First, may we offer to you our heartfelt sympathy over your dad’s passing. Losing a loved one is of course one of the hardest experiences we face in life, one that almost all will experience. Rest assured that the God of creation is aware of all. What you are experiencing or asking about has not escaped His notice.
Jesus said in Luke 12:6-7: “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.”
How can you know if “dad is in the right place,” especially given your concerns about alcohol addiction? Trust in God; your dad is absolutely in the right place. The question is what place is right, and what are the possibilities? We understand the Bible to teach that one possibility when a person dies is they are “changed.” They would be “changed” into a spirit body and be with the Lord in heaven.
Reading in 1 Corinthians 15:51-52: “Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
We live in the time when the “last trump” has sounded, so this promise applies now. It applies however to those that had fully dedicated their life to Christ and had been “footstep followers.” 1 Peter 2:21, 2 Peter 1:10
The other possibility is to “fall asleep in death.” Many scriptures liken death to sleep, because the dead wait to be awakened from the death condition. This awakening is called “the resurrection” and it applies to all of mankind who have ever lived. This is why at so many funeral services you hear “may he rest in peace.” Even the original Latin meaning of the word “cemetery” is a "sleeping room.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13-15, 2 Peter 3:4, John 11:11-14, 21-24)
So, you see the distinction of where your dad is isn’t so much based upon alcohol addiction; rather, it is based on if a person “followed in the steps” of Jesus to the best of their ability. If they did not, then they would be asleep in death and waiting to be awakened from that sleep. We refer to as the general resurrection of mankind. Jesus spoke of this in John 5:28-29: (NAS)" an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear his voice, and shall come forth.”
Eventually, “all who are in the grave shall come forth.” Some come forth to “life” and some to "judgment.” And don’t worry… coming forth to “judgment” is a good thing, not a bad thing. God is a just judge and full of mercy. The Day of Judgment proclaims a time of being taught of the Lord, and once fully taught, choosing to follow God. It is that choice the resurrected world will be judged upon.
This time is described in Hebrews 8:11-12: “And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”
Romans 3:23: “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Jesus died according to God’s plan so that ALL will have a full opportunity after being awakened from the sleep of death to gain life eternal here in a perfected earthly kingdom, or for the true followers of Christ, in heaven. God’s plan includes a wonderful hope for ALL.
Additional Resources:
Christian Questions Podcast
Episode #1200: “Could an Addiction Block My Christian Growth?”
Learning to identify and manage compulsive and addictive behavior
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show NotesEpisode #1174: “Did God Make Heaven and Hell Humanity's Destiny? (Part I)"
Uncovering who goes to heaven and what happens to planet Earth
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show NotesEpisode #1074: Does God Judge Everyone the Same Way?
The complexity, equity and utility of God’s eternal judgments
Preview Video
CQ Rewind Show Notes
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