Summary
Highlights
The afterlife is determined by the condition of the soul, not the state of the body. Salvation is achieved through confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in His resurrection, not through rituals. A story from Luke illustrates that belief in Christ, even at death, ensures paradise.
The Bible doesn't forbid cremation. What God condemns with clarity is unbelief, rebellion, unrepentant sin, and the denial of Jesus Christ. Old testament stories indicate that cremation in itself is not sinful, but rather Pagan rituals involving fire are.
Resurrection is a work of the Spirit of God, not a preservation of human remains. The glorified body is a divinely transformed vessel. The destruction of the body (like cremation) does not stop resurrection.
Heaven or hell is chosen before death. The funeral does not determine your future; your faith does. It is appointed unto man once to die and after this the judgment. Focus on the heart before death, not the body after death.