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10 MAIN QUESTIONS... 
1. Why Is There Suffering In The World? Suffering touches everyone who lives on this planet. All you have to do is pick up a daily newspaper or listen to a news broadcast to know that a great many people are suffering. They suffer because of automobile accidents or because of terrible diseases or because of crime. Some suffer because they were born in poverty, others because they were born in countries ruled by dictators. There are many causes of suffering, and the list could go on for pages. But our question is not concerned with causes. We are looking for the reasons for suffering.To say there is suffering because there is crime, or because there are auto accidents, is not nearly enough. Our question goes far beneath the surface, where it hits at the very roots of human pain and anguish. The first thing to be said about suffering is that most of it comes about because of the activities of a powerful supernatural being called Satan, or the devil. He delights in hurting man and in trying to turn man away from God. Very often people blame God when they suffer, but is it God's fault? Satan takes great pride in seeing God gets the "credit" for his misdeeds. Suffering is also caused by man's rebellion against God and by the evil in men's hearts. How much suffering has been caused in the modern world, for instance, by Communism, or by men hurting other men? Godless dictators hurt their own people, and they hurt the people of neighboring nations as well. Just consider how much suffering has been caused, in this century alone, by men such as Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, and Mao Tse-tung. As the result of godless dictatorships, there is suffering in the form of heartbreak. You might say that suffering is a result of freedom. God has given man a certain amount of freedom. If man were merely a robot, an automaton, then God could always force him to do what is right. But God gives man the freedom either to love and obey Him or to rebel against Him. When man rebels against God, he hurts not only himself but also his fellow man. Something else to remember about suffering is that God set up certain natural laws to govern the universe. If it were not for the law of gravity, we would all go floating off into space. But that same law is going to cause pain to people who jump from the tops of tall buildings! Consider the hurricane, the earth's way of releasing pentup heat and energy. Heat from the southern climates has to move north and be discharged from the earth. When that happens, it causes a violent wind to blow. That wind, in turn, stirs up huge waves when it passes over the ocean. The hurricane is not meant to cause suffering, but if people ignore the warnings of nature, they will be injured by hurricanes. The same is true of faultlines, such as the San Andreas Fault. Faultlines are necessary to keep the earth from just breaking apart. But if people insist upon building houses on the San Andreas Fault--as they do--then they are going to suffer when an earthquake comes. Such suffering does not result from God's intentions, but comes rather from man's foolishness. We can either go along with natural forces and accommodate ourselves to them, or we can ignore them and be hurt by them. Much sickness, too, is man-made. Some of it is because of improper nutrition. People do not eat the right things. God gives us natural sugar, but we bleach it and make it white. We eat white bread, when whole wheat is much better for us. God gives us naturally fibrous fruit and plants, but we boil the fiber away. We do the same thing with oranges, when we squeeze the juice out of them and throw away the pulp, which is a beneficial part. We also peel potatoes and eat only the inside. In doing so, we throw away the part that God made to help us stay healthy. It is probable that 75 to 80 percent of the illnesses in the United States are psychosomatic. We have not learned to cast all our cares upon God, as we are advised to do in I Peter 5:7, and so we let our worried and harried minds make us sick. We also make ourselves sick voluntarily through doing such things as smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, and ingesting drugs. Automobile accidents cause fifty-six thousand deaths in our country each year--and half of those involve drunken driving. The technological state of our society contributes to suffering too. If there were no automobiles, there would be no deaths and injuries resulting from highway accidents. Our air would not be polluted with smoke from factories and automobile exhaust if there were no cars and factories. All of these things are part of the price we pay for our state of civilization. If we do not want to pay the price, we can go back to a more primitive society. In today's world, our lifestyle is a large contributor to sickness and disease. To illustrate again how man contributes to his own suffering, consider what has happened in Africa. The northern plain of that continent was once a beautiful, fertile, wooded area. But over several centuries, people cut down all the trees. As a result, the topsoil eroded and there was nothing left but desert. Without the protective cover of the trees, temperatures in the region rose steadily. The people moved farther south, seeking fertile land. As they moved southward, they continued cutting the trees, and consequently the desert moved southward. Today there are three-and-a-half million square miles of desert in the northern part of Africa. In northern Africa and in many other areas of the world, men have disturbed the ecological balance in nature. As a result, poverty and hunger are worse and worse. India has a similar problem. India was once one of the most fertile lands in the entire world. But the Indian people have embraced a philosophy that says rats and cows are sacred. So the cows eat up much of the vegetation, and the rats devour a good deal of the grain. Given a new understanding of nature, proper agricultural techniques, a forestation program, and a cleansing of rivers which are now polluted, India could be agriculturally self-sustaining. The problem is not caused by an act of God, but it stems from man's foolishness over a period of years, perhaps centuries. And the problems are steadily compounded over successive generations. There are other forms of suffering that men bring on themselves. Consider, for example, such diseases as genital herpes, syphilis, gonorrhea, and AIDS. These all result from a conscious lifestyle that is opposed to God's Word and breaks God's laws. God did not send herpes. It is a natural consequence of immorality. When it spreads, it becomes an incurable disease, affecting millions and millions of people. Why does God allow this to happen? When we ask this question, it brings us back to the statement that God has created man as a free being--free even to the point of ruining much of God's creation. God has sent preachers, prophets, and other holy men to warn the people to change their ways but most will not listen. They would not listen to the prophets four thousand years ago, and most of them will not listen today. It is true that the righteous often suffer, and this will continue as long as we live in a world of wickedness. If someone speaks out against wickedness, he is going to be involved in a struggle, and that struggle may result in pain and suffering. Jesus said, "If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you" (John 15:20). Jesus Christ was the only perfect man who ever lived, and people killed Him. Why? Because He came into contact with evil and tried to do something about it. John the Baptist was beheaded because he told people they were breaking God's laws (see Mark 6:25-28). It has been true throughout the ages that those who are God's messengers are often set upon and hurt by the people they have tried to warn. That kind of suffering is virtually unavoidable as long as we live in a wicked world of superstition, hatred, and ignorance. Suffering, if we allow it to, does have a way of purifying us. Many people have had to suffer in order to turn to God. Until they had their material things stripped from them, and often their health taken away, they had no desire for spiritual things. Those who are suffering may be tempted to turn away from God. They should never allow this to happen. Instead, they should worship God and be blessed and benefited, even in the midst of their suffering. Those who hurt must remember that it is not God's will for anyone to suffer. They must remember, too, that He will intervene for those who diligently seek Him. Thousands of people can testify that God will intervene to relieve pain and suffering, but this depends on a closeness and an intimacy with Him. Should we, then, accept everything, and thank God for whatever happens to us--good and bad? God answers this question specifically in the Bible. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose" (Romans 8:28). It is important to understand that accepting things is not the same thing as being resigned to them. You must accept suffering without becoming bitter, and you can accept it without resigning yourself to it. It is not your "lot in life" to suffer. Those who do suffer should never quit seeking God's touch and asking Him to set them free. Jesus said, "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened" (Matthew 7:7-8). The key is to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking. One final word about suffering. There is a certain amount of pain involved whenever growth is taking place. When people are moving to a higher level of intellectual activity, there is a struggle that has to take place, and in that struggle there is pain. When people who are great athletes are pushing through the limits of endurance to get to new records, there is constant pain. There is pain when you are running a mile or two at top speed, when your lungs are gasping and your body wants to quit. But there is also the overwhelming joy that comes when you finally do break through into that new dimension. This kind of pain is not the same thing as suffering. Some people do not recognize the difference between the suffering that is caused deliberately by evil and the pain that comes about through striving to reach a new plateau of experience. Such suffering merely marks the transition period of going from one level of accomplishment to a higher level. All suffering is temporary. It will all pass away when Jesus Himself returns to the earth. Revelation 21:4 reads: "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."
2. Will There Ever Be A Cure For All Diseases? Remarkable advances in science have led to the cure of such dreaded diseases as polio and tuberculosis. But, because much of the disease and illness people experience is caused by sin and by ignoring principles of healthy living, there will never be a cure for all disease until Satan's power is done away with.Our bodies are only a part of what makes us human beings. We also have souls and spirits (see I Thessalonians 5:23). The body is the physical part of our nature. The soul corresponds to the mind. The spirit is that part of us that sets us apart from the animals, that stamps upon us the image of God. The spirit is the part of us that yearns for communion with God. If the spirit in us is not in tune with God, then you do not have access to the source of healing. If you lived in the perfect presence of God, there could be neither sickness nor death. There would not be infection or disease because such things cannot exist in the presence of God. Some disease is caused directly by sin. Much sickness is the result of deep-rooted bitterness and uncontrolled stress. When people refuse to forgive or when they let themselves be "stressed out" by the pressures the world puts on them, that frequently leads to sickness. Those who live harried and hurried lives frequently develop ulcers, arthritis, high blood pressure, asthma, and similar ailments. Alcohol and cigarettes are also great contributors to disease because they weaken the human body. Another reason for disease is that much of the food we eat contains poison and unhealthy additives. Sugar and salt and white flour and other harmful substances weaken our bodies when used in excess. We do not get enough of the natural nutrients we should have. We try to milk too much out of our land, and, in doing so, we wind up damaging the crops we grow for food. When we eat what is contaminated, our bodies are harmed also. There will never be a decrease in diseases until people learn to eat properly, exercise properly, treat their bodies properly, and stop ingesting chemicals and other foreign substances that hurt their bodies. Nor will disease decrease while people continue polluting the water and air with carcinogens and fighting wars that destroy vegetation, uproot whole nations, and bring about famine. All these things are contributors to disease--and disease, because of infection and contagion, has a way of growing. Sickness and disease will be a part of life on this planet until Jesus comes back. When He comes, He will set things properly in order, and there will be no more sickness and no more death. That is the promise we have from God. In Revelation 22:2, we are told that the heavenly city of New Jerusalem will contain a tree whose leaves "were for the healing of the nations." We are reminded in Revelation 21:4 that when we dwell in the presence of God, "There will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Man, through his own efforts, will never find a cure for all diseases. But Jesus, when He returns to earth, will do away with disease and sickness forever.
3. Why Is There Evil In The World? First of all, God does not cause evil. Evil is a result of two major forces: The first force is a being named Satan. There is a spiritual being who is the enemy of mankind. He is malevolent, very powerful, and he wants to destroy God, so he seeks to destroy men and women, who are made in the image of God (see Genesis 1:26). Much of the trouble that is in the world is a direct result of the evil that Satan himself causes.The second source of evil is the human heart. The old radio show "The Shadow" started out with this phrase: "Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men?" God knows that there is a great deal of evil lurking in men's hearts. Because of the evil in their hearts, they hurt one another; and we have war, crime, injustice, racism, and all sorts of pain and heartbreak. There is evil, then, because of Satan and because of man's nature--and evil has a tendency to multiply itself. The more evil men there are, the more society as a whole begins to take on an evil nature. If God did not give men the chance to be evil, there would be no freedom. What would happen if every time a man cursed God his tongue rotted out? God could do that, but then He would be ruling the universe through fear. God is not a dictator. He wants men to choose to love and serve Him, and to do what is good. The other side of that choice is that men may decide not to serve God, and to do what is evil. Giving man the freedom to choose between good and evil has been God's policy since He created the first man, Adam. Adam was what we call the "federal head" of mankind. Just as a decision by the president of our country can have an impact upon all the country's citizens, so the decision that Adam made affects all of humankind. We are all tainted by his original sin. When Adam disobeyed God, death came not only to humanity but also to the animals, the plants, and the earth as a whole. From that moment on, man has had to sweat and slave and strain to survive. The fall of Adam introduced pain and suffering into the world, as Genesis 3 details. A few short generations after Adam, the Bible records that men had given themselves up almost entirely to evil (see Genesis 6:5). That illustrates how fast evil spreads and how it progresses from generation to generation. The human race is linked together in such a way that we are able to draw upon the accumulated wisdom and blessings of those who have lived before us, but we also receive an inheritance from their curses and their evil. In the beginning, Adam was morally in neutral. He was able to choose to sin--and he was able to choose not to sin. Adam's sin predisposed all of his descendants toward evil. Therefore, we all have a tendency that pulls us toward sin. Although we have a predisposition toward sin and evil, we can turn away from sin and turn toward God. God wants us to resist evil. He is willing to help us in the battle. But it is a hard one. Even Jesus Christ Himself was genuinely tempted to sin. It is indeed regrettable that there is evil in the world. The real news, though, is that there is a way to overcome evil. And that way is through the Son of God--Jesus Christ.
4. Will There Ever Be Lasting World Peace? Absolutely! We will have lasting peace on earth when the Prince of Peace returns. Jesus Christ has told us, and the Bible assures us, that He will come back again. When He comes, several things are going to happen. First, the rebellion of man against God is going to be put down. For a thousand-year period, God will restrain the evil that is in man and will not allow nations to fight one another (see Revelation 20:3-6). When that happens, men will take the tools of war and turn them into tools of peace. Isaiah 2:4 says that men will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and that people will not learn war anymore. With Satan out of the way, and man restrained, there will finally be peace.The Bible goes on to say: "When the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them (Revelation 20:7-9). When this prophecy is fulfilled, when Satan's final rebellion is crushed, there will be permanent peace. God will put away, out of His kingdom forever, everything that offends. He will take Satan and his followers and put them permanently into a place of captivity. From that time forward, there will never again be war. Until the earthly reign of Jesus comes, however, men will continue to fight one another. Jesus said there will be "wars and rumors of wars" right up until the time of the end (see Matthew 24:6). There is no way that a United Nations, a League of Nations, peace treaties, disarmament treaties, or any other human instrument can bring about peace. Such things mean nothing when one nation desires the land and resources of another. A lasting peace will never be built upon man's efforts, because man is sinful, vicious, and wicked. Until men are changed and Satan's power is removed, there will not be peace on earth. Until that day comes, all we can do is be strong enough to restrain the evil that is among us. To do anything other than that is utopian and based upon wishful thinking rather than upon reality.
5. Will Man Ever Love His Fellow Man? There will always be people who love their fellow man, people of good will who want to live in peace. Those who truly follow the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, always want to live in love and harmony with others.Why, for instance, would any woman want to spend her life in the worst slums of India? Why would she want to devote herself to working among the poor, to giving them a home, and to making their lives easier to bear? Mother Teresa does all these things because she wants to follow Jesus Christ. She has His love in her heart, and that makes her want to reach out in love to the less fortunate. There are hundreds and thousands of other examples, although Mother Teresa is probably the best known. When people allow Jesus to govern their actions, they stop fighting and start showing love for one another. That is the hope of the world. Granted, there are people who are not Christian believers who strive for peace, and there are Christian believers still filled with selfishness and hate. But in the final analysis, outside of the love of Christ, there is no hope for true peace. Until those who make the world's decisions are followers of the Prince of Peace--and until Jesus Christ Himself returns to earth--there will never be true love among men. There will be rivalries, racial hatred, and difficulties of all kinds--and men will not love their fellow men as God would have them to do. Remember, though, that Jesus Christ is coming back to reign on this earth. When He does come, assuming His rightful role as our king, men of every nation, race, and culture will be able to live side by side in perfect harmony. Not because they have been forced to do so, but because they have accepted Jesus Christ as their king and He has changed their hearts. In Isaiah 11:6-9, we catch a glimpse of what the world will be like after Jesus returns: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra's hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper's den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." In that day there not only will be lasting love and fellowship among the people of the earth but also, according to the prophet, among the animals as well! .
6. When Will The World End? The Bible says that the time will come when God will create a new heaven and a new earth, where there will be no sin, no sorrow, no crime, no tears, no disease, no tragedy--none of the evils we know now (see Revelation 21:1-5). This will be the beginning of a new order.Before the new order comes, we must live out the present era. Before that age dawns, people from every nation must have had a chance to hear of the salvation offered through Jesus. Jesus said that "this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come" (Matthew 24:14). As the end of the age nears, there will be an acceleration of evangelism and an increase in the numbers of those who are giving their lives to Jesus. At the same time, those who refuse to accept Christ will grow worse and worse in their wickedness. It will become increasingly difficult for the church and the world to coexist. But we will see the church grow enormously during this period. Following this, God's judgment will come upon those who have rebelled against him. The Soviet leaders, for example, who have turned against Christians and Jews, and who have persecuted religious people for so many years, must receive God's judgment. People who have lied and robbed and cheated and stolen must pay for their evil deeds. Then, Jesus Christ will come back and establish His thousand-year reign of righteousness. This will be a transition period where we will see how this world would be if there had never been sin--if man had not fallen away from God and Satan had never gained a foothold in this world. We will see what it would be like if men lived together as brothers. Even in the midst of Christ's reign, however, the seeds of rebellion will remain. Satan will still be able to find a foothold at the end of this thousand-year era of peace (see Revelation 20:7-10). At this time, God will finally do away with the present earth to create a new heaven and a new earth. Second Peter 3:10 says: "The heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up." Revelation 21:1 adds, "I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away." God will cleanse the universe totally and take out of it everything that does wickedness and everything that rebels against Him, and from then on the righteous will shine like stars in the kingdom of their father forever (see Daniel 12:3). The question is still, "When will all this happen?" The answer is that the end of this world as we know it will be one thousand years after the present age comes to a conclusion with the return of Jesus Christ to earth. And I believe that Christ's return could be very soon. It could be in just twenty or thirty years. We can never say for sure, because God has not allowed man to know the times and seasons (see Matthew 24:36, Mark 13:32). We cannot say with absolute certainty that these are the last days of the age. But there are certain signs that have been given to us as a compass. The regathering of the people of Israel into a nation is probably the greatest prophetic sign. That has only been accomplished since 1948. Jesus said, "Jerusalem will be trampled by Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24). This happened in 1967 when Israel obtained control over all of Jerusalem. With the fulfillment of that prophecy, it would seem that the end of this age is very close. The so-called "Gentile Age" is coming to its conclusion. "The end of the age" does not refer to the world exploding or coming to an end. Someday the world will be destroyed, but that will not happen until after Christ has ruled on the earth for a thousand years. Jesus told us that until He comes again to reign on earth, things will be just as they were in the days of Noah. He said: "For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be" (Matthew 24:37-39). In other words, human life as we know it is going to continue right up until the time Jesus Christ comes back again. If we knew that Jesus was coming tonight or a thousand years from now, we should live our lives the same--as God's faithful servants. Jesus Himself warned us to "be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not expect Him" (Matthew 24:44).
7. What Does The Future Hold For Me And For those who do not know the Lord, the future does not look very positive. The Bible speaks of a time of judgment on the ungodly. There will be wars, revolutions, economic failures--possibly even a terrible economic collapse in our world-wide monetary system. There will be an invasion of the nation of Israel by the Soviet Union, as described in Ezekiel 37-39. We can expect wars in other parts of the world. Jesus said that there will be wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in many places (see Matthew 24:6, Mark 13:7). There will be famines, and, sadly, many people will starve. Millions of people will be out of work, and there will be revolution and upheaval. None of this will lessen until God's final judgment comes. The future depends on where you stand in relation to God. If you know the Lord and follow His principles, the future is very, very positive. If you do not know the Lord, the future looks very dangerous. To understand what it will be like, consider what happened in Egypt under the Pharaohs when Israel was being held in captivity. In that day, God sent a series of plagues upon Egypt. Even while the plagues were devastating Egypt, the land of Goshen--which was inhabited by God's people, the Israelites--was prosperous. The plagues did not affect the people of Israel, only the people of Egypt. When the first-born children of the Egyptians died, the Israelites were untouched (see Exodus 12). It is possible for one group of people to prosper while an entire society around them is literally being plagued with troubles. People who have forsaken God, who are rebelling against Him just as the Pharaoh of Egypt did, are going to be caught up in the plagues that God will send upon the world. The plagues are intended to bring about repentance, but if people will not repent, the plagues will destroy them. God said in Exodus 8:23 that He knew how to make a difference between His people and the rest of the world. God will bless His people in whatever they do, as long as they understand and follow the biblically-based principles of the kingdom of God. They must be careful that they are not too closely linked up with the world's economic system. That is why people must be warned to avoid debt, because debt makes one's security as fragile as a house of cards. When an economy built upon consumer debt starts to fall, all those who are connected with it have a tendency to fall too. The go-go, debt-creating type of society that we have had for the last twenty-eight years is most fragile. Therefore, if people have things paid for and they are not in substantial debt, then when the world's house of cards begins to crumble, they do not have to worry about crumbling with it. Christians must always be careful to follow God's leading, because what might be a superb opportunity today could turn into a terrible problem two years from now. If people are going to enjoy the prosperity that God sends them, they must be willing to obey Him and to be responsive to what His Spirit says. The prosperity of God's people is already beginning. We see evidences of it all around the world. Every indication is that the world is on the brink of one of the greatest spiritual shiftings in history. The nations are getting ready, demonstrating a tremendous spiritual desire and hunger for God. There are some who would withdraw from the world because they are afraid of the future or because they think the end of the world is near. No one should stop living because he is afraid of what might happen tomorrow. Young married couples may wonder if they should have children. Yes, there will be a place for your children in the world! Those who may be considering marriage may be frightened by what looks like a foreboding future. But there is no reason to be afraid to enter into a marriage relationship. At CBN we are training leaders for the future. We are looking for a happy future, and when we look at tomorrow, our attitude is that we assume the blessings of God and move ahead. Now, more than ever, in every move we make, we must have God's wisdom. In summary, your future depends entirely upon your obedience to God. If you listen to the Lord, you can prosper. If you fail to listen to God and go your own stubborn way, then you are going to run into insurmountable problems. It will be as described by the prophet Malachi. He says the day will come when: "To you who fear My name the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet" (Malachi 4:2-3). The best thing you can do, then, to prepare for the future, is to be sure you are in a proper relationship with God.
8. Is There Life After Death? Yes! Emphatically, there is life after death for all people. How you will spend your life after death depends upon your relationship with God now. Jesus Christ said, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die" (John 11:25-26).The whole message of Jesus Christ was that He broke the power of sin and death, because death was the consequence of sin. Jesus said, "Because I live, you will live also" (John 14:19). That is hope of the world--the resurrection. The apostle Paul said: "I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ ... That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection ... If, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:8-11). Not only is there life after death, but God is going to give us new bodies, better than the ones we have now. We are not going to be disembodied spirits. Those who believe in Jesus are going to have bodies just like the resurrection body of Jesus (see I Corinthians 15:35-49). The Bible says that there will be a resurrection of the good and the resurrection of the evil. Some will arise to honor and some to shame (see Daniel 12:2-3, Matthew 25:46, Revelation 20:11-15). Those who have lived for God are going to have a body such as Jesus has--a glorious, wonderful body--and they will be with Him forever in glory. Those who have not lived for Him will be in a place of torment and punishment. Yes, there is life after death, but the quality of that life depends upon how we spend our days in this "life before life." Often, the question arises whether a loving God could really send anyone to hell. Remember that God is always calling people to Himself. He sends signs such as the sun, the moon, the seasons, and harvest to show us that His love is there. He also sends out preachers, teachers, and evangelists to warn those who are living contrary to God's will and to encourage such people to come to Him. Remember, too, that for heaven to be heaven, those in heaven should not be forced to live with the fear of a second satanic rebellion and another cycle of pain, suffering, and death. The only way to eliminate that fear is to see that those who absolutely refuse God and who want no part of His kingdom are given their wishes. Such people do not want to be apart of God's kingdom, and so God says, "your will is to be apart from Me and I am going to let you have it the way you want it." Apart from God there is everlasting darkness. It is a horrible thing to contemplate, but it is not God's choice to send anyone out into that darkness. Instead, He reluctantly allows people to have what they have shown Him they want. The Bible talks about everlasting fire and eternal darkness when it describes hell (see Matthew 8:12, 25:41). Whether these are literal descriptions, or figures of speech describing the remorse and emotional pain the lost will suffer when they realize that they are separated from God forever, we don't know. We do know that hell is real and forever! Over the last few years we have had many cases of people returning to life after being "clinically dead" for short periods. Many of them have seen heaven and some have been allowed to see hell. They have seen a living being whom they presume to be God. They have communicated with Jesus. Some have asked to come back to this life, and He has let them; others have asked to stay, and He has told them that they still have a work to do here in this life. For all of them, the experience has been a life-changing one, and this is a uniform testimony to the existence of life after death. Such experiences, of course, are not proof that there is life after death, but they stand as support to the Bible's statement that life continues beyond the grave. The Bible is also clear in its teaching that we should not attempt to communicate with the dead. Leviticus 19:31 says: "Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God." Isaiah 8:19 adds this: "And when they say to you, 'Seek those who are mediums and wizards, who whisper and mutter,' should not a people seek their God? Should they seek the dead on behalf of the living?" When his baby son died, King David said, "I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me" (II Samuel 12:23). When we die we either go to heaven or hell. We will join those loved ones who have gone to heaven or hell. We will join those loved ones who have gone to the same place as we have. Until then, the living are forbidden to attempt contact with the dead. So-called ghosts, or spirits that speak through mediums, are really demons masquerading as the spirits of dead human beings. If you let them, they will deceive you. They will try to lead you away from God, and--if they can gain a foothold in your life--they will do their very best to take control of you.
9. What Is Heaven Like? Heaven is where God is. He is the light of heaven, the joy of heaven. As you mature in your understanding of the Bible, you realize there is no material concept of heaven that will do it justice. The Bible talks about streets of gold as clear as crystal and walls made out of precious stones (see Revelation 21:18-21). All sorts of images immediately come to mind when we mention heaven. More than anything else, heaven is a spiritual condition where one spiritual being is in touch with another spiritual being, and there is total communication and fellowship.Whatever we consider to be a joy here on earth will be heightened millions of times beyond anything we can conceive when we get to heaven. The apostle Paul put it this way: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him" (I Corinthians 2:9). In the Middle Ages philosophers talked about the "ultimate good." The ultimate good to them was being in the presence of God. That will be the greatest aspect of heaven. Those who are there will be in His immediate presence, in a way no one can possibly know this side of eternity. Being in God's presence will bring an intensity of delight that will far exceed anything we could know here on earth. Furthermore, in heaven there will be neither death, nor sorrow, nor sickness, nor poverty. "He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be nor more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:3-4). The Bible also talks about crowns and thrones in heaven, so we do know that heaven is not just a huge democracy where there is no differentiation of function (see Revelation 4:4-11). There will be different functions and different levels of responsibility assigned to different people. For there will still be levels of order and structure throughout God's universe. The Bible says that those human beings who are fortunate enough to enter into heaven will actually judge angels (see I Corinthians 6:3). The fallen angels--or demons--will come before us and we will decide their fates. Perhaps people will be assigned to watch over a planet or two. We do not know for certain what tasks we will be performing in heaven, but there will obviously be an ongoing, functioning universe. We will be God's messenger-agents in ordering and running it. There are many things about heaven we do not really know. Will there be animals in heaven? The Bible says that Jesus will be riding on a white horse when He returns to reign on the earth, but we do not know if this is a literal horse (see Revelation 19:11). A white horse represents purity and power, so this may be symbolic. We cannot say for sure if there will be animals of any kind in heaven, but I believe there will be. We do know that we will be able to recognize our loved ones in heaven, and we will experience great joy over being reunited with them (see Luke 23:42-43, Hebrews 12:22-23). Your real self will live on in heaven, not some shadowy part of you. You will never feel so alive as when you enter into the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem God has prepared for the saints. There is also going to be an extension of man's mind beyond anything we could begin to understand now. There will be an opening of understanding into the secrets and mysteries of the universe. Furthermore, in heaven there will be no fear of any kind of evil, and God will provide magnificently for His people. What is heaven like? It is better than anything any human being could ever imagine when he tries to picture the best thing that could ever happen to him. Beyond that, there is not much else we could say!
10. How Can I Be A Better Person? The only way we can truly be better people is to give our hearts to God, because every good work a man does by himself is tainted with pride and self-will. The Bible says, "There is none who does good, no, not one" (Psalm 14:3). This seems to be a rather dismal view of humanity, but that is the way it is. Unconverted man may try to do better, but he is ultimately doomed to failure. Think, for instance, about how many people resolve every New Year's Day to turn over a new leaf.The Bible says no one can become worthy of God's blessings through trying to be better, whether you try by going on religious pilgrimages, getting involved in social work or church work or doing any other type of good work for mankind. Ephesians 2:8-9 reads, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." You can gloss over some of the evil tendencies in your heart by attempting to control them, but inside, the heart of man is "deceitful and desperately wicked" (Jeremiah 17:9). If the heart is against God, there is only one way that a person can truly become better--and that is by surrendering the heart to Jesus. If you want to be a better person, you must be joined to Jesus. You must have the attitude that "I am going to come to You, Lord, and I am going to accept Your salvation by faith. Not because I am better or have improved myself. But I am going to come to You in faith and let You be my Savior and wash me of all the things I've done that are wrong." When that happens it is as if God says, "I am going to acquit you of all your sins. I am going to treat you as if you are absolutely perfect, because you have been forgiven by the sacrifice and death of Jesus. He has become your substitute." Galatians 2:16 says, "A man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ." And in Romans 8:1, we find that "there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus." When you turn your life over to Jesus, you are not just a better person, but you are identified with a perfect Person--One who never sinned. At that point, you ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life, so He is not just the Savior but the Lord too. When He comes in and begins to place His Spirit inside you, you will be transformed into a new creature. Perhaps the change will not come rapidly, but it will come, as you are yielded to Jesus. This is the experience where, little by little, you begin to walk with Him, and you begin to do good to others because of Him. You truly have become a good person. Why? Because Jesus is living in and working through you. You have died to yourself, and you are allowing Jesus to live His life through you (see Galatians 2:20). . When you have Jesus in your heart, He is living through you. That means that He is loving through you, keeping God's commandments through you, and perfecting you. In an ongoing process, you are becoming a better person. More than better, in fact; you are becoming a holy person, because Jesus Christ is forming Himself in you. When you come to Jesus Christ, having settled the ultimate questions of sin and salvation, several things happen to you. First, you no longer have to compete against other people. You can begin to rest in God and love your fellow man because you are experiencing the love and forgiveness of God. Secondly, you begin to have hope. You know that you are now part of the family of God and that He is taking care of you. Since your hopes now rest on Him, you become freer to reach out and help other people. Instead of struggling for your own survival, you are filled with the benevolent instinct that the Lord has for the less fortunate. People who have this freedom from selfishness begin to be better citizens in their communities. Another thing that has happened is that the tendency to break the law has been taken away. God has given you a new nature. The Bible says, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (II Corinthians 5:17). You no longer have to drink, take drugs, or smoke cigarettes. You do not have to eat too much. You do not have to hurt your body or hurt anyone else. You are free from compulsions because the Lord has made you free. There is also the whole area of fear, psychosomatic problems, hatred, and petty bitterness. The Lord will take those things away from us if we let Him. He is more than able to cleanse you of despair, depression, and discouragement. Things that weigh heavily on your heart can be swept away in the light of Christ's love if you will turn them over to Him. In this way, you can be a better person. You can be happier and more productive because you are not being chained down to things that will destroy you. There are Christians, of course, who live far beneath their privileges. They do not realize what Christ has done for them. Consequently, they allow discouragement to overcome them. The Lord does not say He is going to make us into little gods who are impervious to problems. What He does say is that He will give us the weapons and ammunition to overcome problems. The weapons will not do us a bit of good if we refuse to use them. Even Christians can be overcome by problems if they let it happen. You can give in to discouragement or jealousy or any other unwholesome emotion. But you no longer have to give in. It is up to you. For proof that victory over life's troubles comes through Jesus Christ, just take a look around. Everywhere you look you will see Christian churches full of people talking openly about God's grace. Many of them have come out of literal prisons to serve the Lord. Others have come out of prisons of their own making--prisons of fear, anger, and depression--to serve Him. The reality of God's salvation can be seen on their faces and read in the stories of their lives. Men and women who hated are filled with love. Those who were always afraid are now walking in courage. Others who were always depressed now radiate peace and joy. There is still more evidence. Consider those who have undergone physical changes because of the Lord's touch. Some were dying of cancer; some were told they would never walk again; others were suffering from a variety of painful and incapacitating illnesses. The Lord brought them salvation and much, much more. The evidences are overwhelming. Jesus Christ is exactly who He said He is--the Son of God. He will do exactly what He said He would--reach out to you with His love, granting you assurance of life at its fullest, beginning now and lasting throughout eternity. The only way you will ever determine if all this is true is to find out for yourself. If you have not done so already, ask Jesus to take over your life. In your own words, just surrender control to Him and tell Him you are sorry for the sins you have committed. Tell Him that you resolve to do things His way from now on and that you will turn away from your sins with His help. Then commit yourself to following Him wherever He may lead you. Once you try things His way, you will know the reality of His love and will understand that you have truly become a better person. Beyond that, you will know that all of your questions, whatever they may be, really have only one answer. That answer is the Person--Jesus Christ. |
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