Jul 30, 20224 min read

Christian Discipleship Lesson Five

This lesson will include the questions, answers, and commentary for forty-one through forty-seven of this Discipleship. This fifth lesson answers questions about our mortal death, and resurrection, the final home of believers and non-believers, and the Ten Commandments, as per the Holy Bible.

Christian Discipleship Lesson Five

QUESTION 41: WHAT BENEFITS DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE FROM CHRIST AT DEATH?

Answer: At death, the souls of believers are made perfect in holiness, and immediately pass into glory. Their bodies rest in their graves till the resurrection. Scripture: Hebrews 12:23; Philippians 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Luke 23:43; 1 Thessalonians 4:14; Isaiah 57:2; Job 19:26.

When a true born-again believer dies, he or she is instantly in the presence of the Lord. There is no temporary existence in purgatory or anywhere else. You go from life on earth directly to eternal life in heaven when you die. Your body remains on earth, whether buried, cremated, eaten by animals, or any other disposal method. This rest is not soul sleep, as some have suggested. During the rapture, your body will be resurrected and made new, perfect, and eternal without regard to its state of decomposition or destruction.

QUESTION 42: WHAT BENEFITS DO BELIEVERS RECEIVE FROM CHRIST AT THE RESURRECTION?

Answer: At the resurrection, believers resurrect in glory; they shall be openly acknowledged and acquitted on the Day of Judgment, and made perfectly blessed in the full enjoyment of God throughout eternity. Scripture: Philippians 3:20, 21; 1 Corinthians 15:42, 43; Matthew 10:32; 1 John 3:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

The resurrection will put you in heaven with God as His child, with all the privileges afforded as a child of God. At the Day of Judgment, you will also be formally acquitted of all your sins.

QUESTION 43: WHAT SHALL HAPPEN TO THE WICKED AT DEATH?

Answer: At their death, the souls of the wicked shall be cast into the torments of hell. Their bodies lie in their graves till the resurrection and judgment of the great day. Scripture: Luke 16:22-4; Daniel 12:2; John 5:29; Revelation 20:11- 15.

At the death of a non-believer or rejecter of Christ, he or she will be cast into a dark place that eternally burns them. Yet as they burn, their bodies are not consumed. They will be forever separated from food, drink, companionship, and pleasure. They will be forever separated from their loved ones and God. Their bodies, without regard to their state of decomposition or destruction, will remain on earth until the final judgment day.

QUESTION 44: WHAT SHALL HAPPEN TO THE WICKED AT THE DAY OF JUDGMENT?

Answer: At the Day of Judgment, the bodies of the wicked, being raised out of their graves shall be sentenced, together with their souls, to unspeakable torments with the devil and his angels forever in the Lake of Fire. Scripture: Daniel 12:2; John 5:28, 29; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:14-15.

Without regard to its decomposition or destruction, the bodies of those that were never born again will be resurrected for final judgment and then cast into the Lake of Fire forever. Remember, God doesn’t want anyone to receive eternal punishment, but by rejecting Christ, they chose the Lake of Fire.

QUESTION 45: WHAT IS THE DUTY WHICH GOD REQUIRES OF MAN?

Answer: The duty God requires of man is the obedience that comes from faith. Scripture: Galatians 5:6; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; 2 Thessalonians 2:11; Romans 1:5; 16:26; 15:18.

God requires obedience. I know that obedience is considered disgusting to many people today. They want to be in charge of their own lives and, in essence, be their own god. Unfortunately, they forget that God is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, self-existent creator, master, and sustainer of everything that ever was or will be. They feel they can manage their life better than God. Don’t be like them. Know and understand that God is vastly superior to us in every way. His wisdom is perfect. So, we should submit ourselves to our Lord in obedience to His Holy Word – the Bible.

QUESTION 46: WHAT DID GOD AT FIRST REVEAL TO MAN FOR THE RULE OF HIS OBEDIENCE?

Answer: The rule God first revealed to man for obedience was the moral law. Scripture: Rom. 2:14; 15; 5:13-14.

While Christians don’t follow the civil or ceremonial laws of the Old Testament, we are to be obedient to the moral laws in every portion of Biblical scripture. These were the first and everlasting laws of God.

QUESTION 47: WHERE IS THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH GIVEN IN SUMMARY FORM?

Answer: A summary form of the obedience of faith is provided in the Ten Commandments. Scripture: Exodus 20:1-17; Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 10:4; Romans 9:32.

The Ten Commandments are not all-inclusive. There are other moral laws found throughout scripture. Some of these moral laws were made more stringent by the teachings of Christ. The Ten Commandments provide a brief synopsis of God’s moral laws. This brevity makes them easy to memorize and recall, which reinforces compliance.