6/6/14- Immorality of the Soul

The chosen departed are in peace, and rest from their labors; not that they sleep and are lost in oblivion as some fanatics hold, for they are delivered from all fear and torment, and all the temptations to which we and all God's chosen are subject in this life, and because of which we are called the Kirk militant. On the other hand, the reprobate and unfaithful departed have anguish, torment, and pain which cannot be expressed. Neither the one nor the other is in such sleep that they feel no joy or torment, as is testified by Christ's parable in St. Luke XVI, his words to the thief, and the words of the souls crying under the altar, "O Lord, thou that art righteous and just, how long shalt thou not revenge our blood upon those that dwell in the earth?" (Scots)

22“The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. 23In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’

25“But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ (Luke 16:22-26)

Thoughts: Knox is speaking clearly against the idea of soul-sleep (that at death we sleep until the end times).  He speaks of the above passage from Luke 16, the passage where Jesus says to the thief on the cross "Today you will be with me in paradise"; and the passage in Revelation where the martyrs are aslive and crying out.  The soul, is immortal- to be punished or rewarded.
      On the seventieth anniversary of D-Day, it is important to know that the death of human beings is not the end.  It is therefore important to see that higher causes can be held even in the face of death. 

Prayer: Help me, O Lord, to see my end and my hope at the same time.