Let’s make something clear from the start: the Bible does not command burial, nor does it condemn cremation. Scripture plainly identifies every sin that humanity must avoid, but in no passage do we find a commandment that obligates burial or prohibits cremation.

When the apostle John described the burial of Jesus, he wrote: “Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury” (John 19:40). Notice that he called it a Jewish custom, not a commandment of the Lord.

From creation itself, God’s Word reminds us of our fragility: “Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7). After the fall, the Lord declared: “For dust you are, and to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). The psalmist adds: “For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust” (Psalm 103:14). And the wise teacher in Ecclesiastes confirms it: “All go to one place: all are from the dust, and all return to dust” (Ecclesiastes 3:20).

In the end, regardless of the process—whether burial, cremation, or painful circumstances such as fire, shipwreck, or being lost in the wilderness—the result is the same: we all return to dust.

Perhaps this is why God grants us freedom in this matter. Throughout history and across cultures, the methods have varied. In countries like Japan, for example, cremation has been tradition for centuries. In other cases, cost, family decisions, or the wishes of the deceased play a role.

This does not mean that every area of faith is optional. There are non-negotiable truths: the existence of God, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and salvation in Him. But on issues like burial or cremation, the Bible allows each believer to seek God’s guidance and act according to personal conviction.

The apostle Paul addressed similar differences in Romans 14, when some Christians argued about foods or holy days. His counsel was: “Let each be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). He also exhorted: “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way. […] Do you have faith? Have it to yourself before God” (Romans 14:13, 22).

In the same way, when it comes to burial or cremation, God’s Word grants us freedom. What truly matters is not how our body returns to dust, but the eternal hope we have in Christ Jesus, who one day will raise us up in glory.