ON THE POPULAR "REST IN PEACE" (RIP) PRAYER: CAUTION FROM PROF B.A. SARMA

ON THE POPULAR "REST IN PEACE" (RIP) PRAYER: CAUTION FROM PROF B.A. SARMA

Prof B.A. Sarma in an Alumni platform observed that anytime there are announcements about the passing of alumni members, many people respond with "Rest in Peace." He responds accordingly in the paragraph below, thus:

"'May his gentle soul rest with the Lord Almighty' has become a popular prayer for the dead. But this is Catholic and Muslim tradition who pray for the dead. Surprisingly, it has now gained ground even among ECWA elites and theologians! From an evangelical perspective, no prayer or wish could alter the fate of anyone who died. From our evangelical heritage, we praise the Lord because our loved one is now resting with the Lord until we meet to part no more!"

Not long after he asserted the views above, members continued to use the prayer. So, Prof Sarma corroborates further that

"We are back to this again. Grammatically, 'may his soul rest with the Lord' is a wish or prayer. Theologically, evangelical Christians DO NOT pray for the souls of the departed. Those who died in the Lord are already resting with the Lord. No amount of prayer or wish can alter the destiny of the departed. It is "appointed for man to die once, and after that to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). I hope we will desist from copying Muslims and Catholics who pray for the dead. Thanks and blessings."🙏

Please, share if you find these thoughts helpful. Thank you.

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