The New Testament of the Bible mentions the concept that believers who pass away are "asleep". In the end, all those who have passed away (asleep) will rise and will find themselves at judgement day where everyone will be judged. Some will go onto everlasting life, others will go onto everlasting "contempt". There is some debate among Christians what happens to someone who ends up with God's final contempt.
Maintenanceguy
Can you give some pasages on this please. And thanks.
Sure. But first, when we are all judged, no one is going to be good enough - that is spiritually clean enough - to be found worthy. We have all sinned and are therefore are not worthy. Only by being forgiven by God are we clean enough. How do we do that? By believing that Jesus was the son of God - part of the God-Head, and that he paid the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross having never sinned. And by "repenting of sin", which is a translation of a Hebrew word meaning to turn around and a Greek word meaning to change your mind. Repenting is turning away from sin and changing your mind about sin. There is no requirement that you now become perfect and live a perfect life - only that we make a true and honest effort not to sin any more. We are human and we will mess up once in a while. God forgives mistakes. To recap: Believe Jesus and strive to now live apart from sin. Then you can spend eternity in heaven with God. The sinful life is the easy, broad road and the sinless life is the more difficult narrow way. The edges of that narrow way are where sin begins. We all occasionally step off the path but if we recognize our error and return to the narrow path and try not to wander, we keep God's forgiveness.
Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV)
"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.
But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
1 Thessalonians 4:13–14 (ESV)
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope.
For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep."
1 Corinthians 15:20 (ESV)
"But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
John 11:11–14 (ESV)
"Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him."
The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”
Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep.
Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died.”
Hebrews 9:27 (ESV)
"And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment."
2 Corinthians 5:10 (ESV)
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."
Revelation 20:12–13 (ESV)
"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened.
Then another book was opened, which is the book of life.
And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done."
Matthew 25:31–32 (ESV) — Jesus describing the final judgment
"When the Son of Man comes in his glory... all the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats."
