You teach that once we die, the saved and those that will be punished will reside in different parts of Hades. Is it possible to still sin after death? Will we still be fighting the spiritual battle? -- Megan Le Blanc (Los Angeles)
The Bible does not speak to that question directly. The beatific vision of the New Jerusalem--an image of the triumphant church which seems to point to a heavenly reality--suggests the absence of sin (no more pain, tears, etc). I assume (and hope!) that once we have departed this life we will not be able to sin--or not want to.
This is strongly suggested in the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16. ("Those who want to cross over" cannot.) In the O.T., Sheol (the equivalent of the N.T. Hades) is consistently described as a place of rest for the righteous. The "battle" appears to be over.
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