If I Should Die Before I Wake: What's Beyond This Life?
Overview
According to the pollsters belief in Heaven is actually on the increase. Although the thought of Heaven may be popular, it is likely that more people worry about how to get to their favorite vacation destination than how to get into Heaven. It is only when events rudely awaken us that we are pressed into asking some of the serious questions about the place where most people expect to go. Sometimes the prompt is our children with a plaintive "Where is Grandma now?" Mostly, though, thoughts of heaven, and more particularly the death that precedes going there, are pushed out by the hedonistic lifestyle that most of us live.
In this contemporary classic, Scott and Sinclair discuss why no one really dies of natural causes, give true or false answers to the reasons people think they will get to heaven, explain what the Bible has to say about the future, what heaven is like, and how to be ready for death. Facing death enables us to face life—knowing more about your future makes an enormous difference to the present. It's time you looked your future square in the face and thought "What does it hold for me?"
- An in-depth look at suffering and the sovereignty of God
- An appendix dealing with annihilationism
- A glossary of Scripture dealing with the subject of temptation
- All Scripture references linked to the Bibles in your library
Top Highlights
“It is to make sure that by faith in Christ we are assured of heaven. And then, says the apostle Peter, ‘since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him’ (2 Pet. 3:14). That, not speculation, is our immediate task.” (Page 92)
“Their lives, forgiven as they are, will be evaluated by God on the basis of what they have done with the grace they have received.” (Page 26)
“Death is the final proof that self-interest and self-centeredness cannot triumph because they cannot endure.” (Page 21)
“Do not be afraid’ are Jesus’ most frequently spoken words. Be assured that he will be with you as you make” (Page 20)
“There is one final aspect to the Christian’s preparation for death. In view of these earlier considerations, we are to learn to die daily; to live in this world as those who do not belong to it; to live as citizens of heaven. If we die daily (1 Cor. 15:31), the day of our death will simply be the climax of all the other days in which we have yielded up our lives to the Lord.” (Page 102)
- Title: If I Should Die Before I Wake: What's Beyond This Life?
- Authors: Sinclair B. Ferguson and K. Scott Oliphint
- Publisher: Christian Focus
- Publication Date: 2004
- Pages: 128
K. Scott Oliphint is Associate Professor of Apologetics at Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia. He has taught at Westminster since 1991 and has recently published The Battle Belongs to the Lord with P&R Publishing.
Sinclair B. Ferguson is Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary, Texas Campus, Dallas. Previously he was Minister of St George’s Tron Church, Glasgow, Scotland. He is a prolific author and well-known conference speaker.