| GROWING OLDER? WHAT'S AHEAD? What is ahead for the Christian who is growing older? Old age? Physical weakness? Death? The answer could be all three, or perhaps yes and no. Death is something that comes to everyone, but for Christians it is a doorway into a more wonderful life in heaven with Christ. Then there is the sure and certain hope of the Resurrection of our bodies when Christ returns. Paul says in verse 1 "we know" what is ahead of us. Many books have been written on death and dying or on the hereafter in recent years. Some of it is doubtful evidence, based on so called "out-of-the-body-experiences". But in this chapter there is no speculation, no uncertainty. It is one of the greatest teaching chapters in the New Testament on the "Intermediate State" between death and the Resurrection. What does it happen when a believer slips away from his or her earthly body? The soul of the believer goes immediately into the presence of Christ. The body, left behind, goes back to the earth. Yet, somehow, when Christ returns, God will give that soul a new body. The soul and the new body will be united in the moment of Christ's coming. There are still many questions unanswered. Are the souls of believers now in heaven, visible without a body? They must certainly be seen and known in some way. Whatever the situation is, Paul is holding before us the wonder and joy of being with Christ. God has given us the absolute assurance that is where we will be. He has given us now as a pledge, the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives (v.5). We accept now these truths by faith, and are confident (vv.6-8) that God's promises will be fulfilled. Some day these things will be our actual experience and it will be even more wonderful than we could ever have imagined. FACE TO FACE WITH CHRIST MY SAVIOUR, FACE TO FACE WHAT WILL IT BE? | 
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