Understanding Death, Hell, Life and Building Harmony with Self
- Elaine Tan
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
CCMC’s Discipleship and Nurture (D&N) ministry hosted two engaging talks at Wesley Hall on the Methodist Girls’ School campus on February 7 and 14 2026.
Each Saturday, about 80 attendees explored the following topics with Pastor-in-Charge Rev Kenneth Huang:
Death, Hell, and Life (Eternal Life, aka Heaven)
Harmony with Self from a Christian Perspective
DHL - Death, Hell, and Life
The physical aspects of death
Rev Huang started by discussing the physical aspects of death, viewing it as the gateway to eternal life.
Citing 2 Corinthians 5:1, he explained that our earthly bodies are temporary and that we have an eternal home prepared by God.
The spiritual nature of death
Rev Huang then explained the spiritual nature of death, particularly the reality of hell, according to the Bible.
Scripture passages such as Mark 9:43, 45, and 47, and Matthew 5:21-22 and Matthew 5:27-30 warn that hell is real.
The Bible describes hell as a place of torment and abandonment, where there is no escape, as shown in Luke 16:19-31 and Revelation 20:10.
The Bible also indicates that those in hell experience conscious regret (Matthew 25:30).
Hell is depicted as a place of eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46) and as gloomy and dungeon-like (2 Peter 2:4).
It is the destination of persons whose names are not written in the Book of Life (Revelation 20:15, 21:8).
Additionally, hell represents separation from God, as stated in 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10.
What About Heaven?
Heaven is REAL (John 14:2-4, Luke 23:43, Acts 7:55 and 56)
Rev Huang then led a discussion about the nature of Heaven.
According to the Bible, heaven is described as:
Eternal life, the age to come (John 3:16b)
A place of perfection where there is no more curse (Revelation 22:3a)
A place of perfect relationship with God (Revelation 21:3)
A place without physical barriers that hinder us from coming to Him (Revelation 21:22)
A place where we will experience wholeness (Revelation 21:1 and 4)
Our Call to Action
Attendee Mei-Shaan shared that her “biggest takeaway was the importance of leaving a legacy of faith instead of a legacy of wealth.” She added, “I am reminded that it is important to remember the temporary nature of things on earth and to fix my eyes on things that have eternal value. (2 Corinthians 4:18)”
Rev Huang urged us to:
Build a legacy rooted in our faith, not just through practical steps like preparing a Will, but also by sharing our testimony with loved ones and our community.
Share the gospel with others.
Carolyn Tay shared her heartfelt conviction after the talk: “I truly believe that if we desire our loved ones to join us in Heaven and avoid eternal separation in Hell, we must act now with unwavering urgency. We need to openly share the Gospel with them, exemplify our faith, pray fervently, and proactively invite them to experience the church’s love and salvation.”
Gerald Lee discussed his thoughts: “A key insight for me was recognising the reality of death, hell, and life. The most impactful realisation was that death is not the end but a transition. Viewing death as a gateway to heaven—a perfect, permanent place prepared by God—alters my outlook entirely. Instead of fearing death, I see it as a temporary step toward something much greater. Focusing on the ultimate destination helps eliminate my fears.”
Philip Ong shared a deep, heartfelt lesson. “When a Christian loved one faces their final days with a spirit of positivity and hope for death, we rejoice with them because they are confident of heading to a far better, eternal home.”
Harmony with Self from a Christian Perspective
Held on 14 Feb 2026, this talk began by starting with the physical self -our bodies. We develop strong muscles, through diet, exercise, and rest.
As Christians, we recognize and respect our bodies as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
We honour God with our body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
We are the temple of the living God (2 Corinthians 6:16)
Rev Huang then discussed the spiritual dimension, including the soul or spirit.
Our spirit and soul encompass our identity, emotions, and will, guiding the body. The soul deepens our understanding of God and explores issues of evil and spiritual struggles.
Achieving harmony within oneself requires proper interaction among the body, soul, and spirit.
The healthy development of each aspect of the self is essential.
Achieving harmony within
Surrender sinful self, allowing God's values to guide us
Our sinful nature is illustrated in Proverbs 6:16-19 by the seven deadly sins: Anger, Greed, Envy, Gluttony, Lust, Pride, and Sloth.
These seven sins can be overcome by applying the seven godly virtues (cf:. 2 Peter 1:3-11).
Understanding to overcome Anger
Fear of God to overcome Covetousness/Greed
Wisdom to overcome Envy
Knowledge to overcome Gluttony
Piety to overcome Lustfulness
Counsel to overcome Pride
Fortitude to overcome Slothfulness
Philip Ong remarked: “Our life journey will be filled with challenges and tensions of all kinds. The reminder is for us to stay focused on being obedient to and trusting in God. This can only come from constant communion with Jesus. Indeed, we must be more deliberate in allowing ourselves to become more Christ-like.”
Cynthia shared her thoughts, “The talk 'Harmony with Self from a Christian Perspective' has given me a clear understanding that proper development and interaction of the body, soul, and spirit are essential for harmony. As I reflect, I am convinced that focusing on developing the soul is my priority. Rev Huang has provided guiding principles to help us make sound decisions, which assist me in my daily life choices.”
Our Call to Action
Some guiding principles
Referring to Eph 5:15-17, “Be very careful, then, how you live – not as unwise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.”
Rev Huang shared six questions by C.Miller to ask ourselves:
1) Am I in constant communion with Jesus?
2) Am I in continual confession to Jesus?
3) Am I living under Jesus’ thought-control?
4) Am I relating to others in a spirit of love?
5) Am I identifying with others?
6) Am I winning others to Christ?
He also shared four questions from Jerry Bridges' book, "The Pursuit of Holiness," to help guide our daily life choices:
Question 1: Does it help me – physically, spiritually, and mentally? 1 Corinthians 6:12a, “‘Everything is permissible for me’ – but not everything is beneficial” |
Question 2: Does it bring me under its power? 1 Corinthians 6:12b, “‘Everything is permissible for me’ – but I will not be mastered by anything” |
Question 3: Does it hurt others? 1 Corinthians 8:13, “Therefore, if what I eat causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat again, so that I will not cause him to fall” |
Question 4: Does it glorify God? 1 Corinthians 10:31, “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” |
To the four questions, Rev Huang shared that:
If the answers are Yes, No, No, Yes, then I will proceed with it.
If the answers are No, Yes, Yes, No, I will not proceed.
Heartfelt prayer and thoughts
Rev Huang encourages us to grow in wisdom and stature, following Jesus’ example.
“Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and men.” - Luke 2:52
In conclusion, Rev Huang shares his thoughts:
May God help us increase in confidence in our Faith in Jesus.
CCMC’s Discipleship & Nurture (D&N) ministry aims to empower and equip all disciples of Jesus through their programmes. Find out more HERE.
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