To Heaven and Back?

Note to the reader:

While it may seem that I’m writing this as a direct attack on a certain writer, speaker or teacher, I’m not. My intention here is to bring us back to the Bible so that we can have a biblical understanding on the issue you are about to read. My opinion is flawed, but God’s Truth will never fail. Please take this into account as you read.


The afterlife is something that both believers and unbelievers have marveled over for centuries. The great mystery of what exactly Heaven and Hell will be like is something that not everyone is willing to wait to die for it to be solved. Now, though, we have people coming on the TV, writing books and making radio appearances talking about how they were actually taken to Heaven to tell about how wonderful it is, or Hell to tell everyone how terrible it is. Some of these people have died and were brought back by doctors, and others were simply revealed in dreams. So, all our mysteries are solved, right? We no longer have to wonder, do we? As with any issue, we need to look at what the Bible says, or doesn’t say, on this topic.

The first thing to look at is what it doesn’t say. There are several places in the Bible that speak of people being raised from the dead. Some Old Testament references would include 1 Kings 17:17-24, 2 Kings 4:20-37 and 2 Kings 13:21. While there are too many to list fully, New Testament references include Luke 7:11-16, Mark 5:35-43 and one of the most popular being John 11:1-44. All of these passages have something in common. None of them involve someone coming back and speaking of what the afterlife was like. They simply come back. In fact, in the account found in Mark 5:35-43, the first thing the girl raised from the dead indicates is that she’s hungry. It’s almost as if she didn’t fully realize what had happened. Several more passages can be found in the Bible dealing with people being raised from the dead, and all of these passages share the same thread.

So, what does the Bible say? Well, a great place to start would be in 2 Corinthians 12:3-4. Paul is speaking of a time in his life when God actually took him up to Heaven in a dream. The catch is what follows. Paul goes on to say that he heard things no man should ever speak. In the later verses, he even says he will not describe Heaven to the people he was writing to out of fear that he might boast and sound like a fool. Paul was one of, if not the most influential Christian who ever lived, and someone of his level saying that he might boast is eye-opening. Apparently it is rather difficult to speak of these things without it overtaking you, and yet people today are very open about these experiences, giving specific details of what it was like. As for people who are dead and brought back, one has to wonder what actually happens. It could be that they are made so they can’t remember. It could mean they don’t go anywhere, and it’s like a dream. I’ve had a moment in my personal life in which I stopped breathing for at least a couple minutes after falling and hitting my head. My dad found me and had to get me breathing again. I have absolutely no recollection of ever getting close to Heaven. In all honesty, I imagined I went to a fair with my family. It was quite fun, and the hospital bed that I woke up in paled in comparison. Not saying that this is a sure reason to not believe anyone coming forward and stating that they’ve seen the afterlife, but the Scripture pulled should be enough to at least make us wary of these claims.

As always, Christians need to turn to the Bible before they buy into something. I’ve found myself surprised time and time again by things I’ve never even thought to be wrong turning out wrong when compared to Scripture. Seeking God’s guidance through the Word, and always have an answer just as 1 Peter 3:15 says. We may not know something for sure until we get to Heaven, but that doesn’t mean we have nothing to point us in the right direction.

How Close is Too Close to Sin?

As Christians, we all know the consequences of sin, as well as where it gets us if we don’t repent of it. Sin without a doubt is something we should stay away from. The problem lies with how far away believers should stay away from it. A common idea, though it never directly appears in the Bible, is being “in the world but not of the world.” This is a concept derived from several passages throughout Scripture, and is correct if viewed from the right perspective. However, since this phrase came about, people have used it to extremes. Believers have used it to excuse putting themselves in sinful situations and at the same time stay away from the sin. These situations include bars, clubs, drinking parties, and so on. This has also made its way into how believers view media. It’s become a reason to watch explicit movies, listen to perverse music, and enjoy all kinds of other things that neither honor or glorify God. How does this affect our witness? Furthermore, how close is too close to sin?

One of the most clear verses depicting the phrase “in the world but not of the world” would be in John 17:14-15. John is saying to keep a group of believers in the world but away from evil. Not only does this best communicate the phrase, it takes it in an entirely different direction. We’re no longer called to not commit evil, but to stay away from it.

Another thing to take into account is what you’re actions say to other believers. In 1 Corinthians 8:7-13, Paul talks about how he won’t eat food that was offered to idols or eat in an idol’s temple if it caused a fellow believer to fall into sin. This example can easily be used today. There’s plenty of things we could be caught doing that could both destroy our witness and cause people to sin. True, is could be we aren’t doing anything wrong at all, but just as Paul says, other believers could either view us in the wrong way or take it a step further to say that some form of sin is okay. It’s hard, and many times inconvenient, but it’s something that every believer needs to take into account.

For church leaders, the Bible has an even higher standard. 1 Timothy 3:2 calls leaders to live “above reproach.” This means not doing anything that believers could take to be something sinful. Testimonies are one of the most powerful weapons we can have, but they are also the most fragile. A leader who puts his or herself in situations that could communicate something other than holiness in Christ would find it difficult to lead successfully.

On the topic of media, the best passage to look at is Philippians 4:8. This passage outlines what we should spend our time on, as well as what we should stay away from. Notice that this doesn’t say “whatever is Christian.” It doesn’t mean to only watch Christian movies or listen to Christian music. Some people might do that out of personal conviction, but it’s not necessary. There is plenty of secular media out there that communicates Christian morals. The key here is to look at both what’s in it and what it’s communicating. If it’s pointing you in a direction contrary to what the Bible says, we’re told to stay away from it.

A common rebuttal for most if not all of what I’ve just said is that we can’t be an effective witness if we don’t put ourselves into these potentially dangerous situations. Not true. Think about it. Unbelievers don’t spend all their time at parties, at bars and at clubs. They don’t spend all their time talking about explicit movies and perverse music. There are plenty of situations to meet unbelievers, and few of them are situations that could cause us or other believers to stumble. Jesus modeled for us to spend much of our time with unbelievers, but He never put Himself in situations that compromised His integrity. He always held Himself to a higher standard, and set Himself as an example to everyone around Him. This is exactly how we should be in this sinful world. We are already close enough to falling into sin with our sin nature, so let’s not get any closer.