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27. THE ULTIMATE GOAL
28. ENTERING ETERNITY
29. AN OVERVIEW OF BIBLICAL HISTORY
30. THE DYNAMICS OF LIFE
- THE IMPLICATION OF NATURAL,
SPIRITUAL, AND MORAL LAW
- SPIRITUAL INFLUENCES
31. ADDED BENEFITS
32. WHY THINGS GO WRONG
- GENERAL CAUSES
- NATURAL DISASTERS
- SPECIFIC JUDGEMENT
- SPIRITUAL INFLUENCE
- THE POWER OF SIN
- CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
- PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
- SUMMARY
- THE BELIEVERS EXPERIENCE
28. ENTERING ETERNITY
COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.The pure joy of having one's sins forgiven, coming to experience the true freedom in Christ, and enjoying a wonderful relationship with God are often sufficient for many to adhere to the Christian life. Yet it is having one's eyes fixed on the goal ahead that often sustains the endurance needed.
In describing what scripture reveals about life after death, it is not possible to prove anything of what follows.
No-one has died, been resurrected, and returned to tell us all about it. Resurrection is a future event.
Sure there is anecdotal evidence of after death experiences both good and bad. There are genuine testimonies from people who obviously experienced something other-worldly. But conclusive proof even of the existence of heaven, let alone life after resurrection, is just not possible.
Again I must resort to previously proposed foundations for the validity of the following. That is: it is perfectly reasonable and logical to accept that there is a God; it is equally reasonable to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that all that He said and did are true (certainly the historical and empirical evidence is weighty); and that it is therefore equally reasonable and logical to accept that the scriptures of the bible are true.
The following outline of life in eternity is all evidenced in scripture. While nothing is of my own invention or supposition, what I have done however is extrapolate the patently obvious from scripture. Where I do make a supposition void of scriptural support, I make that clear. Scripture tends to be succinct, so to develop from truth rational, logical, and often obvious conclusions is reasonable.
When a true Christian dies, he goes immediately to be with Jesus Christ. Many a testimony has been told of Christians in the process of dying, speaking of seeing Jesus immediately before they died. Even within my own family circle there is a story of such an event My wife's grandmother wrote of an experience she had as a young woman, where a young boy cousin of hers in the act of dying, sat upright and declared that he could see Jesus coming for him. He immediately fell back on the bed dead.
Heaven is a place where only believers go.
Prior to Jesus' death and resurrection, the dead all went into Hades (which is also called hell). Hades is located down in the earth. In Jesus' day, it was divided into two parts. One for the faithful and righteous, which Jesus called Paradise; the other for the unfaithful and wicked. One was pleasant, the other unpleasant, and the divide between them was impassable.
After Jesus had died on the cross, He descended into the earth (into the Paradise of Hades) for three days and three nights, where he preached His gospel to the righteous dead. After that specific period of time, He led the company of the faithful, righteous dead, out of Hades, relocating Paradise in heaven, which is located above the earth.
Those consigned to the other part of Hades remained, not having a second opportunity to put right their wrongdoing. The place that remained is what is called hell today. The Greek word for this hell is Gehenna.
This scriptural truth clearly teaches that no-one could be in heaven where God abides, unless they had specifically believed on Christ.
Now when a Christian dies he goes straight to heaven to be in the presence of Christ. Little is known about heaven, perhaps even less than is known about hell. It is after all, simply a waiting place. Souls in hell are waiting for judgement while souls in heaven are waiting for resurrection to eternal life.
Because no-one in heaven has an actual physical body, the expectation is that their form is like an apparition or ghost. Anecdotal evidence of those who have died, tell of going into heaven only to be sent back, and they relate how they recognised loved ones who had previously died in the faith. They experienced a tremendous sensation of love and peace, and of seeing incredible colours that they had never seen before. Limited testimony conveys that the geography seemed very earth like but incredibly beautiful. The Greek word for paradise includes in its meaning "Eden", so perhaps it is very much like what the Garden of Eden was like at the beginning of creation - who knows?
None of these claims surprise me but they are incidental. There are some Christians who believe that when one dies they may go to be with Christ, but that they are actually in a state of sleep, since Jesus often used the term sleep synonymously with death.
I tend to believe there is a conscious awareness in heaven with Christ rather than being in sleep mode. The weight of scripture to support this is stronger, not the least being the apostle Paul's testimony of having been taken into the third heaven and seen things that he was not permitted to talk about.
Besides, angels dwell in heaven in a dimension beyond ours. Therefore it doesn't require much credulity to accept that souls passed from this life also inhabit a similar dimension.
Sitting around in heaven on clouds playing harps may be the classic depiction of life in heaven but in reality this concept is no more realistic than the devil having a red suit, horns, and a trident in his hand. Whatever heaven is, it is only a temporary abode, as heaven is not the ultimate destination.
Scripture makes it clear that abiding in heaven is but a waiting period until Christ returns to earth, at God's allocated time. When that time comes, Jesus Christ will descend from heaven placing his physical presence on earth, so as to establish His rule and government on earth itself.
This is when things really start to happen. ………
30. THE DYNAMICS OF LIFE
COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.As we embark on the journey of exploring the spiritual dynamics of life in this world, it is important to again reiterate the overriding precedence of two truths, which have immeasurable impact in all of life. One is that God has given man freewill and that He will not manipulate, coerce, or deny that freewill in respect of our responsibility in life. The other is that God gave man dominion in this world, and like freewill, He allows man to exercise that dominion to extremes. These two fundamental truths go a long way to helping us understand why things work out the way they do. Knowing too that in life we must also contend with a spiritual realm opens up a perspective that most people find totally foreign. So where to from here?
In grasping an understanding of the meaning and purpose of life, we need to recognise that life has a certain dynamic to it. There is a distinct correlation between man's course in life and the unseen spirit realm. There is also a distinct correlation between the outcomes in man's life and the laws of God. Both these principles need to be clearly understood to better appreciate how life works out and how we can obtain better outcomes in our own individual circumstances.
From the brief overview of biblical history (and I mean brief), you will hopefully realise that God is not controlling the world or having a difficult time doing it well. It is man who is driving the course of the world, and he is having a particularly difficult time doing it well.
It is important to know that God is in control; it is just that He is not controlling. God reigns over all. It is His universe, His earth, and His creation. And God has a master plan that He is accomplishing over the course of life. Scripture tends to indicate that God has allocated man about seven thousand years, from Adam to the culmination of human life as we know it. As I have already explained, God has set in motion the course of life, with the ultimate objective of taking all those who choose to love Him into eternity. The misery, pain, sin, and death that man has perpetrated on earth through an unwitting allegiance with Satan, will not continue forever and has an end. Therefore, God has been, is, and always will be in full control of what transpires on earth. God's plan and purposes will be established regardless what course man takes.
It is also important to realise that God is not constantly amending or adjusting His plan to fit around what man chooses to do. God has never needed to move from "plan A" to "plan B". The freewill of man is constrained by his own mortality and limits of power - man can only do so much. So while man can freely choose to follow a course of his own making, he can never surprise God or force God to alter His plan and purpose. God has no need to manipulate the course of history because He knows the course of history in His foreknowledge - God knows the end from the beginning. (Refer to appendix for explanation of the foreknowledge of God and predestination).
While God has consistently refrained from interfering overtly or manipulating in the affairs of men, He has had considerable influence behind the scenes - but so has Satan. God gave man dominion in this world and every opportunity to make it a fantastic experience. Whenever it hasn't worked out that way, it's because man has been more influenced by Satan than by God. We can appreciate however, that there have been and still are times and places, when life goes along really well.
We have enjoyed times of prosperity, freedom, peace and so much more. It is just that we are not capable enough of maintaining it that way for very long. These fluctuations in fortunes are because man is influenced by the spirit world. It is not God having good days and bad. Man is steering the ship and God competes with Satan for the souls of man through the process of life.
Objectively this may sound like some cruel game of God. Sure He has the power to swoop down out of heaven and make things right any time He likes. But the big picture is God's ultimate objective. This is to take into eternity all those who decide by freely choosing of their own volition, without any manipulation or coercion, to accept God's sovereign rule over their lives. For God to swoop down out of heaven and fix up every failing of man would be tantamount to uninvited dominant control, and surely that would be seen as playing games with us. It would also totally negate our freewill and usurp our independent choice of self-governance. In effect it would completely destroy the plan and purpose of God.
Although God's ultimate purpose is to take man into a perfect eternity, He has given man the opportunity to simply settle for this life. God does not make life in this world difficult for man with the intention of causing man to look for something more. People can ignore God altogether and He will still extend His provision for this life to them. This enables people to find success and enjoy much in life. God allows people to have a great time in this world apart from Him. This fact is most important to understand. If God did not allow man to live a full life apart from Him, He would effectively be manipulating life to force man to choose Him. God will not do this. The point is, that when things don't go well for man it is a direct result of his own doing and the influence of Satan. God may then use these unpleasant situations to help direct man's thinking to the eternal realm and influence him to seek Him, but the option is always with man.
For those who do choose God's way, life doesn't always get better. We probably know of instances where Christians have been persecuted, even to death. The primary objective for reconciling to God is not to have a great life in this world but to enter into eternal life with Him.
So then how does life work out on a day-by-day and year-by-year basis?
I'm sure you've got the picture clear by now. Man makes independent freewill choices that determine all aspects of life from personal circumstances through to directing the course of nations.
But it is not just as simple as that. Man is a spiritual creature and is subject to influence from the spirit world. Man is therefore subject to respond in a particular way based on the "advice" he receives from the spirit world. None of this advice or influence robs man of his freewill, but the influence can be quite powerful and frequently determines the course or outcome of certain events.
When we consider how influence works in our everyday natural life, we have a reasonable appreciation of how it works in the spirit realm. We are influenced in the decisions we make by any number of factors. What we have been taught or have learned, previous experience, circumstances, overall objectives or goals, and the advice of family, friends, colleagues, etc. are all significant influences in helping us make decisions. Even trite things like the weather, moods, superstitions, etc. can also influence the decisions we make.
If there is indeed a spirit world as I have asserted, is it surprising that we should be subject to influences from that realm as well? Of course not - it's just that we usually don't recognise it when we are. Before examining how this influence works, it is important to understand the framework within which this influence takes place. ………
32. WHY THINGS GO WRONG
COPYRIGHT: This book and all excerpts are the sole copyright of author Grant Bowater. No reproductions for any purpose may be made without the prior permission of the author obtained in writing.Why things go wrong in life, particularly disasters and tragedies, is an age-old mystery. Hindsight will often reveal how things went wrong, but not always why. While contributing factors may be obvious, it is the inexplicable element in things that go wrong that frequently confounds us. Some may call it fate, while others will see it as simply bad luck. Astrologers would look to the stars, and diviners resort to the tarot cards or tea leaves. But understanding the mysteries of fortune are generally beyond most people's knowledge.
If by gaining a clearer understanding of the purpose and meaning of life there is any way we can avoid, prevent, or at least minimize unfortunate outcomes, we have gained much. It is my objective therefore, to give some explanation for why things go wrong. By identifying a number of contributing factors we can relatively easily make the necessary adjustments in life to significantly improve the probability of more successful outcomes in the future. Resigning our destinies to fate is defeatism. We have the means available to change our fortunes and it is not that difficult to attain them.
In the midst of unfortunate circumstances, we desperately want to know why, or more importantly what we must do to prevent things getting worse or change things for the better. Whether natural disasters, war, famine, pestilence, personal tragedy, or just regular failure, knowing why can bring some consolation. It may also reveal the means for easing, stopping, or even reversing unpleasant events. At the very least it should provide us with the knowledge to help avert any similar disaster occurring in the future.
Why, is a perfectly reasonable question to ask and is a fundamental issue that should be addressed. In many situations the cause is purely pragmatic. Lack of knowledge or experience, not having the right tools or equipment, poor preparation, hastiness, slackness, oversight, or any number of similar factors may well be the contributing cause. Before looking past these factors, it is important to appreciate that many times the answer is as simple as not having covered all the bases. We must do the natural and the obvious things well before looking elsewhere. The essence however of what I am addressing is the spiritual factor - the intangible factor of fortune or fate.
It is when things go horribly wrong despite responsible preparation and practice. It is when we are sideswiped 'out of the blue' so to speak, that leaves us battered and confused. It is when there appears to be 'no rhyme nor reason' - these are the issues we want answers to.
To propose that I have the answer to every kind of circumstance would be audacious to say the least, and so that is not my intention. I merely suggest that by explaining what scripture and personal experience has revealed to me, I may assist others in finding some understanding for their own situation or circumstance.
Unfortunately there is no simple panacea for our problems. It will also be irritating for some that God features in much of what I have to say. However it is only logical that if God does indeed exist and His word provides the fabric of life, then understanding what He says about certain things may well go a long way to finding the solutions we seek. Notwithstanding a conversion to Christ, there are still fundamental truths that any person can apply, and increase the likelihood of improving their overall circumstances.
Things go wrong because we are in a perpetual struggle between good and evil in the spiritual realm. The answer to fortune or fate lies in minimizing Satan's influence and maximizing God's influence. While this can best be accomplished from a Christian perspective, non-Christians or unbelievers can still capitalize on the goodness of God. God has made a commitment to protect and sustain human life irrespective of the choices men make. He extends His goodness to all in the expectation that His goodness will lead men to repentance. It is reasonable therefore, that any unbeliever in their quest for truth, can apply the basic principles of life, and enjoy more favourable outcomes in their daily circumstances.
Because God has ultimate control in life, He takes full responsibility for every outcome, even though the cause of disaster may be directly related to human failure. Like any responsible CEO (Chief Executive Officer), the buck stops with God. Therefore when things go wrong, it is reasonable to ask God why. Believers in the Old Testament of the bible did exactly the same thing. If disaster or tragedy befell them, they were quick to ask God 'why', and in most instances God was ready to tell them too. This is commonsense - find the problem and fix it!
Strangely enough 'why' is a question many Christians are dissuaded from asking. Some Christians seem to consider that asking 'why' is an affront to God somehow. I suspect this view has developed for any one of a number of reasons. The more obvious include: not having a sufficiently close enough relationship with God to feel comfortable enough to ask or to be able to hear the answer when He replies; feeling that in not being able to provide adequate answers the Christian faith is somehow undermined; not wanting to know the answer in case it reveals wrong behaviours that need to change; fear that God is just not big enough or powerful enough to help; and suspecting that the answer may put the responsibility where we don't want to acknowledge it.
God's Word promises good things for those who believe and obey. If trusting God did not deliver better outcomes than not trusting God, who would bother to believe and obey? It is perfectly reasonable then to ask God why and expect an answer. I am convinced God requires that of us because that is part of the learning process. It is also part of a leadership responsibility to take up the petition of the aggrieved party before God, and help the afflicted learn why, so as to bring understanding, wisdom and correction. The more pertinent question is, "Do we really want to know?" If knowing why places responsibility where we don't want it, or requires us to change, we may be happier in ignorance. These dilemmas aside, let's get down to the nuts and bolts of the matter. ………