But something Ms. Maynard said just a few weeks ago continues to nag at me. She told CNN that when the day came to kill herself, she would tell her family, “Come say goodbye as I pass into whatever's next.” Without any disrespect to her or her memory, those words seem to point to certain assumptions about life after death.
I think these assumptions are common in our culture. Of course I don’t know if Ms. Maynard held them, but they do seem consistent with her words.
Assumption #1: nobody really knows what happens after death. “The great beyond” seems like such a big mystery that there’s a romantic feel about it. You can make up your own story, imagine nirvana, nothingness, paradise, or whatever you want. But for thousands of years the Bible has taught, and Jesus Himself specifically warned, that what happens after death is either heaven or hell. "And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:46).
Assumption #2: if there is a heaven, most people will go there. Many people believe the only entrance requirement for heaven is dying. But Jesus spoke more about hell than heaven. Christ said, “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it (Matthew 7:13-14, NLT, my emphasis).
Assumption #3: Life after death is bound to be better that than our suffering right now. How often have you heard somebody say, “Well, at least he’s not suffering anymore…”? Or “Now she’s at peace – no more pain.” According to the Bible, if you’re in heaven, you are in a wonderful place of eternal peace and joy. Tears and suffering are over forever. But according to Jesus, there is a terrible alternative. If you end up in hell, the suffering is infinitely worse than anything you might experience in this life. Christ described hell as a place where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mark 9:48).
Assumption #4: If there is a God, He’s so loving that no one like me would ever be sent to hell. Jesus told a story about a rich man who assumed he was a good person and deserved to go to heaven. In fact the prevailing religious view of Jesus’ day taught that the man’s riches proved he was worthy before God. But to the man’s great surprise, and endless remorse, he ended up in hell. Here’s how Jesus told the story: The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment… he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ (Luke 16:22-24).
I’ll have more to say about this in my next post. But for now, here’s a good link that summarizes what the Bible says about how to make sure you’re going to heaven: Two Ways to Live.
