Everyone wants to look beyond the veil of death to view that which is on the other side.  In Lk. 16:19-31, we have at least a glimpse of that which we desire to see.  That particular text gives us a picture of life after death and the condition of both the righteous and the wicked in that state.  Here is what it says:

¹⁹ There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: ²⁰ And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, ²¹ And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² 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; ²³ And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.  ²⁴ And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.  ²⁵ But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.  ²⁶ And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence.  ²⁷  Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: ²⁸ For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. ²⁹ Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. ³⁰ And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.  ³¹ And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. 

We see plainly from this text that the righteous begins experiencing a state of rest and comfort immediately, while the wicked begins experiencing a state of torment.  Other passages reveal to us that this is not a picture of heaven and hell, the final destination of the righteous and the wicked; but of the Hadean realm where we shall await final judgment.  But we learn more from this passage than where we go after death.  Consider some other lessons with me.

• Universal salvation is clearly unsupported by scripture (vers. 22, 23). The state of these men is greatly different.  One is at peace, and the other is in torment. Their spiritual state was not determined by whether they were rich or poor, but by the lives they lived while on earth.  Such is the case with all who ever live (Rom. 14:10-12).  We all have a choice as to how we live our lives, and if we live unrighteously, the message of this text is that the price is high (ver. 24; Matt. 25:30; 2 Thess. 1:8, 9).
• There will be no second chance (ver. 26). The Bible is filled with warnings that after death there will be no more opportunity to be saved.  The Hebrew writer said, “. . . it is appointed unto men once to die but after this the judgment” (Heb. 9:27).  Paul warned the Corinthians of the fact that now is the time of salvation (2 Cor. 6:2).  God is offering His grace to mankind now, but that will not always be the case.  Once we die, our opportunity to gain favor with God is gone.  Purgatory is out! No one will be saved by the prayers of another.  One cannot confess or be baptized for someone else.  After death, our fate is sealed and is unchangeable.
• Riches are not a sign that we are right with God (vers. 19, 23). Many think that success on earth implies that God is pleased with one’s life.  It does not!  Just because one prospers on earth does not mean that he will be blessed with eternal life in heaven.  In fact, Jesus said physical riches make it harder to make it to heaven (Matt. 19:24).  God must be first in our lives, and riches can sometimes take the place of Him.  God blesses all with physical blessings, but what we do with those blessings will determine whether or not we succeed spiritually.
• God’s grace is limited (ver. 24).  God wants all to be saved (2 Pet. 3:9).   This is why He extends His grace to everyone and has set forth a plan of salvation accessible to all (Heb. 2:9; Tit. 2:11).  But those who actually experience the benefits of God’s love and grace are those who obey His plan (Heb. 5:8, 9; Matt. 7:21-23; Rom. 1:16).

There are other lessons in this text for us to contemplate.  For example, we must be concerned about others, faithfulness is rewarded by God, and what we do with our riches is important.  Let’s think about these lessons, and remember that what we do while we are alive will have a definite impact on our souls!