The afterlife according to Christianity
What happens when we die?
Exploring Christianity
Christians are a family of believers in Christ. Some Christian groups vary in the way they worship, but all believe the Bible is the source of all truth. To understand more about different Christian denominations, visit our Christian tree page. The Bible tells us when you die, your soul separates from your body. Your physical body returns to the earth, and your soul goes either to Hades, a place of torment, or to meet Jesus for your life review before entering Heaven. In addition, the Catholic Church teaches we may enter purgatory before being allowed into Heaven. Other Christian denominations point out that purgatory is not mentioned in the Bible and Jesus died for all our sins, not just some of them, as you cannot be partially forgiven by God’s grace. It is all or nothing. This doctrine of purgatory is very misunderstood. The Catholic Church actually teaches we cannot earn entry to Heaven, as no one is worthy, but we can choose to accept God’s grace for the forgiveness of our sins. This grace from God does cover all our sins, but in order to enter Heaven we may require additional purification to remove the residue of sin. Purification is a process of repair after we have received forgiveness. The name 'purgatory' comes from the Latin 'purgatorium', which means purifying a soul before entering Heaven. Many Near Death Experiences talk about seeing a place called the Sea – a place of purification. The Bible does reference the sea many times, including in the Book of Revelation at the final judgement: “The sea will give up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done.” Believers in Christ receive forgiveness for all their sins through Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross, yet we should still keep those who have passed away in our prayers. The Catholic Church teaches the love and prayers offered to God for another person who has died will never disappear. To understand a timeline of events according to the Bible, both before and after a person has died, visit our Heaven and Hell page.
What happens when we die?
Christians believe in three persons in one God: the Father Almighty, Jesus, the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. Jesus was born as a man, the Messiah (Christ), to save humanity from sin and death. Crucified in 33 AD and rose from the dead three days later, and ascended into heaven after appearing to many witnesses. The Holy Spirit comes from God and lives inside those baptised to guide, comfort and strengthen them while humanity awaits the second coming of Jesus at the end of the age. Written under the direction or dictation of God, the Bible is ‘The Word of God’ and contains teachings on how Christians should live their lives as well as a historical timeline of events that have occurred and are still to happen in the future. Salvation is possible for those who accept Jesus and what he did for us via his death and resurrection, repent of their sins and cultivate a relationship with God through reading the Bible, prayer and receiving communion regularly. Satan was once a high-ranking angel called Lucifer who led a third of the angels in rebellion against God in an attempt to gain power for himself. In a battle of angels led by Archangel Michael, Lucifer was defeated and expelled from Heaven with his fallen angels. According to the Bible, a race of giants known as the Nephilim was created when fallen angels mated with mortal women. Even though the true origin of demons is unknown, in Christianity it is largely accepted that the Nephilim and fallen angels are what the Bible calls demons, even if some of our ancestors, such as the ancient Egyptians, believed them to be gods. Although the Bible describes the great flood of Noah as the demise of the Nephilim race, it also describes demons as malevolent spirits without a body. Despite the fact that hell was never meant for humanity, the Bible says that it is our permanent fate, along with Satan and his demons, unless we accept what Jesus did for us, turn from our sins, forgive others, and seek God every day.
Explore the different denominations of Christianity
FAQs
What happens when we die?
Christian hope looks beyond death to eternal life with God. Visit our Heaven and Hell page and learn more.
How do I become a Christian?
Turn to Jesus in faith and ask Him to lead your life. Visit our 'Become a Christian' page for the simple next steps.
What if I already pray, am I saved?
Keep trusting Jesus, reading the Bible and growing with other Christians. If you keep growing your faith daily, you are saved.