Christians believe that those who trust in Jesus are welcomed into God’s presence when they die, a place of peace, love, and rest. Others understand death as a kind of sleep until God raises us again. At the center of the Christian message is the belief that God is loving and that He holds our lives even beyond death.
Some Christians also believe that those who refuse God experience separation from Him, the absence of His love, mercy, and presence, or that they remain in a holding place until the final judgment.
For believers, I personally lean on the promise that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
“I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far.” Philippians 1:23 NIV. Paul is speaking very honestly in this verse. When he says he is “torn between the two,” he means he feels pulled in two different directions, both of which matter to him. One is continuing to live so he can keep helping and encouraging the people he loves. The other is departing this life so he can be with Christ, which he says is better by far.
When it comes to someone we have lost, we cannot know their heart with absolute certainty. Only God can. But we can look at what we saw in their life, their words, and their faith, and draw reasonable and hopeful conclusions, while remembering that we are not the final judge.