Post by tomdurst on Oct 31, 2014 8:32:20 GMT -5
THOUGHTS ABOUT HEAVEN, HELL, AND THE AFTERLIFE
Hebrews 9:27 New Living Translation (NLT)
27 And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment. .
Hebrews 9:27 The Message (MSG)
27 Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences.
Revelation 22:11 New Living Translation (NLT)
11 Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.
Galatians 6:7-8 New Living Translation (NLT)
7 Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. 8 Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.
There are numerous points of view about life after death among religions and philosophies. Many Christians line up their "proof texts" to establish just what will happen when we die and include in these lists what establishes their point and ignore the verses that contradict it. Whole books have been written on this topic from several Christian perspectives as well as others. No one yet has taken videos on the other side so that we can know exactly what will happen when we pass from this life. Any belief is in the end an article of faith and while I have my own ideas I still have to recognize their inadequacy. I don't think that those who really strongly feel that their belief about what happens upon death is absolutely correct would lose anything by moving forward in humility. Because I choose to believe in a certain teaching will not make it true no matter how strongly I believe in it. Sometimes I've felt that some folks seem to feel if they just keep affirming something they believe and work hard enough to convince others of it that this will somehow make it true.
I'm very appreciative of the way THE MESSAGE renders Hebrews 9:27: "Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences." It seems very clear to me that whatever we sow we shall reap (Galatians 6:7, 8). This seemed very clear to me even in my childhood years before I received any specific religious teaching. Everyday we face the consequences either good or bad which our choices bring about. This is inescapable. I think that when we pass from this present life we shall be where our choices have led us. I believe that the concept that we will go straight to heavenly bliss upon death regardless of how we've lived in this life is very deceptive if taken seriously. It also is an insult to the justice of God as well as any sense of fairness. Heaven in simplest terms is the experience of the presence of God. Hell is living in a sense of separation from God and those who live this way experience "hell" constantly. Living outside of fellowship with God IS indeed terrible and the suffering is endless. Outside of God (the heavenly city) there is only death and being with God (the New Jerusalem) is LIFE. I personally believe that those who pass from this life who have chosen to live outside of "the heavenly city" will continue to BE outside of that city but NOT in a state of eternal conscious torment. I believe that the doctrine of an "everlasting burning hell" to be from "the pits of hell." Were those who live apart from God to be ushered into the presence of endless love they would be indeed tormented. Those who have chosen to live INSIDE "the heavenly city" in this present life will pass into God's presence in a way that none of us can even begin to imagine (1 Corinthians 2:9-10; Philippians 1:23-24). When we pass from this life we take our state of consciousness with us.
I have read a number of books on Near Death Experiences (NDEs) as well as out of body experiences. I would certainly not wish to dispute anyone's experience in any area but all of our experiences are very subjective and colored by where we are in our life journey. I would not wish to take a position that these experiences are definitive as to just what happens when we leave this present plane for whatever is beyond.
There is a lot of mystery involved in this whole topic but what does seem clear to me is that everyday HERE AND NOW we can choose Heaven and experience its joys. All are invited to the heavenly feast but few choose to partake of it--so very sad. "And the Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' And let the one who hears say: 'Come!' And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge."--Revelation 22:17 (NET Bible) Anyway, I seek with all of my heart to enter into that Heavenly state right now and continue to do so everyday. Those who experience God's love in our lives here and now shall indeed continue to enjoy His presence in ways that were not possible while living in the limitations of a physical body. Exactly what this will look like no one knows and if we needed to know it would have been revealed to us (Deuteronomy 29:29; 1 John 3:1-3).
"A human being fashions his consequences as surely as he fashions his goods or his dwelling. Nothing that he says, thinks or does is without consequences."--Norman Cousins
[Disclaimer: I merely share some of my thoughts about Heaven, hell, and the afterlife which I realize are a long ways from being perfect so "take what you like and leave the rest" as you read anything I've written on these topics or any others. TD]
For additional thoughts on this topic read LET US REASON TOGETHER on the link below:
LET US REASON TOGETHER