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Fallacies, Facts, and Comments

About Life After Death

Years ago Reader’s Digest had an article about people who have experienced “clinical death,” revived and told what happened while they were “dead”.  They tell of beautiful music, bright lights etc.  Many times at a funeral the preacher will say the deceased is in a better place called heaven.  What do think the life after death will be like? 

Here are some fallacies, facts and comments about the life after death.

Fallacy #1: “Clinical death reports now prove what the life after death will be like.”

Fact:  Those clinical death reports do not really prove anything.  One reason is that while unconscious a person could have a dream, nightmare etc.  When revived, if they learned their heart had stopped, they might think their dreams were real.  More could be said about this but our main point is that clinical death reports are not a safe guide to determine what life after death will be like.

Fallacy #2: “There are not any “infallible proofs” of what life after death will be like.”

Fact: Consider this; there is on record of someone who came back from the dead.  Twelve times by many witnesses he was seen alive after his burial. These appearances continued over a period of forty days and at one time were witnessed by more than five hundred persons.  Some of these witnesses talked with him and even saw and felt the nail prints in his hands and feet where he was fastened to the cross.  The Apostle Luke has correctly termed these “infallible proofs,” (Acts 1:3).   Of course I’m speaking of Jesus Christ of the Bible.  Now don’t get “turned off” just because I mentioned His name.  After all He is an authority on this subject.  In John 5:28-29, He says “... for the hour is coming in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice and shall come forth they that have done good unto­ the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation.”  So the infallible teaching of Christ tells us that life after death will be either “life” (eternal life in heaven) or “damnation” (eternal sepa­ration from God in hell).  Please read on.

 

Fallacy # 3: “For most people life after death will be in heaven.”

 

Fact: According to the Bible - Matthew 7:13-14 only a “few” will go to heaven.  Most are on the broad way that leads to de­struction.  In fact many religious folks who think they are going to heaven will be surprised on Judgment Day. (Analyze Matt. 7:2l-23-Jesus speaking). So far this may sound negative or like bad news but good news is coming, so please read on.

 

Fallacy # 4: “We cannot be certain in this life where we will be in the next life.”

 

Comment: We often hear people say they hope or think they will go to heaven.  There need not be any uncertainty of where we will spend eternity in the next life.  There are only two choices: heaven or hell; and they are choices, not chances.  God has given each of us the freedom or power of choice.  If we choose the strait and narrow way leading to heaven, no man, government, spirit, - ­nothing can keep us from going there.   If we choose to stay on the broad way that leads to hell, God Himself will not override our choice.  His offer is to: “whosoever will,” (Rev. 22:l7).  After death our choice is forever settled.

 

Fact: There is a great gulf fixed that we cannot cross over, (Luke 16:26).

 

Comment: Now I know it is easy to try to avoid this issue, but by doing nothing, we are still choosing, choosing hell!  For every one of us inherited a sinful nature and when we reached a certain age we found we had disobeyed God’s laws.  These acts of disobedience separated us from God and put us on the broad way to hell.  So unless we get reconciled to God before death it is certain that hell will be our eternal abode.  Now the good news is that we can be reconciled back to God through His son, Jesus Christ.   Most of us have heard the story of how Christ willingly died on the cross as a sacri­fice to make atonement for our sins, thereby making recon­ciliation possible.  However, one thing that many apparently do not know is the true conditions necessary to be met to make this possibility a reality for us.  Bowing our head and saying we accept Jesus as our personal Savior and then confessing our sins each night will not get us off the broad way that leads to hell!  This “accepting Christ” and “nightly confess­ing” business is one of the ways many religious folks are already deceived.  The very reason we got into trouble with God in the first place was because of our acts of disobedience. Therefore to get reconciled with Him, these acts must not only be confessed but forsaken, (Prov. 28:13 and Isa. 55:7).   For God to be able to forgive us we must be sorry we have sinned against Him, (II Cor. 7:10).  Sorry enough to be willing to quit doing them.  This is what true repentance is all about.  If we are asking forgiveness each night, then we are not truly repenting, because we are not yet willing to give them up.   We may get our conscience soothed a little this way, just as we would if we confessed to some man; but we will not get pardoned until we are willing to quit sinning.  Now someone may ask: “What if I forsake sin, get saved and then disobey again?  The answer is when you disobeyed again; you got back onto the broad way and would need to be saved again to go to heaven, (James 5:19-20).  But let me explain briefly how that need not happen.  It starts with a drastic change in our thinking and a willingness to change our life style.  For we must come to the place where we can see the “exceeding sinfulness” of our sinful acts.  Then when we cry out to God for forgiveness, He sees that we are sincere about forsaking sin and the worldly life, He works miracle in our life.  The miracle of regeneration.  The guilt of our sins rolls away, the fear of the judgment is erased, (the sting of death is sin I Cor. 15:56) and that emptiness we had is filled with God’s love. Regardless of what lies ahead for us we have contentment knowing that the major decision in life has been made.  We have new desires, and a different outlook on life.  We are a new creature in Christ, (II Cor. 5:17).  This is what being born again is all about.  With this miraculous experience comes a power to abstain from sinning when temptation comes our way, (I Cor. 10:13).  Eventually we will come down off cloud nine and this is where many lose out.  For even though all our committed sins have been forgiven, we still have that old sinful nature we inherited.  This carnal nature will pull us back into sin even after being gloriously and genuinely saved.  But God has a second miracle available for us.  The entire sanctification of our very nature.  It is God’s will that we go on to this second work of grace;  be filled or baptized with His spirit.  This second experience destroys that carnal nature, purifies our heart and supplies additional power for service and living holy consistently.  This is what being baptized with the Holy Ghost is all about.  This experience is also received by faith.  Now you will find in much of the religious world that this second miracle is either ignored, denied or counter­feited. So our final piece of advice is to ask God to lead you where this second cleansing is taught and lived out.  In spite of the maze of religious confusion, lukewarmness and worldly churchanity, God yet has a people upholding His truth.  At a true congregation of the church of God, you can get your soul fed—on truth.  Yes, God has a people who have the best of both worlds.  Happiness and victory over sin in this world and the assurance of heaven in the world to come.   Remember that the life after death is our choice.

 

Bill Roberts

Gospel Truth and Publications, P.O. Box 142, Jackson Center, OH 45334

 

  Click here to read: What Happens to Soul and Body at Death

This site was last updated 12/28/07

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