Near Death Experiences

According to the rather newly formed International Association of Near-Death Studies (IANDS), there have been over 900 accounts of these events, with 280 of these being reported in the last year. And the number of stories that are finding their way into book form, and for sale in the Christian world is increasing. What concerns me is that so many in the evangelical world are finding stories about these near death experiences to be credible, and even great enhancements to their faith in God. Now you may ask why anything that aids faith could be something I am concerned about, and I'm going to tell you.

First, it concerns me that the only divinely inspired, and reliably true source of information concerning the after life is not enough to bolster our faith and build in us the "blessed hope." Of course I am speaking about the Bible.

If we believe that the Word of God is sufficient for us to live as God asks us to live, and to have a hope that will fuel our perseverance here on earth, then we will find these stories as faith-building only because we don't fully know, understand, and appreciate the biblical material on the subject. And I guess, into this void of our own making, the subjective, experience-driven stories of those we don't know can bring a sense of comfort and increased peace. The only problem here is that our faith is to be grounded in the revealed truth of God, and not in the experiences of those whose accounts can never be fully substantiated.

Second, it concerns me that so many assume these near death stories are real simply because they don't contradict Scripture. But, consider this: If they add things that the Bible does not contain, they are adding to Scripture. For example, in Heaven is for Real we find the assertion that everyone in heaven has wings, that no one is old, that heaven is filled with animals, and a number of other things never mentioned in Scripture. But worst of all, this account speaks of gates of gold and pearls, which the Bible declares are elements of the New Earth, which won't be created until the present one is destroyed. In other words, some of what the little Colton Burpo saw in his 3 minutes in heaven hasn't been created yet.

But also consider this: just because my story doesn't contradict Scripture, and just because my main points align with Scripture still doesn't make the essential suppositions of my story true! I could make up a story of how Jesus appeared to me one night, and talked with me for 8 hours. I could declare all that He taught me, and make sure it was aligned in every way with the Bible. It still would not substantiate my assertion that Jesus appeared to me! It pains me greatly that evangelical Christians are so thirsty for an experiential enhancement to their faith that they fail to use their minds. Perhaps we have forgotten how to think given that most of our pulpits are telling stories designed to pull at the heart rather than invigorate the mind. Certainly we are in grave danger of losing the ability to think critically in our churches today.

Third, the reaction by so many Christ-followers to these near death experience books on heaven and the like demonstrates more about us than about the authors or stories of the books themselves. It shows just how inadequately we view and use the Bible. If our faith is bolstered by these experientially driven stories, what does it say about the depth of our spiritual maturity? What does it say about our appreciation for, and understanding of, the Word of God? I liken it to a starving person who comes upon some straw drizzled with whipped cream. He is famished, and devours it, and actually thinks it is good and nutritious. But just steps away is a banquet table filled with the best tasting and most nourishing food. He prefers the straw because it is near him, and more accessible, while the banquet will require him to walk further. The Bible is right here, but to understand it we have to think, and contemplate, and study, and grasp the text in its own time while applying its principles in ours. The Bible takes work, and we too often choose to use other means to satiate our spiritual hunger. We turn down the objective truth of God's Word for experientially crafted junk food.

Fourth, and perhaps most cogently, Christians are not the only ones having these experiences. They are occurring with increasing regularity in all areas. Mormons are writing about going to heaven and seeing Joseph Smith with Jesus; Muslims are writing about the wonders of sitting at Mohammad's feet in the celestial palace; and I could mention others as well, including atheists who are now declaring that their near death experiences have brought to light irrefutable proof that there is no God at all. We even have a book out now about a man who died and spent 23 minutes in hell, and has come back to write about it!

What do we say to all these? Only "ours" are real? On what basis do we deny those that counter our views? My point is simple: Where something is utterly unable to be substantiated beyond rational doubt, it can never become part of our faith's foundation. What all of these stories do is play into the hands of the enemy of faith who would like nothing more that to have us believe what we believe based on some subjective experience. At that point, we're most of the way to a theology that has God made in our image.

Lastly, consider this: If a story is perfectly aligned with Scripture - and by this I mean that it adds nothing and contradicts nothing in the Bible - then we actually don't need it, because we already have all the information it carries in our divinely inspired and preserved Bible. If, on the other hand, it adds to, or contradicts the Bible, then we don't want it. Either way, these stories are simply a waste of time. My advice: Don't waste your time on them!

And here let me put in a plug for John Piper's newest book: Think: The Life of the Mind and the Love of God. In it he shows the problems we encounter when we fail to love God with all our mind! The current descent into a sloppy subjectivism is doing ruinous things to the church, and as well is causing us to shape a Gospel that fits the felt needs around us but doesn't address the greatest need: the corruption of the heart, will and mind through sin! Only the Holy Spirit can open our eyes to God's truth, and apparently, God has given us what we need in the Bible.

Thanks for bearing with me!

Hope this helps,

David