Friday: Further Thought ~ Death in a Sinful World

Further Thought: Read Ellen G. White, “The Temptation and Fall,” Pages 52-62 and “The Plan of Redemption,” Pages 63-70, in Patriarchs and Prophets; “The Knowledge of Good and Evil,” Pages 23-27, in Education.

Image © Stan Myers from GoodSalt.com

In recent years, studies have been done on what is called Near Death Experiences (NDEs). What happens is that people “die,” in that their hearts stop beating, and they stop breathing. However, they then come back to life, but with fantastic stories of floating into another realm of existence and meeting a being of light. Some even talk about meeting long-dead relatives. Many people, even Christians, who don’t understand the truth about death, believe that these stories are more proof of the immortality of the soul. However (and this should be the clearest warning that something is amiss), most who have these experiences claim that the spiritual beings whom they had met during the NDEs gave them comforting words, nice statements about love, peace, and goodness. But they hear nothing about salvation in Christ, nothing about sin, and nothing about judgment. While getting a taste of the Christian afterlife, shouldn’t they have gotten at least a smidgen of the most basic Christian teachings along with it? Yet, what they’re taught sounds mostly like New Age dogma, which could explain why, in many cases, they come away less inclined toward Christianity than they were before having “died.” Also, why did none of the Christians, convinced that their NDEs were a preview of the Christian heaven, ever get any Christian theology while there, as opposed to a big dose of New Age sentimentalism? The answer is that they were being deceived by the same one who deceived Eve in Eden, and with the same lie, too. (See lesson 11.)

Discussion Questions:

How does the experience of Adam and Eve demonstrate that God’s forgiveness does not necessarily reverse all consequences of sin? Why is this such an important truth to remember always?
The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was the “enchanted ground” of the enemy for Adam and Eve. What are some “enchanted grounds” that we might find ourselves tempted to enter?
Satan is trying to lead God’s people to believe that “the requirements of Christ are less strict than they once believed, and that by conformity to the world they would exert a greater influence with worldlings.” — Ellen G. White, Testimonies to Ministers and Gospel Workers, p. 474. What should we do in order not to fall into this subtle trap?

<–Thursday

Amen!