While I was reading 1 Corinthians 15 in a translation other than King James some time ago, it became clearly apparent to me that the seed (the human body) that is put in the ground at death is not the body that comes out of the ground at the time of resurrection.

From my understanding of tradition, I knew—or thought I knew—that God had given strict direction to Israel about the burial of the dead.

It was an even greater surprise when I learned of the number of ministers who would acknowledge they knew it did not matter to God, but confessed they could not bring themselves to consider cremation as an alternative to burial.

Today when the subject comes up I assure my fellow ministers that I certainly understand their feelings. Then I mention something that was a great help to me in considering this sometimes very controversial subject.

That is, if God had an explicit plan about the disposal of a dead body and it did not include cremation as one of them, I don't believe He would have told Abraham to offer his only son as a burnt sacrifice to Him on Mt. Moriah.

The testing of Abraham's faith as a foreshadowing of Christ's sacrifice (Heb. 11:17) was of course paramount in Isaac's offering…but this is something to think about.

This article is not written to persuade anyone about the "rightness" of any form or treatment of our loved ones who die. The saddened family must make this choice. It is my fervent hope, however, that this message will serve to present the choices that exist to families at the time of a loved one's death.

The Choice: Cremation or Burial
Again, it is not my intent to make either burial or cremation a "right" or "wrong" choice. This is not in question.

What is in question is the fact that we face this choice many times without really understanding the issue. Therefore, people simply need to deal with the issue.

Why? Because the facts concerning our physical and spiritual perception of the disposition of the body from a biblical standpoint will help us make a non-prejudicial choice based upon the facts.

A very practical issue that we will discuss is the fact that traditional burial and funeral costs are typically four times higher than cremation. Christians who have lost loved ones spend millions of dollars every year for expensive caskets and vaults. And much of the time, it is more than they can afford.

I won't spend much time on it, but the average cost of a funeral in the United States is about $6,500 (1). Typical cremation costs run at around $1,200 (2).

So, inasmuch as God so clearly stated that the body will be dissolved in returning to the ground, does it really matter whether it returns as dust, or ashes? Traditions, whether they are biblically sound or not, will usually win out in the family discussion.

Many won't break with tradition because "this is the way we've always done it in our family." And you're certainly free to do that! The time surrounding the death of a loved one is a time of anguish and sorrow—even to the point of hiring professional mourners in some historic cultures.

And history has shown that if this has continued for years as a custom, then it will no doubt continue, even though the lifeless body that the Bible calls "a house" or a "tent" is no longer occupied by its living spirit. But with the right information, finances can sometimes determine the funeral decision.

Burial or Cremation?
A look around the church today will show the majority of Christians believe cremation to be a heathen custom. Because of Eastern Hinduism's erroneous beliefs and well-known custom of cremating their dead, most Christians shudder at the mention or thought of cremating a loved one.

The biblical fact that all flesh came from the ground to return there (no matter what the method) usually won't influence the decision of one bound by tradition. And again, one is perfectly free to follow any tradition they desire because it doesn't really matter to God one way or the other.

Why? Because He deals only with our spirit.

It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
(John 6:63)

When burial is chosen, however, there is always the difficult decision to be made concerning the very costly question of the casket, funeral, and cemetery costs. If the family is open to cremation, the only decision left besides the much less costly disposal expenses is what to do with their dear departed's ashes.

Because "to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," the living human body must die first before one can be with the Lord in a new eternal, spiritual body!

So never forget that how this body, in which we will never be earthbound again, is "dissolved" or done away with is a family decision. It is a decision usually based on a matter of cultural tradition.

And for the Christian, any such tradition should take into account what the apostle Paul said about the body after death, and man's eternal spirit life.

It is important to remember that honoring the dead doesn't have as much to do with how we bury the remains of a loved one as much as it does with their spiritual condition, and how we remember them when we had them with us during their lifetime.

So be encouraged in the knowledge that your funeral plans are inconsequential to God's eternal plans. If the costs of traditional burial, or even a personal preference that favors cremation has had relatives and friends questioning your decision, ask them to read what I have written.

If you yourself were wondering if cremation was even a viable alternative, I trust you now know that to God, it is.

(1) National Funeral Director Association 2004 costs survey. (On-line service)
(2) Cremation Society of North America World-wide Cremation Service. (On-line service.)

Source: Creation to Cremation by Dr. Roy Hicks
Excerpt permission granted by Harrison House Publishers