When Charles Spurgeon said, “Christians who die are sleeping in Jesus,” was he referring to the body since our spirit goes to be with the Lord?
The best way to understand what C.H. Spurgeon meant by this saying is to allow him to explain his thoughts on this subject. In THE CHARLES SPURGEON SERMON COLLECTION, we read the words of Mr. Spurgeon. There he says:
“Scripture continually uses the term, “sleep,” to express death. Our Savior did. He said, “Our friend Lazarus sleeps.” And so well, with such an evident and appropriate truthfulness, did He describe death as being a sleep, that His disciples mistook the sense of His words and said, “Lord, if he sleeps, he shall do well.” But Jesus spoke not of the transient sleep of the weary, but of the deep slumber of death. And very frequently, even in the Old Testament, you find it said that certain persons “slept with their fathers, and were buried in a sepulcher.” Nor did they count that sleep a hopeless end of life, but as David said, “I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Your likeness”–they expected to awake from that slumber into which they believed death did cast their bodies. In the New Testament the same emblem is continually used. And it is very pleasant to remember that in the old catacombs of Rome, where the bodies of many saints were buried, it is continually found inscribed on their graves, “She sleeps.” “He sleeps in Jesus.” “He shall wake up one day” and similar epitaphs which mark the firm belief of Christians that sleep was a very fine and beautiful picture of death! Allow me to guard against an evil supposition that may spring up here. When death is called a sleep, it is not because the soul sleeps–that, we are told by Holy Scripture, rises at once to Heaven. The soul of the saint is found at once before the Throne of God. It is the body which is said to sleep. The soul sleeps not! Absent from the body, it is present with the Lord. It stretches its wings and flies away up to yonder realm of joy! And there, reveling in delight, bathing itself in bliss, it finds a rest from the turmoil of earth infinitely better than any rest in sleep. IT IS THE BODY, THEN, THAT SLEEPS, AND THE BODY ONLY.”
This makes it clear, does it not, that Mr. Spurgeon’s words reflect the truth that at death, it is the body that sleeps while the soul and spirit go immediately to be with the Lord? I totally concur with Spurgeon’s thoughts for the scriptures show this to be true. 2 Corinthians 5:8 (as referred to above) is very emphatic about this truth. That says, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.” We also have a wonderful example of this truth found in Luke 16:20-22 which says, “And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried…” Abraham’s bosom is a metaphor for Heaven. Here, we see that as soon as Lazarus died, he was carried into Heaven by angels.
You have rightfully interpreted Spurgeon’s meaning in his words. What a precious truth for all believers to believe and share with fellow believers. (CC) (562.4)