Communion in Glory with Christ After Death: WLC Question 86

In our previous devotional on the Westminster Larger Catechism, we considered the painful reality of death and why even Christians must still pass through it in this fallen world. Question 86 takes us one step further. It teaches us what becomes of those who belong to Christ when they die. It asks, “What is the communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible Church enjoy immediately after death?”

The catechism answers: “The communion in glory with Christ, which the members of the invisible Church enjoy immediately after death, is, in that their souls are then made perfect in holiness, and received into the highest heavens, where they behold the face of God in light and glory; waiting for the full redemption of their bodies, which even in death continue united to Christ, and rest in their graves, as in their beds, till at the last day they be again united with their souls. Whereas the souls of the wicked are at their death cast into hell, where they remain in torments and utter darkness; and their bodies kept in their graves, as in their prisons, until the resurrection and judgment of the great day.”

These words are both comforting and weighty. For the believer, death is not the end, but the beginning of communion in glory with Christ after death.

Communion in Glory with Christ After Death Begins Immediately

One of the sweetest truths in this answer is that believers enter communion in glory with Christ immediately after death. Scripture does not teach that the Christian passes into unconsciousness until the resurrection. Rather, when the believer dies, he is brought at once into the presence of Christ.

Paul says that while we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord, yet to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:6, 8). In Philippians 1:23, he says that to depart and be with Christ is “far better.” For the Christian, death is not a dark gap between this life and the next. It is a departure into the presence of the Savior.

That does not make death easy. It is still an enemy. It still brings tears, parting, and grief. But for those who are in Christ, it has lost its sting. The believer does not pass into uncertainty. He goes to Christ. That is why the Christian can face death with real hope.

Communion in Glory with Christ After Death Perfects the Soul

The catechism also says that the souls of believers are “made perfect in holiness.” In this life, every Christian is fully justified, yet sanctification remains incomplete. We still struggle with temptation, weakness, wandering affections, and remaining sin.

But that struggle will not last forever. Hebrews 12:23 speaks of “the spirits of the righteous made perfect.” The believer who groans now under sin will one day groan no more. The heart that now feels divided will then be whole. The soul that now longs to love Christ more purely will then be made perfect in holiness.

This is one of the great comforts of heaven. We will not only be delivered from suffering. We will be delivered from sin. All that hinders our fellowship with God will be removed forever. The work of grace that Christ began in His people will then be brought to full completion.

Communion in Glory with Christ After Death Brings Believers into Heaven

Question 86 teaches that believers are “received into the highest heavens.” Heaven is the place where the risen Christ now reigns in glory. After His ascension, He was exalted far above all heavens (Eph. 4:10), and heaven receives Him until the time of the restoration of all things (Acts 3:21). So when believers die, they are brought to where Christ is.

This is what makes heaven, heaven. It is not merely the absence of sorrow, pain, and death. It is the presence of Christ. Paul longed to depart because to depart meant to be with Him. Communion in glory with Christ after death means nearness to the One our souls love.

Even now, by faith, we know God truly. But then we shall know Him more fully. “Now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face” (1 Cor. 13:12). “We shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2). The believer’s hope is not merely life after death. It is the joy of seeing God in Christ.

Communion in Glory with Christ After Death Awaits the Resurrection

As glorious as this is, it is not yet the final state. Communion in glory with Christ after death is blessed, but it is also anticipatory. The souls of believers are in heaven, yet they still wait for the resurrection of the body. Romans 8:23 says that we groan as we wait for “the redemption of our bodies.”

The Christian hope is never merely spiritual. God made us body and soul, and in Christ, He redeems the whole person. That is why the catechism teaches that believers wait for their bodies to be fully redeemed and reunited with their souls on the last day. Job expressed this hope when he said that in his flesh he would see God (Job 19:26–27).

So the believer’s future is not a shadowy, disembodied existence. It is resurrection life in the presence of God. What is begun at death will be brought to fullness at the return of Christ.

Communion in Glory with Christ After Death Includes Rest for the Body

The catechism speaks with great tenderness about the body of the believer. Even in death, the body remains united to Christ and rests in the grave “as in their beds.” That is deeply comforting language.

Isaiah 57:2 says of the righteous, “they rest in their beds.” First Thessalonians 4:14 teaches that those who have fallen asleep in Jesus will be brought with Him. Christ does not forget the bodies of His people. He does not cast them aside. Their bodies rest under His care until the day He raises them in glory.

Because believers belong to Christ wholly, even the grave is changed. It is still painful for those left behind, but it is no prison for the saint. It is a resting place. The dust of the believer is precious to Christ, and not one part of His people will be lost.

Communion in Glory with Christ After Death Contrasts with the Fate of the Wicked

The catechism ends with a sober contrast. The souls of the wicked are cast into hell, where they remain in torment and darkness, and their bodies are kept for the resurrection of judgment.

Jesus describes this plainly in Luke 16:23–24, where the rich man is in torment after death. Acts 1:25 speaks of Judas going “to his own place.” Jude 1:6–7 describes judgment, darkness, and punishment. Scripture does not blur the line between the righteous and the wicked. There are two destinies after death, not one.

This part of the doctrine should humble us. Apart from grace, we too would perish. It should also stir urgency in us. Outside of Christ, there is no communion in glory after death, only judgment. The comfort of this catechism belongs only to those who are united to Jesus by faith.

Communion in Glory with Christ After Death Is the Believer’s Comfort

This doctrine gives deep comfort to the Christian. It tells us that those who die in Christ are with Him now. It tells us that holiness will one day be complete. It tells us that the grave is not the end. It tells us that Christ keeps both the souls and the bodies of His people.

Most of all, it fixes our hope on Christ Himself. The best thing about communion in glory with Christ after death is Christ. He is the joy of heaven, the rest of His people, and the treasure of all who believe. To depart and be with Him is far better.

So the Christian does not face death with vague optimism, but with settled hope. In Christ, death is followed by communion in glory, and that communion will one day give way to resurrection fullness. Until then, we wait in faith, trusting the One who has conquered the grave and who will surely bring all His people home.

Soli Deo Gloria