Christianity Oasis Forum

[cimi]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~REASONS TO BELIEVE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~IN LIFE AFTER DEATH~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. THE INJUSTICES OF LIFE. It would be difficult to
believe that life is good if we knew there was nothing beyond the grave to compensate for the problems of inequality and unfairness. While some people seem destined for happiness, others are born into terrible relationships and circumstances. If we could be sure there was nothing to
offset unequal distribution of suffering, many would have reason to curse the day of their birth for the way life has treated them (Job 3:1-3).

2. BEAUTY AND BALANCE. For moments of violence,
there are times of peace. As age-worn bodies succumb to
weakness, children and young animals play with carefree
joy. Each sunset and dawn provides an answer to nature's
need for rest and renewal. If there is nothing beyond the
grave, the pattern of nature is stunningly incomplete.

3. NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES. It's hard to assess the sig-
nificance of "out of body experiences," encounters with
bright lights, long tunnels, or angelic guides. We do know
that there are enough of these kinds of experiences to
create a sizable library on the subject. Taken as a whole,
this body of evidence shows that as people approach
death, many sense they are coming not to the end of
existence but to the beginning of another journey.

4. A PLACE IN THE HEART. The human heart hungers for
more than this life offers. Each of us experiences what
King Solomon called "eternity in [our] hearts" (Eccl.
3:11). While it is difficult to know what Solomon meant,
it is apparent that he was referring to an inescapable
longing for something this world cannot satisfy. Only
when he returned to his confidence in a final judgment
and afterlife could he find something large enough to
satisfy his longing for significance (12:14).

5. UNIVERSAL BELIEFS. Belief in immortality is a timeless
phenomenon. From the pyramids of the Egyptians to the
reincarnation of New Age thinking, people of all times
and places in history have believed that the human soul
survives death. If there is no consciousness or laughter
or regret beyond the grave, life has fooled almost every-
one from the Pharaohs of Egypt to Jesus of Nazareth.

6. AN ETERNAL GOD. The bible describes God's nature
as eternal. He created us in His likeness and His plan is
to welcome His children eventually into His eternal
home. The Scriptures teach that God introduced death
into human experience when our first ancestors tres-
passed into forbidden territory (Gen 3:1-19). The impli-
cation is that if God allowed the human race to live
forever in a rebellious condition, we would have unend-
ing opportunity to develop into proud, self-centered
creatures. Instead, God began to unfold a plan that
would ultimately result in the eternal homecoming of all
who chose to be at peace with him (John 14:1-3).

7. OLD TESTAMENT PREDICTIONS. The Old Testament
prophet Daniel spoke of a day when those who sleep in the
dust of the earth will be resurrected, some to life and some
to everlasting shame (Dan. 12:1-3). Asaph described how
he almost lost his faith in God when he considered how
evil people prospered and the godly suffered (Ps.73). But
then he said he went into the sanctuary of God. He sud-
denly saw evil men standing on the slippery ground of their
mortality. With new insight he confessed, "You will guide
me with Your counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.
...My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of
my heart and my portion forever" (Ps. 73:24-26).

8. QUOTES OF CHRIST. Jesus wasn't vague about the real-
ity of a continuing personal existence after death. He
said, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill
the soul. But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both
soul and body in hell" (Matt. 10:28). Jesus promised
Paradise to the repentant thief who was dying at His side,
but He also used the Valley of Hinnom--a foul garbage
dump outside of Jerusalem--as a symbol of what awaits
those who insist on risking the judgment of God.

9. THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST. The Old Testament pre-
dicted a Messiah who would overcome sin and death for
His people (Isa. 53; Dan. 9:26). He voluntarily died at the
hands of executioners, was buried in a borrowed tomb,
and then 3 days later left that tomb empty. He appeared
to hundreds of people over a period of 40 days before
ascending to heaven (Acts 1:1-11; 1 Cor. 15:1-8).

10. PRACTICAL EFFECTS. Belief in life after death is a source
of personal security and spiritual betterment (1 John 3:2).
Nothing offers more courage than the confident that
there is a better life for those who use the present to pre-
pare for eternity. Belief in the unlimited opportunities of
eternity has enabled many to make the ultimate sacrifice
of their own life. It was his belief in life after death that
prompted Christian martyr Jim Elliot, who was killed in
1956 by the Auca Indians, to say, "He is no fool who gives
what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose."