers of Christ have Jesus as their advocate with the Father so that their sins are forgiven as a member of God’s family (1 Jn. 2).

The Son of God eliminated the sting of death for all who will turn to the One True God and place their faith and trust in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross (1 Cor. 15, 1 Jn. 2). Don’t pay for your own sins. God’s Son bought you with a price (1 Pet. 1:18,19); therefore, begin glorifying God today in both your body and spirit (1 Cor. 6:19,20).

Recognize that you (like every human being) are a liar, a sinner, and you have been an unbeliever—change that today (Acts 3:19).

Turn to God, and declare yourself a sinner, guilty of violating His commandments, who now believes in the Truth and wants to be a child of God and a follower of His Son—Jesus Christ
(Jn. 9:35-38).

—Pastor Sean E. Harris

Profession doesn't always = Possession

When it comes to salvation profession does not guarantee possession.

Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Does the fact that someone professes to be a Christian guarantee that they are a Christian? Because someone says yes I have prayed to receive Jesus Christ does that statement of profession guarantee a possession of salvation?

The church is much divided on this issue.

Are people being given a false hope of salvation?

Should we be more careful in the theological articulation of God’s plan of salvation?

Certainly the only answers to this overarching question must come from the Bible—what do you think? Justify a comment from the Bible.

Non-biblically based comments will be deleted.

Charles Darwin's Birthday

My friends, if you have wondered if you are really living in a post-modern, anti-god world just open Google today and click on their little picture above the search box. What you will see is the celebration or commemoration of Charles Darwin’s 200th birthday—February 12, 1809

One of the largest Internet associated corporations is promoting the acknowledgment of someone’s birthday, Charles Darwin a man who denied the biblical account of creation and suggested an untenable alternative—man came from monkeys.

Pause for just a moment and consider the number of people in hell because of the influence of this man who convinced them that there wasn’t a God. Darwin’s unbelief and alternative philosophy is not compatible with the Word of God—to suggest otherwise is to deny the faith.

Christians are called upon to contend for the faith, and this begins with the presupposition that there is a God who has revealed Himself to mankind in special way through a trustworthy book—the Bible. Anything other than that is a lie from the pit of hell designed to confuse and destroy.

Christians are often intimidated by intellectuals who present themselves as having all the answers. Be aware. These intellectuals do not have all the answers; they live in darkness, seeking to know the truth. The god of this world has blinded them from the truth, and their only hope is the mercy of God that can shine a light into the depths of a dark heart and reveal the truth.

One canNOT serve two masters, and a Christian cannot have a partial biblical worldview—evolution is completely incompatible with the Word of God—do not be deceived into believing that parts of the Bible can be true.

God created Adam as an adult male instantaneously, or the entire Bible is untrustworthy and Christianity is one large hoax—there isn’t an alternative or a lukewarm middle ground. Do not be deceived into thinking that one can play both sides of a court. You can no more be a Duke fan and a Carolina fan than you can subscribe to Darwinism and the Word of God.

Serve God, believe the Bible, trust in Christ and you will never regret those decisions.

Mandatory Reading: When Sinners Say "I Do"


If I could make every member and attender of Berean Baptist Church read one more book other than the Bible I would have them read the book:

When Sinner says “I do” Discovering the Power of the Gospel in the Marriage by Dale Harvey.

Dr. Harvey’s grasp and understanding of how the power of the gospel applies to marriage is remarkably on target.

This should be required reading for every premarital scenario—first marriage, second marriage, etc. If a couple refuses to dig into this book and exam what it has to say to them the preacher shouldn’t marry them.

In so much as Dale says it much than I could ever say it why don’t you go to:

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D956992DFBA1F049

And listen to him explain why he wrote the book.

We stock this book for a low price in our bookstore.

FIREPROOF--the motion picture


I know Pam and I were the last ones in the church to watch the movie FIREPROOF but the DVD finally came out. In the event that there is anyone out there that hasn’t already watched let me add my two cents in endorsing this as a great movie for everyone.

I couldn’t get over the degree to which the GOSPEL was presented; I saw the realism in marriage and the truth that other relationships can really interfere with God’s plan for marriage. The 40 days challenge was awesome.

The importance of guarding one’s heart from the opposite sex’s influence was portrayed well. The church in GA has done another great job in providing Christian’s a good movie to enjoy.

The struggle men can have with sin on the Internet was tastefully portrayed and Kirk's solution to the problem was great.

The power of the gospel to save souls and heal marriages was portrayed in a way that wasn’t hokey, but real!

I enjoyed every moment and was inspired to have the best marriage in the world.

What did you think?