Have you ever wondered why humans desire to live forever, and why humans do the best theycan to survive? For centuries, people have desired to improve their health and lifestyle to live longer. But the question is, why? God answers this question by saying that He has “set eternity in the human heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This means that every person has the desire to live foreverbecause God put that desire in their hearts. Additionally, one must remember that when God created everything, humans were not meant to die. Yet, Adam’s and Eve’s sin brought death into the world (Romans 5:12-21). Because of this, now humans suffer all kinds of evils, death is part of every person, and people fear death.
Even though this is an awful situation, it is not the end of the story. Jesus Christ, God the Son, came to save the world from sin (the bad things that you and I do, think, and say), evil, and the fear of death. Jesus did it by coming to the earth in human form, dying on the cross, and coming back to life on the third day, never to die again (Philippians 2:5-11). The Bible says that if any person repents from their sins and believes in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, God will forgive their sins (Acts 16:31), life for eternity (1 John 5:13), and remove the fear of death(Hebrews 2:15).
The fear of death is not removed so that people sin against God by taking their life, but it is removed so that people can live freely by trusting that God is in control of their lives and deaths. And that a death that happens at God’s appointed time is, as Billy Graham said, “a doorway toeternity … a change of address from earthly life to being in God’s presence.” When God calls us to his presence, it is where we live a forever perfect and happy life, free from all sin and evil, and we will be able to see God face-to-face, hug him, and talk to him— all that our true self desires.
God has not only stated these facts in the Bible, but He has also placed evidence around the world that points to the facts of the Bible on the afterlife. One of those pieces of evidence is what is known as near-death experiences (NDEs). NDEs are events that occur after a person has been declared dead by a doctor and does not have a heartbeat or brain activity. Nonetheless, somehow the person returns to the body and recounts the event that happened. The information provided through the event can be verified for people, objects, and situations that a person who experiences the NDE cannot control.
For example, Gary Habermas, an expert on NDEs, tells the story of a woman who had been declared dead by the doctor, experienced an event, and then told the event upon her recovery. While she did not have a heartbeat or brain activity, she said that she got out of her body and was looking down at her body and the hospital room. While she was in the room, she saw a medical machine that was about six to eight feet height, which was above everyone’s head, and had a twelve-digit number. She memorized the number in order.
Then, she comes back to her body and asks the nurse to write the number that she is about to tell her, which is on the top of the medical machine in the room. The nurse wrote the number on a paper. A few days later, some hospital workers are about to move the machine, and the nurse asked one of the workers to get a ladder and check if there is a number on the top of the machine, and if it matches what is written on the paper. The worker goes up and checks. To their surprise, the number is the same twelve-digit number that the woman who claimed to have an out-of-the-body experience memorized. There is no way that the lady could have known the number beforehand, or that someone could have told her. The lady experienced NDE and was verified by other people and objects that are out of her control.
This is only one of the many NDEs that have been verified by other people and objects. This is also one of the many pieces of evidence for an afterlife. By choosing to repent and believe in Jesus, one is choosing a forever life over a forever death (John 11:25-26). A perfect and happy life with God— a life that we were made for and desire.
If this is the kind of life you desire, you can pray right where you are with all your heart, and tell Jesus that you repent from your sins, and that you believe He is God, He died on the cross, and rose from the grave on the third day. He is listening to you and desires to hear from you. If you have questions, you can also ask Him. He will never stop loving you and is not afraid of your questions. You can ask your parents, your church leaders, or email us.
Written by Camila Hernandez