If Christians pass from “death into life,” does this mean our souls go on living even though our bodies die?

Not at all. You see, the Christian receives everlasting life as a gift when he or she accepts Jesus. “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand” (John 10:28). You pass from certain death to certain eternal life when you accept Christ.

We can more clearly understand what it means to avoid the condemnation of the “judgment” in this text by remembering that the Bible speaks of a “first” death and a “second” death. The first death can happen to anyone before the coming of Jesus. The second death is eternal, one from which there is no resurrection or possibility of life.

When we accept Christ we can still experience the first death, but we are given the assurance that we will not suffer the second death. John wrote, “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power” (Revelation 20:6). It is the lake of fire that destroys all sin and is spoken of as the “second death” (v. 14).

Note what the Bible says of the apostle Paul: “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:7, 8). Paul had the assurance of eternity even though he suffered the “first” death as a martyr.

We know that “it is appointed for men to die once” (Hebrews 9:27), yet we can be assured on this earth that for the Christian, death is only a temporary interruption. This is why the Bible calls it a sleep (Matthew 9:24; John 11:11–14; Ephesians 5:14).

Key Bible Texts

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24 KJV)