Do my believing parent who have passed away know that I am now a believer too?
Romans 4:4 - 5
ESV - 4 Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. 5 And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.
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Asked September 16 2018
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Anonymous
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Aurel Gheorghe
Supporter
My Bible based opinion is that the dead knows nothing (Ecclesiastes 9:5). The departed have no knowledge of what is going on under the sun (Ecclesiastes 9:6; Psalm 115:17). Job tells that the dead sleeps in the grave without any knowledge of what is going on earth (Job 14:12, 21; Psalm 146:4).
Daniel Veler
Supporter
Your question: “Do my believing parents who have passed away know that I am now a believer too?” is like a double-edged sword. You asked if your parents would know that you have become a believer. Suppose, for the sake of discussion, you died lost, rejecting Jesus. If your parents could come to know that you believe, they would also know if you didn’t. If the Lord would allow this to happen, then the rest of what he spoke of that we enter into when we die would not be rest but pain, sorrow, and hurt. What parent wouldn’t mourn their child knowing that he died and went to Hell?
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
Dear Anonymous, The Bible does not say that your believing parent now knows you have become a believer. Your parent is not aware of what is happening on earth right now, in my opinion. But that is not the end of the story. Romans 4:4-5 is not really about whether the dead know the living. It is about how anyone, your parent and you, is made right with God: “to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.” So Romans 4 assures you that your faith is counted as righteousness, just as your parent’s faith was. It does not say they are watching you. Some Christians (including me) hold that believers are consciously with Christ after death (Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23), so we might say your parent could be aware in some way. But even then, Scripture does not explicitly say the dead in Christ know daily events on earth. The certain thing is this: if your parent died in Christ and you are in Christ, you will see them again, and then they will know, and then they will rejoice. You probably will be able to find this, my position, on other ebible.com answers. So the comfort is not that they know now, but that God knows your faith is counted as righteousness, and the resurrection reunion is sure,“who justifies the ungodly.” I am still amazed at the One “who justifies the ungodly”!
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