Dealing with Doubts - Why I Believe in Life After Death, Part 1

When you breathe your last breath and close your eyes one final time, what happens next?

People are fascinated by that question. Is there life after death? Is it just lifeless nothingness? Or is there evidence to say once we die, we are actually alive somewhere, somehow, in some way?

Well, today we'll look at seven specific evidences for life after death. Stay with me. Welcome to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Our mission is to inspire Christians to be genuine followers of Jesus and to empower them to be active disciple makers in our world. We're thrilled to have you with us as we dive deeper into our series, Dealing with Doubts. Today Chip tackles an incredibly relevant topic bound to spark good conversations. So please listen closely to this message, then find time later to share it with someone in your life.

You can do that through the Chip Ingram app or by sending them the free MP3s at livingontheedge.org. So with that, here's Chip with his talk, Why I Believe in Life After Death. A number of years ago, I lived in a very unusual town on the coast of California. Unusual in that it was very new age, very progressive, actually had multiple satanic bookstores. And often there would be groups pop up that would be odd, to say the least. And one was a group called Goths for short, or Gothic. And they would dress in all black and they talked about death.

And it's just from dirt to dust, there's no meaning. Philosophically, they were nihilists, there's no meaning to life, we don't care. And there were a group of young people and they would kind of travel in groups. And a young man in our church got with the wrong crowd, got involved with them, overdosed on drugs and died. And I remember multiple conversations with them, talking with them about the meaning of life, and nothing matters, you know, you die, you're dust, that's it.

And then I'll never forget, I actually did the funeral and watching this wave of young people come in all dressed in black, some with their painted faces all in white, very bizarre. And they begin to talk about this young man who is a winsome, winsome young guy. And they started talking about how special he was, and then almost in unbelief it was like, and he's in a better place, and he's out of his hurting, and that addiction won't haunt him anymore. And I'm going, wait a minute, I mean, I didn't say that, but it's like, what about dirt to dust and there's no meaning?

And here's what I can tell you. It's amazing how people can talk about, you know what, there's nothing, when you die, you die, heck, you know, I don't care whether I go to hell or not, there's a lot of hell on earth. And yet, when someone close to you dies, when you're faced with terminal cancer, I have rarely met anyone that is not asking the question with deep, deep sincerity, is there life after death?

And if there is, what happens? And that is, I would say, one of the most, if not the most important question that we could ever ask. And so that's what I want to do. I want to suggest that there are seven evidences of life after death. Now, any single one of these is not going to be a proof, but all I want you to do is think with me, and I want you to get this idea that as we look at life and culture and time, the preponderance of the evidence is that there's life after we die. First, there's nature, the pattern of nature.

You know, fruit has a seed, seeds you plant, the seed dies and then it grows. There's winter, but after the winter, there's spring, and it was Plato who said, I'm not sure what's after death, but nature seems to give us a picture of what it'll be like, some kind of life after death. The argument, if you will, from anthropology, if you went from the Himalayas to the Amazon to North America, South America, every culture over time, everywhere, has a sense and a teaching and a history of there's life after death. And whether it's the pyramid of the Egyptians or the coin in the mouth of the Greeks, everyone is preparing for something happens after you die, at least in human history. Third is psychology, this inner, innate sense that there's more to life than just now. The Bible would put it this way, that God has planted eternity in our hearts.

C.S. Lewis in his Mere Christianity said, if you're living in a world and there's a sense that somehow, no matter what you try and get, it's not enough, there's something missing, he said, maybe it's because you were made for another world. This sense of ought, this psychological sense that we have that you never can have it all here. Fourth is ethics. You know, when you think about justice, and we'd all say life isn't fair, the argument of ethics is there has to be life after death because if there's gonna be justice, if there's gonna be right and wrong, good needs to be rewarded and evil needs to be punished. And if that doesn't happen in this life, for there to be genuine ethics, it has to happen in the next life.

Very closely related to that in classical philosophy is Immanuel Kant took the concept of ethics and he said, if God is good and there is justice, there can't be, there cannot be justice and a good God without an afterlife when he looked at the evil in the world. And then one that's kind of interesting is near-death experiences, science if you will. I did a little research on this and there's been a lot of anecdotal popular books, actually millions of books have been sold on these near-death experiences.

And yet there was a group in the UK that did actual research. They did empirical studies of people that actually had died. There was over 2,000 people in 15 hospitals and their heart stopped, they had no brainwave and of those 40% of those that literally were dead and were resuscitated had some awareness or some story in general of recollection after they died. Approximately 16% of them experienced this euphoric light, just love and warmth.

23% experienced either total darkness or a tunnel of darkness. And then 2% had what we call the out-of-body experience. They literally, they're dead and they felt their body float out and they would watch the doctors, they heard jokes, sometimes they would even afterwards tell the doctors what they were saying and people were shocked. One lady, verified story, literally said she came out of the room, she continued to float, she went above the hospital and she saw a tennis shoe on the roof. Later she was revived and she told them that story and they went up, are you ready?

Tennis shoe on the roof. Does it prove there's life after death? Well, you know, it proves that when your brainwaves stop, when your heart stops beating, it doesn't mean that your consciousness is necessarily gone.

And of course, one of the strongest proofs for me is Jesus in the Bible. Jesus was so clear that there is life after death. In fact, he raised people from the dead. He died and rose again.

He's the authority on that. So the cumulative evidence of nature, psychology, anthropology, science, ethics, philosophy in the Bible, I think is a strong case to say, when you look at all those things together, the probability that there is life after death is extraordinarily high. And that raises a really, really big question. What happens?

What happens when a person dies? Every culture around the world has some story. And in most of the stories, there's some level of accountability. There's a balance.

There's a good place or a bad place called different things in different cultures. And here's what I want to do. What does the Bible say? As a follower of Christ, what happens the minute after a person dies?

And that's what I want to walk you through. Now, I wish I could say there's this book of the Bible and it says this is what happens after you die and you just read that book. It's literally woven all the way through scripture. And so I'm going to take the lens and I'm going to pull it back. I'm going to take all that I understand that it says everywhere in scripture. And I think I can summarize it in four large basic truths. And as you do that, it'll give us a beginning understanding of what happens after you die.

You're listening to Living on the Edge. Before we hear the rest of Chip's message, let me remind you that we are a listener-supported ministry. Your regular gifts help us create programs like this one, develop new resources, and encourage pastors globally. Prayerfully consider becoming a monthly partner today. Then go to LivingOnTheEdge.org to give a gift.

Thanks so much for your support. We'll hear again as Chip. This is what the Bible teaches, these four summary statements. Number one, at death, every person's soul or spirit enters immediately and consciously into relational aspects of eternal existence.

Let me say that again. Immediately after a person dies, your immaterial you, the real you, not your body, enters immediately and consciously into the relational aspects of existence. Your body goes into the grave, but your soul, your spirit, is in eternity. Now, where do I get that and where does the Bible teach that? It's Jesus' paradigm of the afterlife. If you want to know how Jesus and people viewed the afterlife and what happened, you listen to what Jesus taught.

Listen to Luke chapter 16. There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table.

Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. And then the rich man also died and was buried in Hades where he was tormented. And he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. So he called him, Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in the water and cool my tongue because I am in agony in this fire. But Abraham replied, Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.

And besides all of this, between us there is a great chasm that is fixed so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us. He answered, then I beg you, Father, send Lazarus to my brothers, for I have five brothers, let him warn them so they will not come to this place of torment. Abraham replied, they have Moses and the prophets, let them listen to them.

In other words, the word of God. No, Father Abraham, he said, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent. Now notice how Jesus responds, if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.

It's rather prophetic, isn't it? In fact, what he's saying is if we don't listen to God's word, we wouldn't be convinced even if we saw some great and miraculous things. But the apostle Paul has a very similar paradigm of the afterlife. Second Corinthians chapter five, he talks about our bodies being a tent and this body is a tent and it's temporary. And then here's his line, when we're absent from the body, we're present with the Lord.

All I want you to get is when you die, there's not soul sleep, when you die, you will immediately and consciously be aware of your new surroundings. The apostle Paul says, the moment I die, I'm at home with the Lord. He would say in Philippians chapter one, you know, I don't know if I'm going to make it or not. He was ready to be executed. He didn't know, maybe I'll get delivered, maybe I won't. And then he said this, it's better for you if I stick around because I can minister more.

It's better for me if I leave. But then he makes this point, he says, to live is Christ, to die is gain. What he understood was the moment he died, he'd be in the presence of Christ.

Second major overall point in terms of the afterlife. One day, everyone will be resurrected and live forever. I don't know how long I was a follower of Christ. And I don't know how I didn't get this, but I sort of had this picture that, yes, if you're a follower of Jesus and you believe in him, you'll get resurrected.

But I didn't think about everyone, listen to the apostle Paul. He's just presented his testimony and he's giving a defense and they're giving him a hard time. And now he defends himself in Acts 24, 14 and 15. He says, however, I admit that I worship the God of my fathers as a follower of the way, which you all call a sect. I believe everything that agrees with the law and that which is written in the prophets.

And I have the same hope in God as these men, speaking of the Jewish accusers. Then get this, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. Everyone gets resurrected. Think of that.

Everyone is going to live forever somewhere. That's sobering, isn't it? Think about your friends. Think about your family.

Think about your coworkers. This being a follower of Christ isn't this little window where we just kind of do our thing and go to our building and sing our songs and listen to someone like me teach God's word. After we die, we have the promise of immediately being in the presence of God. And after everyone dies, what we know is this, we will all be judged.

Third, every person will be judged and granted the extended capacity to fulfill in eternity the deepest yearnings and desires of their heart while on earth. Now let me unpack this. It's a really long sentence and I still remember writing it for the first time. I remember putting it in notes the first time and having many people tell me, you can't put that in your notes. It's way too long. It's way too complicated. Well, guess what?

I put it in my notes. Listen again carefully. Every person will be judged. Believer, unbeliever, every person who's been born will be judged and we'll learn Jesus is the judge. Now listen to this and we'll be granted the extended capacity. In other words, whatever they were experiencing on earth, they're going to have an extended capacity. They're going to experience whatever they had on earth, an extended capacity in eternity.

Notice to fulfill the deepest yearnings and desires of their heart. The Bible says in Hebrews 9, it's appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment. So we're all judged. Now listen to the judge who is Jesus. John chapter 5 verses 25 to 27. Jesus is speaking.

I tell you the truth. A time is coming and now has come when the dead will hear the voice of the son of God and those who hear will live. For as the father has life in himself, so he has granted the son to have life in himself and he has given him authority to judge because he is the son of man. Do not be amazed at this for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice.

And so he's the judge and let me roll this out for you in a way that you can understand. There are some people that have come to know Jesus and they long to know him better. They get up in the morning and they read God's word and they talk to him and they want to learn and they want to grow and they're learning to love and they just have this passion for Jesus, this desire to love him and know him. When they are judged and God looks at them and he sees, oh, you put your faith in my son so all of his righteousness is on you and all your sins were placed on him, the capacity to have an extended yearning and longing to know God more and more and more will be given to them. They also probably wanted to develop their gifts and love other people.

So in heaven, they'll have an extended capacity to grow and use their gifts and love people and in ways they never dreamed that they could never have on this earth. By contrast, there are people that their deepest yearning and desire was, I'm the boss. I want life my way. I'm going to stay in control.

No one's going to tell me what to do. And God says to them, this desire to stiff our me, this desire to have your own way and you be your little king of your little world, you will have an extended capacity. In other words, you're going to get to enjoy that, if you will, forever and ever and ever apart from Christ. See, what I want you to understand is that when you really want to know what you believe, just ask yourself, what do you really love? What do you really love? Who do you really love? And if you're not sure, then just kind of open your day timer, you know, remember those old things, or your phone and look where your time goes and then open your checkbook or your 401k and then look at your credit cards and look where your money goes.

And then what do you dream about and where does your energy go? And what I can tell you is this, whatever you love reveals the deepest desires and yearnings of your heart. And see, I think we live in a day where people have all kind of like, oh, I think this and I feel this and, you know, so and so says that and I have this emotion and I think we're greatly, greatly deceived.

If you want to know what you love, look at your passions, your money, your priority and your time. This is Living on the Edge, and you've been listening to part one of Chip's message, Why I Believe in Life After Death, from our series, Dealing with Doubts. Chip will be back shortly to share some helpful application for us to think about. Did you know there's a lot of solid, verifiable evidence that supports the truth of Scripture and the existence of Jesus? The real challenge lies in communicating that proof and the hope of the gospel to those sincerely seeking answers. So how do we do that? Well, in this series, Chip and guest teacher John Dickerson share ways to effectively and winsomely address honest questions about our faith that will attract people to the Bible, not repel them from it.

Also, we want you to have all the necessary tools for those conversations. So whenever you hear a book, podcast, or article mentioned in this series, visit LivingOnTheEdge.org and check out our resources page. We want to point you to relevant, biblically grounded experts who will equip you to engage with the doubters and skeptics in your life. Find that resources page at LivingOnTheEdge.org or through the Chip Ingram app. Well, before we go any further, here's Chip with a quick word.

Thanks so much, Dave. I want to take just a moment to talk directly to those of you that are seeking a way to be more connected to the ministry of Living on the Edge. We're in need of partners who will take a step of faith and make a monthly financial commitment to the ministry. You may be thinking that because we reach millions of people through radio and broadcast and online and ministry resources that we probably don't need the money or that we're supported by all these people. The fact is it's a very small percentage of all the people who listen or do small group resources that actually give to the ministry. We depend on and we deeply appreciate those partners who make the decision to walk with us, especially with a monthly commitment.

It doesn't have to be a large amount. So let me ask you, would you please pray about becoming a monthly partner? Thanks so much in advance for whatever God leads you to do.

Thanks, Chip. Well, if joining the Living on the Edge team is an idea that makes sense to you, let me encourage you to become a monthly partner. You can do that today by visiting LivingOnTheEdge.org or by calling 888-333-6003. Take a few minutes to help others benefit from the work of this ministry.

Call 888-333-6003 or go to LivingOnTheEdge.org. App listeners, tap donate, and thanks in advance for supporting us in any way you can. Well, here again is Chip. As we close today's program, I really want to encourage you to join us for the rest of the message. The real meat of this message, I mean, what really happens to us the second after we die is in part two.

Now, with that said, on a little bit of a lighter note, I said something that a lot of people, they kind of tilt their head and I look at them and I realize they don't quite get what I mean. When I said we have an extended capacity to love and learn when we get to heaven, here's what I mean. What the Bible clearly teaches is that if you have skills and if you have talents, those things don't just go away.

But in heaven, you will have an extended capacity. If you're a musician, that means you'll play music, you'll write new music. If you're an author, you'll write new things, new poems. If you're an artist, you'll create new art. If you're a leader, there's going to be roles in leadership and community and life.

If you're a builder, there's going to be some things to build. If you're a scholar, you're going to do research into the infinite mystery of God. I mean, there is a whole world. Heaven is not sipping iced tea and floating around on clouds. Here's what I want you to know. There's a dynamic, fulfilling life that's beyond description for all those who've trusted Christ. You don't want to miss it. We'll talk more about that in our next broadcast and what really happens after we die.

Great word, Chip. And if you've been searching for some solid biblical answers about heaven, let me encourage you to check out our resources for The Real Heaven. Whether you get Chip's popular book or the small group study, you'll walk away with a more accurate and exciting view of the place God's preparing for us.

Go to livingontheedge.org and search for The Real Heaven. You'll be glad you did. Well, thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram. Next time, we'll continue our series, Dealing with Doubts. But for now, I'm Dave Druey, and I hope you'll join us then.