Assurance of eternal life, Believing in God, Believing in Jesus, Evidence for Jesus, Finding God, knowing God, Near-death experiences, Reason-based faith, The Coronavirus, Trusting God

#4: The Coronavirus Pandemic, Near-Death Experiences, and the Assurance of Eternal Life

(For much-more information about this blog, see the home page at https://reasonbasedfaith.com/.)

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This post is a bit longer than my usual ones because it’s like a part 1 and 2 together, on the same web page. It’s like two posts in one, but I wanted to get all of this out NOW; in this pandemic, only God knows (specifically) what’s going to happen NEXT month! (We can be aware of general trends, but God knows the specifics—which are sometimes surprising to us. Most of us never dreamed that we’d be in this pandemic.)  

On a practical matter: I’ve numbered each section in this post for readers (for ease in returning to the same section after a break in reading); this is the first section. Each section is delineated by a sub-heading and generally consists of two to six paragraphs on a particular sub-topic, though sections with lists may be longer, depending on the length of the list.

On another practical matter: for the sake of complete clarity, I’ll bring up a point that’s obvious to those proficient in working with computers and online: In potentially any paragraph, the hyperlinks (in red, orange, tan, or blue-colored text) are links (i.e. clickable texts) to other web pages where one or more statements that I’ve made or quoted (in that paragraph) will be substantiated, at least as being probably true or correct. If a reader desires substantiation, he or she should click on one or more hyperlinks. (Alternately, in lists, of course, the hyperlinks are simply links to recommended web pages or videos.)

1. For those who are suicidal:

In this pandemic, since more people are absent from work or unemployed, and since they’re feeling much-greater financial stress, more people are tempted to commit suicide.

NOTE: see much more (than I have here) against suicide AND against discouragement on my “Anti-suicide and anti-discouragement page” at https://reasonbasedfaith.com/anti-suicide-page/

My response to this tendency is that those (1) who have examined the evidences and reasons for the biblical God’s existence, and for His nature and character (especially as revealed in the New Testament), and (2) who have accordingly entered into the assurance of eternal life (that’s explained in this post)—those individuals need not and should not have the SLIGHTEST desire to commit suicide, because these evidences give us powerful reasons to remain alive just as long as God wants us to.

God’s desire for us to have and enjoy life is seen in Jesus’ statement in John 10:10b, that “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (Amplified Bible Classic Edition, Zondervan Corporation and the Lockman Foundation, 1987)

The strongest way to defeat suicidal thoughts is to know and understand the really-cogent evidences and reasons for God and, in my opinion, the New Testament. When I’ve been under severe stress, THIS HAS ALWAYS WORKED POWERFULLY FOR ME, to propel me out of and away from discouragement and thoughts of suicide. (I was under unbelievably-severe stress and contemplated suicide twice in my life, but I became familiar with the evidences and reasons for God’s existence, and with the New Testament; doing this propelled me out of ALL thoughts of suicide.) Therefore, if a reader is tempted with suicide, I recommend reading the New Testament and viewing the following websites:

Evidences and logical arguments for God

Here’s a list of videos – many of them animated videos – that feature logical arguments for God, based on evidence, from Reasonable Faith, the organization founded by Dr. William Lane Craig:

More websites

If an individual has a fair-minded, reasonably-objective perspective, understanding the New Testament and the basic content on these websites will almost-certainly help strengthen and fortify him or her against the thought and temptation of suicide.

2. Did God cause the Coronavirus Pandemic?

Did God cause the Coronavirus Pandemic? Probably not; the probable cause seems to be human carelessness. This new Coronavirus strain may have been carelessly handled in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, which was studying the Coronavirus strains found in bats. The strain causing this pandemic is genetically similar to a strain found in bats in China. Careless handling may have allowed the virus to be released and to infect humanity. A Washington Post article substantiates this as a possibility, although other possibilities are transmission from bats to humans or from bats to pangolins to humans.

We know that this pandemic started at a market in Wuhan, China. Dr. Anjeanette Roberts, a molecular biologist and virologist who studied the SARS virus at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), stated about such markets: “Humans trap wild animals, sometimes farming them on larger scales, for transport and sale in large (live-animal or wet) markets. In these markets, wild and domesticated animals and humans comingle in close, crowded, unsanitary conditions. These markets are breeding grounds for pandemics. As a result, viruses that would rarely, if ever, make species jumps into the human population find a route to do so when animals that would never normally come in contact with one another are forced into close proximity. … Without human mismanagement of known risks, such species leaps would be as likely as finding a specific tiny pebble on the terrain of Pike’s Peak.”

Dr. Roberts also commented about viruses in general: “The vast majority of viruses in nature contribute to ecological balance that makes all life possible. The vast majority are not associated with any disease or suffering. It is possible that the many viruses in bats might serve critical ecological functions as well. But like waterfalls and hungry lions, we all need to respect and admire nature from afar. This requires a sense of our own human limitations and shortcomings. It’s not ignorance of the risks that has led to this current crisis. It is a failure to mitigate risk and care for creation as God would have us care.” (COVID Pandemic: God’s Fault or Ours?)

Thus, since this pandemic started at the market in Wuhan, China, and since the laboratory (where the careless handling of the virus allegedly occurred) was ALSO in Wuhan, China, careless human handling (of the virus at the lab AND/OR of animals in the market) is a probable cause of this pandemic! God did not cause this; it was apparently human carelessness.

3. What is God’s perspective?

From Scripture, we can infer some things about God’s perspective on this pandemic. On the one hand, all things have their ultimate origin and source in God. (Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24-25) However, on the other hand, God’s creation sometimes produces destructive effects distinctly outside of God’s generally-highest or ideal will for us, which is for our welfare. Specific biblical examples are: 1Kings 17:17-24; 2Kings 4:18-37; Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 4:37-41; Luke 6:17-19; 7:11-17.

God’s generally-highest or ideal will for us can also be seen in passages such as:

Deuteronomy 5:29: God asserted: “If only they would always feel like this! If only they would always honor me and obey all my commands, so that everything would go well with them and their descendants forever.” (GNT)

Psalm 37:4-6: “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.” (NLT)

Isaiah 48:17-18: “This is what the Lord says—your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good for you and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh, that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling over you like waves in the sea.” (NLT)

Jeremiah 29:11-12: “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.” (NASB)

John 10:10b: “I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (Amplified Bible Classic Edition)

Why then would God allow this horrible pandemic to occur? I don’t know why beyond the general and obvious fact that God does allow humans to be careless. I wish He wouldn’t! But I can imagine what God’s response might be: “…if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2Chronicles 7:14)

For those who have died, God has an answer: “The righteous man perishes, and no one lays it to heart; devout men are taken away, while no one understands. For the righteous man is taken away from calamity; he enters into peace; they rest in their beds who walk in their uprightness.” (Isaiah 57:1-2, ESV)

Therefore, I believe that a Christian should act on the basis of what we know about God’s generally-highest or ideal will for us, and accordingly seek to preserve his/her life and the lives of others.

4. A realistic fear and its contrast

In this pandemic, many have and should (appropriately) have a reasonable and realistic fear: this new Coronavirus (nCOV-2019 or SARS-CoV-2) can, in some cases, be deadly. It’s understandable that no one wants to prematurely and unnecessarily die in this pandemic—when taking simple precautions can minimize the chance of catching the virus, and thereby, quite possibly, extend one’s life by many years.

Now, by contrast, I know that some young people who have never been seriously ill, in the back of their minds, imagine themselves to be invulnerable because they’ve always seemed invulnerable. I emphasize the word “seemed” because this is an illusion. No one should be tricked by this illusion to ignore the practice of social distancing! This new Coronavirus strain can be deadly to those, regardless of how young they are, who have a serious, underlying medical condition or compromised immune system—sometimes without the person knowing it! Everyone should therefore take reasonable precautions against this virus! (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html; https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/cases-updates/summary.html; https://www.sciencealert.com/coronavirus)

Another factor is viral load: even a young person’s immune system may be overwhelmed if the viral load is heavy—if the person has numerous viruses in his/her body (specifically in the blood or plasma), often through repeated exposures to infected individuals. Therefore, health-care workers, as well as those who refuse to practice social distancing, are at a higher risk. Of course, health-care workers should always use protective equipment—especially gloves, visors, and masks—when treating infected patients. (What is viral load and why are so many health workers getting sick?; How the AMOUNT of the coronavirus you get infected with could decide whether you suffer mild or severe symptoms)

5. How is it spread?

This Coronavirus is spread by having close contact with those carrying the virus or with surfaces on which there are virus particles (with subsequent touching of unwashed hands to the eyes, nose, or mouth). In this context, “close contact with those carrying the virus” means being within six feet of an infected individual. Why? The virus is spread “through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs or sneezes. These [small] droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby or [the droplets can] possibly be inhaled into the lungs.” (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/prevention.html; I added the bracketed expressions for greater clarity; I wish I could edit the CDC’s web pages.)

A basic problem is that people can be infected by the virus for fourteen days WITHOUT displaying symptoms—they easily may not know that they have the virus and are carriers of it! Even though this is NOT thought to be the main way that the virus is transmitted (the main way is from carriers who display symptoms), it’s still possible to catch the virus from carriers who are asymptomatic—which is why social distancing should be observed; i.e. people should ideally stay six feet apart. Cf. Helpful Information in Understanding SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19; https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prepare/transmission.html; Understanding the Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Dr. Anjeanette Roberts compared SARS with nCOV-2019 or SARS-CoV-2 or SARS-2 for short, the current Coronavirus strain in this pandemic. She stated that, “In both cases, the viruses can be spread by infected individuals who are not showing signs of illness, but this seems to be more common with SARS-2 than it was for SARS.” (Helpful Information in Understanding SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19)

6. The virus may be spread BY SPEAKING!

Dr. Roberts made a point that I hadn’t seen or heard elsewhere—the virus can potentially be spread by sneezing, coughing, OR SPEAKING towards another person (of course, within approximately six feet): “SARS virus spreads through contact and respiratory droplets (generated by sneezing, coughing, and speaking) … Contact refers to coming in contact with virus deposited on surfaces of other items, such as door or refrigerator handles or elevator buttons or rails, and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.” (Ibid.)

Since SARS-2 (the current strain) has some similarities to SARS (according to Dr. Roberts here), and since we know that SARS-2 is spread through respiratory droplets, it’s therefore conceivable that SARS-2 (the current strain) may be spread through droplets that are propelled through the air (at times) as someone speaks! Under bright lights, I have personally noticed this phenomenon of droplets spraying out from a person’s mouth as he spoke loudly and vigorously.

7. How to limit the spread of the virus

Dr. Roberts also described ways to limit the spread of the current Coronavirus strain.

Again calling the current strain SARS-2, Dr. Roberts wrote: “The US travel restrictions put in place on February 2 almost certainly helped delay the spread of SARS-2 in the US. Calls for communities to practice social distancing and sheltering in place will also slow the spread. Limiting discretionary travel and meetings of large groups of people will also help slow the spread. These are the best practices for each of us and, along with practicing good personal and environmental hygiene, these will make huge differences in the ultimate outcome. … The best way to prevent the spread of SARS-2 (and flu) based on knowledge garnered from the 2003 SARS outbreak and subsequent studies on SARS and respiratory viruses includes the following:

  • Frequently wash your hands with warm soapy water to a lather for 30 seconds
  • Avoid touching your face (mouth, nose, eyes)
  • Use freshly prepared bleach, diluted 1:10 or 1:5 with water, to spray surfaces; let air dry then wipe them down
  • Use hand sanitizers if washing your hands is not an option.” (Helpful Information in Understanding SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19)

See also the video by Dr. Roberts, “Understanding the Coronavirus (COVID-19)” and her blog at https://reasons.org/explore/blogs/theorems-theology.

8. As the pandemic pertains to this blog

As in February, I had everything planned out well (as to which post I’d work on)—and my plans were changed. In both February and March, my plans were changed! In this pandemic, I asked myself, “What could I write that would be the most helpful at this time?” I gave it some thought and concluded that I should write on three serious and, for some people, imminently-important subjects, which are:

1. Information on the Coronavirus pandemic itself; that is, what I’ve gathered from the CDC or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the USA, plus information from Dr. Anjeanette Roberts, a molecular biologist and virologist who studied the SARS virus (in 2003-06) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and who happens to be a Christian.

2. Information on what’s at stake in the afterlife, particularly from the perspective of near-death experiences, which, for several evidential reasons, probably correspond to reality.

3. The assurance of eternal life (with God after physical death) that each of us could potentially have, here and now, as clearly indicated in Scripture and confirmed by near-death experiences and by New Testament scholarship.

This photo is suggestive of the expanse of eternity; the ocean just seems to go on and on forever, into the distance. Photo credit: Tanja Cotoaga, Unsplash.com.

9. I especially want

In this post, I especially want to explain our presently having an assurance of eternal life. So many people needlessly fear death! But when one is familiar with numerous (over thirty) evidences and reasons for the biblical God’s existence, there’s no valid reason to fear death—as long as one is willing to believe where the evidence leads.

This assurance can begin NOW, in THIS life; we don’t have to wait until we die to know that we presently have eternal life—Jesus Christ has promised this to those who seriously want it and, yes, are willing to believe where the evidence leads. (John 3:16-17; 5:24; 10:37-38; 14:11; 20:24-31) In my opinion, this evidence includes facts and reasons (such as C. S. Lewis’ Trilemma Argument) as to why Jesus spoke the truth and therefore genuinely made this offer.

10. No fear of death, but not because we’re “good persons”

For me, knowing and understanding this has eliminated the fear of death. As I wrote in my first post: believing and trusting in the biblical God has freed me from the fear of death and given me a profound peace about my future in the afterlife. I’ve heard many other Christians say essentially the same. Of course, I won’t be with God because I’m some great saint; I’m not; I have my faults and make mistakes, though I try to do God’s will. But I know that I’ll be with God in the afterlife because of what He has done in opening my mind to His truth and in forgiving me.

This points to the biblical truth that God does NOT save us because we’re “good persons”! He saves even “bad persons” when they sincerely turn to Him, repent of their sins, and believe God to do what He’s promised! Good biblical references are: Luke 24:45; 1John 1:7-9; 5:11-13; John 3:16-17; 5:24; Acts 3:19-20; 15:1-29; Romans 5:6-8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7. (Cf. Death Is Certain … but God, Psalm 49, by Dr. Skip Heitzig)

The verses of Ephesians 2:8-9 are clear and specific: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (English Standard Version)

That is, God rescues us and brings us to Himself NOT because of our works or good deeds—NOT because we’re “good persons”—but rather because of His grace or kindness or unmerited favor. (Cf. Ephesians 2:8-9 in the Amplified Bible Classic Edition)

Of course, we must receive Him or open the door to our lives as He knocks. (John 1:12-13; Colossians 2:6; Revelation 3:20) In other words, God doesn’t give us eternal life with Him because we’re good persons, but because we believe and trust Him, which can be EASY if we do so on the basis of evidence and logic. Once I learned how compelling and convincing the evidences were, this was certainly easy for me. At that point, there was “no contest” between atheism and true, biblical Christianity.

11. Is eternal life a delusion? Evidences and reasons say no!

I know that atheists will say, “Eternal life is a delusion!” But the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. That is, the proof is in what numerous evidences and logical reasons demonstrate to be true to reality, as I indicated in the last paragraph. In my first three posts (here, here, and here), I’ve only begun to consider a comparatively-small number of these evidences and reasons! There are so many-more evidences left to be considered in future posts!

Here’s a list of videos – many of them animated videos – that feature logical arguments for God, based on evidence,from Reasonable Faith, the organization founded by Dr. William Lane Craig:

I’ve also listed websites where evidences for God are examined. These lists are in section 2 of this post (“For those who are suicidal”) and towards the bottom of the home page.

The bottom line for me is that, on the basis of over thirty cogent evidences and reasons, I am personally convinced that God exists, that the afterlife is real, and that I made the right decision when, years ago, I chose to forsake my atheistic beliefs and to instead believe in the biblical God.

12. Another reason: NDEs

There’s another reason why we should want to have this assurance of eternal life with God after our physical death: near-death experiences are very valuable because they give us a glimpse of what the afterlife is going to be like. And it’s much better to know that NOW rather than later; that way, we can be sure we have eternal life WITH God and not without Him!

According to Jesus AND according to a significant number of near-death experiences (NDEs), SOME journeys into the afterlife are not pleasant—and this is an understatement! (Cf. Imagine Heaven by John Burke, Baker Books, 2015, Chapter 16)

The obvious problem is that the afterlife lasts forever; thus, an unpleasant afterlife is something we should seriously try to avoid!

In my first post, I had a section titled, “Briefly considering the afterlife.” In it, I explained that: there is probable evidence for the afterlife from the common elements or characteristics observed in near-death experiences (NDEs). These common characteristics imply that the afterlife, which has been effectively visited in thousands of NDEs, is actually real. Why would many of the thousands of NDEs (reported worldwide) have commonly-observed characteristics unless they point to an objective, real experience after physical death?

In his book, Near-Death Experiences as Evidence for the Existence of God and Heaven (Wisdom Creek Press, 2012), the author, J. Steve Miller, in referring to the thousands of NDE testimonies, wrote, “The presence of remarkably consistent, yet unexpected elements are not what we’d predict from a psychologically induced dream state. … Dreams differ wildly from individual to individual. So why the remarkable consistency of NDEs, if they’re simply dream states? … What people experience on the other side forms a pretty consistent picture of life in another dimension.” (Chapter 5, pages 39-40, Kindle locations 929-943)

13. A parallel situation

This situation is parallel to the situation with European explorers of the 1500s, as they explored America. How did the scholars of that day know which details in the accounts (of explorers) were real and which were exaggerations? Answer: they considered those details that were multiply-attested to be likely reliable, especially when identical details (in topography, degree of forestation, kinds of wildlife, and the characteristics of indigenous people) were reported by a large number of explorers. In the same way, we can consider details to be likely-reliable when they have been commonly-observed in NDEs and reported by a large number of individuals.

In addition, real-life events occurring while an NDE-experiencer is in cardiac arrest or occurring a considerable distance away from the physical body (of the experiencer) have been perceived and reported after the NDE. Blind and deaf people can see or hear in an NDE! These experiences also appear to be veridical or demonstrative of fact. For example, the NDE-experiencer could not have known about an event distant from the physical body, if he/she were limited to the sense faculties residing in his/her physical body—yet they do know and often describe an event in detail! (Cf. Burke, Chapter 2, Kindle locations 373-585; Appendix B: Alternate Explanations for NDEs, Kindle locations 4791-4815; Miller, Chapter 5, pp. 34-37, Kindle locations 829-878.)

14. The “being of light”

By the way, the commonly-observed “being of light” in a sizeable percentage of near-death experiences is a marker or evidence pointing towards theism (belief in the Creator God who intervenes in the universe He has made). This “being of light,” from the perspective of a theistic worldview, could easily be Jesus or an angel. The New Testament records that, “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” (1John 1:5, ESV) (Cf. Miller, Chapter 6, pp. 67-68; Kindle locations 1505-1520)

Furthermore, this being is a personal being who emanates love (correlating with Exodus 34:6; Deuteronomy 7:9; 1John 4:7-19), knows us intimately (correlating with Matthew 10:29-31; Luke 12:6-7), and is therefore magnetically attractive to the average NDE-experiencer (correlating with Psalm 73:23-26). (Burke, Chapter 1 & 5, Kindle locations 242-278, 306-308, 1121-1129; Miller, Chapter 6, pp. 68-69; Kindle locations 1521-1543)

15. Not all NDEs are positive

Some people assume that all near-death experiences are positive, but this is clearly not the case; a significant number are troubling and disturbing. A young artist named Gary had a disturbing NDE, recorded in the book, Dancing Past the Dark: Distressing Near-Death Experiences by Nancy Evans Bush and published by the author in 2012.

Before I quote from Gary’s account, I feel that it may be helpful to remind readers of Jesus’ comforting words in John 10:27-29: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.” (English Standard Version)

No one is able to snatch us out of the Father’s hand once we are in it! The bottom line is this: no one needs to be lost in the following predicament unless they’ve chosen to be—by not taking advantage of Jesus’ offer and assurance of eternal life, which I shall describe.

16. Gary’s experience, part 1

Let’s get back to Gary: Nancy Evans Bush described the beginning of his experience: “A young artist lost control of his car on a snowy winter evening. As the car slid down an embankment and into a brook, he hit his head on the windshield and lost consciousness. He described leaving his body, watching as icy water filled the car …” (Dancing Past the Dark, Chapter 3, Kindle locations 605-607)

Gary himself is quoted next: “I saw the ambulance coming, and I saw the people trying to help me, get me out of the car and to the hospital. At that time I was no longer in my body. I had left my body. I was probably a hundred or two hundred feet up and to the south of the accident, and I felt the warmth and the kindness of the people trying to help me. I felt their compassion and all the good feeling that was emanating from these people. And I also felt the source of all that kind of kindness or whatever, and it was very, very powerful, and I was afraid of it, and so I didn’t accept it. I just said ‘No.’ I was very uncertain about it, and I didn’t feel comfortable, and so I rejected it.” (Ibid, Kindle locations 607-612)

17. The more-amazing part

It’s at this point that Gary’s experience becomes more amazing! But I believe it because there’s a correspondence here to what Jesus called (in the afterlife) “the outer darkness.” Plus, there’s the criterion of embarrassment—it’s unlikely that someone would falsely admit to something that would prove embarrassing to him! Why would anyone lie about something that embarrasses him? Thus, the following is likely the truth.

Gary continued: “And it was at that moment that I left the planet. I could feel myself and see myself going way, way up into the air, then beyond the solar system, beyond the galaxy, and out beyond anything physical. At first I thought I’d just go with it, see where it went, and I stayed as calm as I could, just kind of went with the whole thing. And that part of it was all right for a while.” (Ibid, Kindle locations 612-615)

Continuing: “But then as the hours went on with absolutely no sensation, there was no pain, but there was no hot, no cold, no light, no taste, no smell, no sensation whatsoever. None, other than the fact that I felt a slight sensation of traveling at an extremely fast speed. And I knew I was leaving the earth and everything else, all of the physical world. And at that point it became unbearable, it became horrific, as time goes on when you have no feeling, no sensation, no sense of light. I started to panic and struggle and pray and everything I could think of to struggle to get back, and I communicated with a sister of mine who passed away. And at that moment I went back into my body, and my body at that point had been moved to the hospital.” (Ibid, Kindle locations 615-620)

18. Why did I bring this up?

I related this account for one basic reason: to point out that, if one does not have the assurance of eternal life with God (as opposed to without Him), IT MAY NOT BE SAFE TO DIE!

Suppose, for instance, that Gary’s physical body (in the story above) had not been in revivable condition. Then he presumably would NOT have woken up in the hospital. In that case, he would likely still be in that dark void, even at the present moment!

Therefore, if it may not be safe to die, I feel it’s my obligation to explain how to have eternal life with God—particularly in the midst of this pandemic! It’s the only fair, honest, and upright thing I can do, given that I know what I know.

So I’ll do my best to describe how to have this assurance before the end of this post.

19. Dr. Maurice Rawlings and his encounter

Of course, I’m very aware that the majority of reported NDEs are positive in nature, and often very positive. The late Dr. Maurice Rawlings, a cardiologist and an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Tennessee, had a theory about this. In his book, Beyond Death’s Door (Thomas Nelson, 1978), he described how he became interested in NDEs. John Burke, author of Imagine Heaven (Baker Books, 2015) and virtually an expert on NDEs, described an experience that Dr. Rawlings had while conducting a stress test on a 40-year-old man:

“While doing a stress test, a forty-year-old man had a cardiac arrest and dropped dead in his office. Three nurses rushed in and began CPR while Dr. Rawlings started external heart massage, but the heart would not maintain its own beat.” (Imagine Heaven, Chapter 3, Kindle Locations 657-659)

At this point, Dr. Rawlings picked up the narrative: “I had to insert a pacemaker wire into the large vein. The patient began ‘coming to.’ But whenever I would reach for instruments or otherwise interrupt my compression of his chest, the patient would again lose consciousness … stop breathing, and die once more. Each time he regained heartbeat and respiration, the patient screamed, ‘I am in hell!’ He was terrified and pleaded with me to help him. I was scared to death. In fact, this episode literally scared the hell out of me!” (Quoted in Imagine Heaven, Chapter 3, Kindle Locations 659-663, from Beyond Death’s Door, Thomas Nelson, 1978, pp. 2-5)

Continuing: “After several resuscitations, the man pleaded, ‘Don’t you understand? I am in hell. Each time you quit I go back to hell! Don’t let me go back to hell!’ I dismissed his complaint and told him to keep his ‘hell’ to himself … until I finished getting this pacemaker into place. But the man was serious. ‘How do I stay out of hell? Pray for me!’ He begged. Pray for him! What nerve! I told him I was a doctor, not a preacher.” (Quoted in Imagine Heaven, Kindle Locations 663-667)

20. Dr. Rawlings led him in a prayer

Probably just to comfort the man, Dr. Rawlings led him in a prayer. John Burke described what happened: “It was a dying man’s request, so Dr. Rawlings drew on the little bit of Sunday school he remembered. Even if he didn’t believe it himself, he had the man repeat after him while he continued working: ‘Lord Jesus, I ask you to keep me out of hell. Forgive my sins. I turn my life over to you. If I die, I want to go to Heaven. If I live, I’ll be on the hook forever.’  The patient’s condition finally stabilized.” (Ibid, Kindle Locations 668-670)

My (Roger’s) interpretation of “If I live, I’ll be on the hook forever” is that, if he lived, he would not turn away from God (as some do, once they’re out of trouble), but would instead continue to believe in God and try to do His will.

Burke concluded the account: “A couple of days later, Dr. Rawlings asked his patient to explain what he saw in hell. The patient could not recall any of the unpleasant events …” (Ibid, Kindle Locations 671-672)

21. Dr. Rawlings’ theory

Afterward, Dr. Rawlings formulated his theory, based on the fact that the man had excitedly and alarmingly told him he was in hell, but later could not remember it. Dr. Rawlings reflected: “Apparently, the experiences were so frightening … they were subsequently suppressed far into his subconscious. He does recall standing in the back of the room and watching us work on his body there on the floor.” (Quoted in Ibid, Kindle Locations 673-674)

After doing his own research into NDEs, Dr. Rawlings asserted: “Not all death experiences are good. … The unpleasant experiences in my study have turned out to be at least as frequent as the pleasant ones.” (Quoted in Ibid, Kindle Locations 679-680, from Beyond Death’s Door, p. 8)

Therefore, Dr. Rawlings postulated that, “These [hellish] experiences produce such trauma that they get suppressed in the subconscious mind, and unless a patient is interviewed immediately after resuscitation, we should not expect as many [hellish] accounts to come forward.” Rawlings quotes other doctors reporting a similar blocked-memory response. (Imagine Heaven, Chapter 16, Kindle Locations 3276-3279)

22. George’s positive NDE

However, the news isn’t all bad. There are many, extremely-positive NDEs. I’ll discuss one in which Jesus is specifically identified.

George Ritchie was a young, idealistic, 20-year-old man in 1943, who had enlisted in the United States Army to fight the Nazis. However, in boot camp, he became sick with double lobar pneumonia and actually died—for 9 minutes! After the 9 minutes, he was resuscitated. However, during those 9 minutes, he had the most-exciting adventure of his life! He wrote of this in his book, Return from Tomorrow (Chosen Books, a division of Baker Publishing Group, 1978, 2007).

His story is a long and exciting one (which I’ve read in its entirety); a summarized version is found in the first chapter of John Burke’s Imagine Heaven. In this post, I’ll summarize it even further, as follows: after George died, he didn’t at first realize that he was dead! When he finally did, he repeatedly tried to get back into his physical body, but was unable to at that time.

He wrote in his book: “How could I be dead and still be awake? Thinking. Experiencing. Death was different. Death was … I did not know. … I was me, wide awake, only without a physical body to function in. … There, right there, was my own shape and substance [i.e. physical body], yet as distant from me as though we inhabited separate planets. Was this what death was? This separation of one part of a person from the rest of him?” (Return from Tomorrow, Chapter 5, pp. 56-57, Kindle Locations 566-571; for clarity’s sake, and because of the preceding context, I included the bracketed expression “i.e. physical body.”)

23. George meets the “being of light”

But then the light in the room began to increase or grow brighter. When it became incredibly bright, he saw a man made out of light enter the room—apparently, from my (Roger’s) evaluation, the same being of light that thousands of others met in their near-death experiences! (Ibid, pp. 57-58, Kindle Locations 571-580)

George wrote about him: “I knew that this Man loved me. Far more even than power, what emanated from this Presence was unconditional love. An astonishing love. A love beyond my wildest imagining. This love knew every unlovable thing about me—the quarrels with my stepmother, my explosive temper, the sex thoughts I could never control, every mean, selfish thought and action since the day I was born—and accepted and loved me just the same.” (Ibid, pp. 58-59, Kindle Locations 587-590)

24. The question

This man of light asked George a question: “What did you do with your life?” (Ibid, pp. 61 & 62, Kindle Location 624 & 628)

George reflected: “It seemed to be a question about values, not facts: What did you accomplish with the precious time you were allotted? … Hadn’t I done anything lasting, anything important? Desperately I looked around me for something that would seem worthwhile in the light of this blazing Reality. … Hadn’t I ever gone beyond my own immediate interests, done anything other people would recognize as valuable? … It was not fair! Of course I had not done anything with my life! I had not had time. How could you judge a person who had not started?” (Ibid, pp. 62-63, Kindle Location 627-643)

The man of light responded with no trace of judgment, no harshness: “Death can come at any age.” (Ibid, p. 63, Kindle Location 644)

George reflected: “Well, sure. I knew that babies and little kids died. Somehow I had just always assumed that a full life span was in some way owed me. … [But] He was not blaming or reproaching. He was simply loving me. … He was not asking about accomplishments and awards. The question, like everything else proceeding from Him, had to do with love. How much have you loved with your life? Have you loved others as I am loving you? Totally? Unconditionally? … Why, I had not known love like this was possible. Someone should have told me, I thought indignantly! A fine time to discover what life was all about—like coming to a final exam and discovering you were going to be tested on a subject you had never studied. If this was the point of everything, why hadn’t someone told me?” (Ibid, pp. 63-65, Kindle Location 644-660)

The man of light’s answer was without rebuke or condemnation: “I did tell you. … I told you by the life I lived. I told you by the death I died.” (Ibid, p. 65, Kindle Location 662-664)

25. Who was the being of light?

Now, anyone who knows ANYTHING about the New Testament knows that Jesus lived a life of love and service to others, and that he even loved us so much that he willingly gave his life for us. (Matthew 4:23-25; Mark 6:54-56; John 3:16-17; 10:14-18; Romans 5:6-8; 1Corinthians 15:3-7; 1John 3:16) No other person in history loved so much and gave so much! His intense love is a distinctive characteristic of Jesus. (Matthew 5:43-48; 20:28; 22:34-40; Mark 10:45; 12:28-34; Luke 6:27-36; John 3:16-17; 10:14-18; 13:34-35; 15:12-15; Romans 5:6-8; 1John 3:16)

Therefore, I believe that it’s overwhelmingly probable that Jesus of Nazareth was (and is) this “being of light.” The similarity to Jesus is striking—more so than with anyone else in human history. Why? If Jesus is who He said He is, only He willingly died out of love, for a specific purpose that applies, directly or potentially, to every human being. (John 3:16-17; 10:14-18; Romans 5:6-8; 1Corinthians 15:3-7; 1John 2:2; 4:9-14) I would expect the being of light to participate in such a purpose.

Jesus showed George much more, but for that information, you’ll have to read the book. Obviously, George was resuscitated and recovered from his pneumonia. After being in the Army, he went to medical school and became a doctor. After 13 years of practice, and because he wanted to spend more time with his patients, he went back to medical school and became a psychiatrist; he found that “deeply satisfying.” (Return from Tomorrow, Preface, pp. 12 & 14, Kindle Locations 110-113 & 119-121 & 123=124; Chapter 1, pp. 15-16, Kindle locations 129-136)

26. The Trilemma: three possibilities

As I stated in the last section: if Jesus is who He said He is, only He willingly died out of love, for a specific purpose that applies, directly or potentially, to every human being.

Well, is He—is He who He said He is?

In my third post, I covered many evidences establishing that Jesus of Nazareth was not a myth of any kind, but was a historical person in Galilee and Judea in the first century (though there are more evidences that I’ll cover in Part 2, when world events allow me to get to it).

Also, as I stated in my third post, there are abundant evidences for the New Testament’s historical reliability, some of which we covered in the second and third posts, and more of which we shall examine in future posts. I recommend the scholarly book, The Historical Reliability of the New Testament by Dr. Craig Blomberg; B&H Academic, 2016. I also recommend the lay-friendly book, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Drs. Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, Crossway Books, 2004, Chapters 9-14. Cf. Are the Gospel narratives legendary or historically reliable?; Are there historical documentations of Jesus outside the Bible?

Given that, from these evidences, Jesus’ statements in the New Testament are historical to a high degree of probability (from a purely-logical perspective), C. S. Lewis, the well-known British scholar, was easily able to explain that there are three logical possibilities as to who Jesus was. He wrote in his classic book, Mere Christianity:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” (Mere Christianity, HarperOne, HarperCollins, Revised & Enlarged Edition, 2009, Book 2, Chapter 3, Kindle Locations 801-807)

27. The Trilemma summarized

This reasoning can be summarized thusly: the three logical possibilities are:

(1) Jesus was a lunatic: He believed He was the Son of God and God (the Second Person) incarnate, but He was not. (Matthew 16:13-17; 23:37; Luke 13:34; John 5:19-24; 8:53-58 & Exodus 3:13-14; John 10:27-30; 20:24-29; Revelation 1:8 & 17-18 & 2:8 & 21:6-7 & 22:12-17 & Isaiah 44:6 & 48:12-13)

(2) Jesus was a liar: He knew He was not the Son of God and God incarnate, but He lied in saying that He was.

(3) Jesus was Lord and God (John 20:28-29): He told the truth in saying He was the Son of God and God incarnate. (See above Scriptures under point 1.)

Much of the determining factor for a resolution to this is found in answering the question, Was He raised from the dead? I addressed this in my second post.

28. My opinion as to the resolution

Of course, I’ll offer my opinion as to the resolution here:

(1) Since Jesus was brilliantly rational, extremely insightful, logically sound, and persuasive in His reasoning (more so than anyone else in human history!), He was most-probably not a lunatic. (E.g. Matthew 5:1-16, 43-48; 6:1-15, 25-33; 7:7-14, 24-29; 22:15-33, 41-46; Mark 7:1-23; 12:13-27)

(2) Since Jesus consistently taught and promoted the highest ethical standards imaginable (even that we would love one another so much that we would, if necessary, die for one another), He was most-probably not a liar. (Cf. Matthew 5:43-48; 20:28; 22:34-40; Mark 10:45; 12:28-34; Luke 6:27-36; John 3:16-17; 10:14-18; 13:34-35; 15:12-15; Romans 5:6-8; 1John 3:16)

(3) This leaves the one remaining possibility: that Jesus of Nazareth was (and therefore is) Lord and God, the Son of God and God (the Second Person) incarnate. (Matthew 16:13-17; 23:37; Luke 13:34; John 5:19-24; 8:53-58 & Exodus 3:13-14; John 10:27-30; 20:24-29; Revelation 1:8 & 17-18 & 2:8 & 21:6-7 & 22:12-17 & Isaiah 44:6 & 48:12-13)

By the way, this also means that He is able to offer those of us who believe in Him eternal life—an offer we shall now examine.

29. Why the offer of eternal life is valid

Now, I am well-aware that even some Christians don’t believe that we can presently have this assurance of eternal life—though many other Christians do believe this; most Christians I’ve met believe it.

There are several reasons why I personally believe that we can have this assurance:

(1) As I mentioned three sections back, there are abundant evidences for the historical reliability of the New Testament. (I presented some in the second and third posts; I’ll present more in future posts.) Cf. The Historical Reliability of the New Testament by Dr. Craig Blomberg; B&H Academic, 2016; I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Drs. Norman Geisler and Frank Turek, Crossway Books, 2004, Chapters 9-14; Are the Gospel narratives legendary or historically reliable?; Are there historical documentations of Jesus outside the Bible?

(2) There are over-thirty evidences and reasons supporting the biblical God’s existence—many of which I haven’t covered yet in this blog! I listed some earlier in this post, presented as animated videos,in the eleventh section, “Is eternal life a delusion? Evidences and reasons say no!” For me, many of these arguments are compelling (when they are fairly and adequately presented), especially within a cumulative case.

(Atheists often present diluted, watered-down versions of these arguments and then say, “There, you see; this doesn’t prove God!” Of course the watered-down versions don’t! But the cogent versions are much-more compelling, especially within a cumulative case. Three compelling evidences and logical arguments prompted and convinced me, a former atheist, to believe and become a Christian.)

I’ve also listed websites where evidences for God are examined. These lists are in section 2 of this post (“For those who are suicidal”) and towards the bottom of the home page.

30. The third reason: John 5:24

(3) Jesus very-specifically offers us this assurance in John 5:24: “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (English Standard Version) “Has passed from death to life” obviously means from eternal death to eternal life (i.e. eternal life with God) in this context.

31. Technical features in the Greek

This paragraph and the next deal with technical features of the original Greek of John 5:24: The clause “has passed from death to life” is made all the more specific because “has passed” is a rendering of a Greek perfect tense verb—meaning that the one believing has completely passed over from eternal death to eternal life! The perfect tense denotes a perfectly or fully-completed action (in this case, when the person believed) that has results (i.e. the results of the completed action of passing over from eternal death to eternal life) that extend to or are effective in the present time—that is, we now have or possess eternal life, which is stated in the first clause (“whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life”).

In that first clause, the Greek verb rendered “has” is echei, which is in the third person singular (obviously) and in the present active indicative—meaning that this is asserted or presented as a statement of fact (indicative mood), in the active voice (the subject performs, produces, or, in this case, experiences the action), and in the present tense: the verb describes an activity in progress, usually in the present time—hence, an ongoing activity, either continuous or repeated. (See under “Active Voice,” “The Indicative Mood,” and “The Present Tense: Introduction: The Basic Meaning” in Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics: An Exegetical Syntax of the New Testament by Dr. Daniel B. Wallace, Galaxie Software, 1996, published by Zondervan Academic, 1997.)

32. An aspect explained: eternal life RIGHT NOW

This verb (echei or “has”) therefore denotes a possession of eternal life in the present time (as a statement of fact). In other words, those who believe have eternal life RIGHT NOW. We don’t have to wait until we die to know if we have eternal life with God; we can KNOW it right now because we HAVE it right now! (This is stated even MORE specifically in 1John 5:13, which I consider below.)

This same concept was brought out by theologian and prolific author, William MacDonald, in his Believer’s Bible Commentary (Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1997). He points out the present nature of eternal life and the absence of judgment or condemnation expressed in this verse: “Notice it does not say that he will have eternal life, but that he has it right now. … ‘And shall not come into judgment.’ The thought here is that he is not condemned now and will never be condemned in the future. The one who believes on the Lord Jesus is free from judgment because Christ has paid the penalty for his sins on Calvary. God will not demand the payment of this penalty twice. Christ has paid it as our Substitute, and that is sufficient.”

33. The Amplified Bible’s rendering of John 5:24

The Amplified Bible spells this out even more clearly: in bringing out subtleties in Greek semantics and morphology (through added phrases of commentary), the Amplified Bible Classic Edition renders this verse as: “I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, the person whose ears are open to My words [who listens to My message] and believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me has (possesses now) eternal life. And he does not come into judgment [does not incur sentence of judgment, will not come under condemnation], but he has already passed over out of death into life.” (The Amplified Bible Classic Edition, Zondervan Corporation and The Lockman Foundation, 1987)

Notice that the Amplified has the phrases “the person whose ears are open to My words” and “believes and trusts in and clings to and relies on Him Who sent Me.” These phrases imply that God should NOT simply be an “add on” to our other interests in life, but rather that God should be of principal importance to us—that the believer takes God seriously and truly wants to know Him and to do His will.

34. A bonus but not without trials

A “bonus” coming to those who hold to this belief and perspective is that God draws close to them (James 4:8) and guides their lives in His paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Many Christians have experienced this—God works out their concerns and desires behind the scenes; they can be at peace. (Isaiah 26:3-4) They often find that the scenario worked out in a way that promoted their well-being in God’s plan, though not without problems or trials. (Deuteronomy 5:29; Psalm 37:4-6; Isaiah 48:17-18; John 10:10; Romans 8:28; Ephesians 2:10)

Many Scripture passages teach that God can use problems or trials for our good. (E.g. Romans 5:3-5; 8:28; James 1:2-4) Yes, life is sometimes crazy; some trials can be severe. However, I and many other Christians have found that, if we carefully understand the wisdom of Scripture (Psalm 119:105; James 3:17),and if we accordingly trust God in a trial (Proverbs 3:5-6; Jeremiah 17:7-8)—even if it’s severe—our rationality, endurance, and faithfulness can be preserved—sometimes along with our equanimity!

35. The fourth reason: the assurance of 1John 5:13

(4) This verse is extremely specific: the Apostle John specifies that we are able to know that we have eternal life in 1John 5:13: “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.” (English Standard Version) John was arguably the closest disciple to Jesus (John 13:23-25; 21:20-24); he likely knew what Jesus taught better than any of the other disciples did; we should thus not take his statement lightly, but instead consider it carefully.

In this paragraph and the next two, there are more of the technical aspects of New Testament Greek: In this verse, the Greek verb rendered “may know” is eidete, the second person plural perfect active subjunctive of oida, which therefore suggests “fullness of knowledge” as opposed to “inception or progress in knowledge.” (Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, which includes An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words by W. E. Vine; Thomas Nelson, 1997, G1492, Vol. 2, p. 298)

Thus, since eidete is in the perfect active subjunctive, it means that we, as Christians, might fully or accurately know that we have eternal life. (The second person—the “you” of verse 13—refers to the Christians to whom John was writing. These were not just elders; these were Christians of various ages and levels of spiritual development; cf. 1John 2:12-14.)

And the verb “have” is echete, in the second person plural present active indicative—meaning specifically that, as a statement of fact, we presently have or possess eternal life.

The Amplified Bible Classic Edition renders this as: “I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God … so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life.”

Theologian William MacDonald, again in his Believers Bible Commentary, has: “John states in the clearest terms why he has written the preceding passages. The purpose is that those who believe in the name of the Son of God may know that they have eternal life. … In other words, the Scriptures were written that those who believe on the Lord Jesus may have assurance that they are saved [that is, from the consequences of sin and from Hell]. There is no need of hoping or guessing or feeling or groping in the dark. It is not presumption for one to say that he is saved. John states in the clearest possible manner that those who truly believe in the Lord Jesus may know that they have eternal life.”

A possible prayer

Here’s a possible prayer about one’s relationship to God, formulated by Dr. William Lane Craig. I recommend praying this prayer if it expresses your heart’s desire to know God, to do His will, and to have a relationship with Him:

“God, I really need You. I’ve wandered in darkness long enough. I’ve thought and said and done things that are wrong. I believe that You exist and that You sent Jesus to die for my sins. So right now, in the best way I know how, I commit myself to him as my Lord and Savior. Come into my life, forgive my sins, cleanse me, and make into the person you want me to be. Thank you for hearing this prayer. Amen.” (https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/what-to-do-now-that-im-convinced)

36. The hypothetical knowledge theory and my responses

Some say that the Apostle John didn’t really mean to say that we could REALLY KNOW that we have eternal life. Instead, they say, this knowledge was only hypothetical because we can’t REALLY know that we are truly believing. We may THINK that we’re truly believing, but what if we’re mistaken? We might not TRULY believe; we might only THINK we do! So therefore, this knowledge is only hypothetical—if we COULD know that we truly believe, we could know that we have eternal life. But since we CAN’T know that we truly believe, we really can’t know this.

I have three main responses to this theory; I disagree on the basis of (at minimum) twelve Scripture passages! (John 5:24; Romans 3:21-28; 6:23; 8:1-2, 32; 2Corinthians 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 1:13-14; 2:13; 3:13; Titus 3:4-7; 1John 5:13)

37. The three main reasons summarized

I will summarize briefly my three reasons for disagreeing with this theory:

(1) John would have never written this verse (1John 5:13) as a stated truth—if he knew that there was no realistic hope that it could ever be true! He would have been irrational or insane to do so! If he knew that no Christian could ever know that he/she has eternal life (because we supposedly could never know if we were truly believing), he would have never written (in this verse) that we CAN know and that we ideally SHOULD know!

This is plainly stated and is easy to see in the Amplified Bible Classic Edition of 1John 5:13: “I write this to you who believe in (adhere to, trust in, and rely on) the name of the Son of God … so that you may know [with settled and absolute knowledge] that you [already] have life, yes, eternal life.”

One of John’s prime goals for writing to these Christians was to help them know (with settled and absolute knowledge) that they already have eternal life. Now, it’s not rational to believe that John would pursue this goal if he already knew ahead of time that it was impossible to attain!

(2) But let’s just suppose (for the moment) that John would have wished for something that was clearly impossible. He would still have NEVER plainly stated his wish so that OTHERS would hope for it as well! Doing this would incline people to wish for something that could never be theirs! DOING THIS WOULD BE CRUEL! John, the disciple who focused on love and encouraged Christians to love one another, would have never done this.

Therefore, he would have only stated his wish and desire if it WERE realistically possible and feasible! And this means that IT IS POSSIBLE FOR A PERSON TO KNOW THAT HE/SHE IS TRULY BELIEVING, as we shall see.

(3) We can know with reasonable certainty (according to the following Scripture passages) that our sins are forgiven; therefore, we can know that there is nothing to block or hinder us from our having eternal life right now, especially because God desires to forgive us. (1Timothy 2:3-4; 2Peter 3:9 & John 5:24; Romans 3:21-28; 6:23; 8:1-2, 32; 2Corinthians 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 1:13-14; 2:13; 3:13; Titus 3:4-7)   

38. How we can know that we’re truly believing

We can know that we’re truly believing by what Scripture tells us about the characteristics of a true believer. If a true believer gets to know Scripture well—particularly the New Testament—it will be quite OBVIOUS to him/her that he/she HAS the characteristics of a true believer! I have seen this clearly from my extensive study of the New Testament over many years. There won’t be any doubting or wondering about it! (Therefore, if anyone thinks he/she’s a true believer, getting to know and understand the New Testament well should confirm it.)

In my opinion, these characteristics are primarily three:

(1) A love for Jesus and the things of God, especially a love and hunger for reading, knowing, and understanding the Scriptures in a balanced, theologically-reasonable and responsible way. That is, desiring to know and understand the Scriptures as Jesus and the apostles knew and understood them, apart from distinctively-modern and postmodern reinterpretations and rationalizations. (Matthew 7:24-27; 22:34-40; Luke 11:27-28; John 14:21-23) While it is fully within the capacity of the human mind to rationalize away ANY amount of truth, we don’t necessarily need to yield to this capacity!

(2) An active desire to know and do the will of God in order to please God our Father (Colossians 1:9-10), and in order to live a life of fruit-bearing (Matthew 5:1-16; John 13:34-35; 14:21-23; Galatians 5:22-25), of helping others, and of being a Christian witness. On a foundational level, we love (God and others) because He first loved us. (1John 4:19)

(3) A desire to know and fellowship with other Christians—in person when reasonably possible, though primarily over the Internet in this pandemic. (Hebrews 10:24-25; 1John 1:3-4, 7)

39. Relevant videos

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Roger, a Christian and former atheist

My interests are Christianity, apologetics, theology, and philosophy, along with a significant appreciation for astrophysics, cosmology, and biochemistry. I used to be a very committed and passionate atheist who tried to persuade Christians to become atheists! However, I was challenged by a Christian to investigate and determine for myself whether there was actual evidence for the biblical God. I took up the challenge, found a number of compelling evidences, and, as a result, became a Christian myself! Now I'm blogging about my journey and about how evidence and logic point to God's existence and identity. I believe that this reasoning is cogent by means of many (over thirty) inferences to the best explanation within a cumulative case. (No knowledgeable Christian uses the obviously-fallacious "God of the gaps" reasoning.) If more Christians were familiar with this valid method of reasoning, I believe there would be fewer atheists--the evidences are that strong, especially when they are cumulatively considered. This method is supported by Christians such as William Lane Craig, J. P. Moreland, Victor Reppert, Paul Copan, Gregory Ganssle, Craig Keener, Craig Evans, Craig Blomberg, Michael Licona, John Lennox, Timothy and Lydia McGrew, Robert Spitzer, Edward Feser, Frank Turek, Hugh Ross, Fazale Rana, Kenneth Samples, Anjeanette Roberts, Jeff Zweerink, Michael G. Strauss, James Sinclair, Sean McDowell, Ravi Zacharias, Vince Vitale, Abdu Murray, Amy Orr-Ewing, J. Warner Wallace, Gregory Koukl, and Lee Strobel—among many others..

5 thoughts on “#4: The Coronavirus Pandemic, Near-Death Experiences, and the Assurance of Eternal Life”

  1. Hi again.We’ve heard this conspiracy theory from more than one Christian person:China is really waging biological warfare

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  2. It’s Miranda! I think this was really well written. I also believe this was the best time to post this. I think the way it flowed from the coronavirus information to the assurance of eternal life worked really well to strengthen your point. I also believe the points you made are very valid. I think this post can shed light and give hope during this pandemic. I can’t wait to read the next post!

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  4. Hi Roger it’s Sophie! I found this post very informational, especially because I’ve had limited education on religion. I look forward to reading more posts and expanding my knowledge. I found George Ritchie’s true story to be amazing. Thank you for giving us something so interesting to read during this time:)

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  5. Hi Roger it’s Sophie! I found this post very informational, especially because I’ve had limited education on religion. I look forward to reading more posts and expanding my knowledge. I found George Ritchie’s true story to be amazing. Thank you for giving us something so interesting to read during this time:)

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