One of the best things about knowing God is the assurance that He never changes. His promises, Word, laws, and love are steadfast.
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation nor turning shadow.
James 1:17
That assurance is so important. For one thing, if we can rely on our changeless God, we can know that we can’t lose our redemption. (John 10:28-29, 1 Peter 1:5)
When we know that God remains the same, we can be sure of what the truth is. There is no reason to fall for a lie.
But the only way to have that protection and peace is to have God’s precepts in our heart and mind. (Psalm 119:11; Psalm 119:105)
You will keep whoever’s mind is steadfast in perfect peace, because he trusts in you.
Isaiah 26:3
Lately, a common story continues to appear concerning near-death experiences in movies, books, and on the Internet. The common theme of these pervasive stories tends to be extremely emotional and dramatic. Most often, these stories are told without any reference to the Gospel or scripture.
Many times, these stories are made to appear religious or spiritual by recounting visions of Heaven, deceased loved ones, and even Jesus.
No doubt, there are some people who have had extremely traumatic experiences that can cause unexplainable reactions.
And there are true spiritual events that believers have that are real and equally unexplainable. It is not for any person to question another believer’s experience with God, unless it is obviously sinful.
But it is vitally important to understand what the Bible says about such things. One reason is because the enemy or false teachers can cause us to adopt behaviors and beliefs that dishonor God, and lead to sin. We can also mislead others, which is sin.
So, if you have ever wondered if there are verses in the Bible that deal with people going to Heaven and then coming back to Earth, you can be sure that there are. One verse came from Jesus.
No one has ascended into heaven but he who descended out of heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
John 3:13
That is pretty straightforward, isn’t it.
Now there are Bible characters, you will recall, who had some incredible experiences. For instance, John, in the book of Revelation was indeed given a glimpse of Heaven. He saw the Heaven of the future, Jesus and the events of the Tribulation and beyond.
But John was told in Revelation 10:4 not to record some of what he saw. He only revealed to us what we are meant to know.
Another example concerns Paul, who was taken up into the Third Heaven, when he met Jesus for the first time. But he was forbidden to repeat what he had seen.
I know such a man (whether in the body, or outside of the body, I don’t know; God knows), how he was caught up into Paradise and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. On behalf of such a one I will boast, but on my own behalf I will not boast, except in my weaknesses.
2 Corinthians 12:3-5
Again, this verse reminds us that Paul’s testimony is about Jesus and what He did to save Paul.
There are other stories in the Bible about people who were given visions by the Lord. Some had experiences with the pre-incarnate Christ and angels. But none of these people write about themselves in a self-aggrandizing way. Nor do they make claims that detract from the Gospel message.
Heaven is a mystery to us. Our faith is not by sight. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
You can be certain, that the validity of such events will always glorify God, not be opposed to scripture, and will have a spiritual purpose.
Think about this. Whatever your testimony is in regard to your experience with God, who is your story really about? Is your testimony more about what has happened to you and less about the power of God to save and restore?
Your testimony is meant to glorify God and lead others to want to know Him, too.
Don’t forget, ours is only one story among millions. There will always be someone else who has a story. Why not let our big story be about God-the Savior of the world?
Share the Good News in your world!
Isaiah 52:7
World English Bible (WEB)
by Public Domain. The name “World English Bible” is trademarked.
Statement of Faith
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 