WHEN DOES A MAN REST IN PEACE AFTER DEATH

TOPIC: WHEN DOES A MAN REST IN PEACE AFTER DEATH? 


Introduction: 

The slogan "Rest in Peace"  shortened for "RIP" is commonly seen on burial posters, brochures, bill boards and heard when people pray for the dead or at funerals. Unfortunately most of the people may already be "wasting in pieces"  while we think they are resting in peace. This teaching will help us/you understand the worthlessness of such slogan and understand how someone is rest in peace after death.

To rest in  peace means to be comforted, to be in Abraham's bosom at death otherwise called paradise- Lk. 16:22. It is a transition from the challenges of this troublesome world into peace in the abode of the departed one.

Jesus Christ painted the picture of what it really means to rest in peace. He illustrated this with the event of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16. Both men died and ended their journey in different parts of the same environment. Both were seeing each other, could communicate but could not change positions. Lazarus was "resting in peace"  in paradise while the rich man was suffering in hell.

The first step towards resting in peace at death is to be a Christian. It's impossible to be a Christian without believing in Jesus Christ. One must pass through the five steps of becoming a Christian to be in enlisted into Christ's Kingdom; Chris's church. These steps as captured in Mark 16:15-16 and Acts 2: 36-38 include: 
1) Hear the gospel of Christ: The Bible in the book of Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God".

2) Believing the gospel: The gospel is about the  death, burial and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). 
Paul wrote in Romans 1:16-17  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
Paul bring to our understanding that the gospel have power to save man according to the above passage. 

3) Repenting of one's sins: Romans 10:10-11  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

4) Confessing Jesus Christ as the Son of God: Jesus Christ said,  "Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven".
Matthew 10:32-33.

 5)And being baptized for remission of sins: Jesus Christ gave a direct command to his disciples after his resurrection as we read in Mark 16:15-16,  "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature".
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

These put one into Christ but are not the end. It is the beginning of the journey to peace at death. One must remain faithful to the end in order to rest in peace at death. Christ charged us in John 14:15: "If ye love me, keep my commandments"
In Matthew 13:42, at His coming Christ will send His angels into His kingdom to gather evil doers and the lawless and throw them into eternal fire.

In Revelations 14:13 ..."Blessed are the dead which die in the lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them"

Conclusions: God determines via the scriptures what qualifies one to rest in peace at death. It is never by those who officiate at one's burial. May God help us to live a truly christian life  so that at death we shall be counted among those who  died in the Lord with the attendant blessings.
Kindly visit any Church of Christ closer to you.

By Effanga Ekpenyong Bassey. 
(I worship with Church of Christ, Iju congregation, Lagos State, Nigeria.)

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