Her Amazing Afterlife Experience: Enough?

How would you respond to a person who says they believe they're going to heaven because they had an afterlife experience that gives them hope?  Afterlife experiences capture people's attention.  Books are written about them.  Movies are made about them.  People are naturally curious about the afterlife.  After all, this life won't last that long.  But should one base their assurance of eternal security on what they believe to be an afterlife experience?  Interestingly, the bible answers this.

While in line at the courthouse, I struck up a conversation with a lady.  Because nothing is more important than her eternal salvation, I asked:  "If you died today, do you know where you would spend eternity?"  "Heaven," she said without hesitation.  "That's wonderful," I responded.  "Do you mind if I ask how you know for sure?"  "I've had an afterlife experience," she said.  "Really?" I replied.

I've asked hundreds of people where they will spend eternity, but this was the first time someone said they believed they would go to heaven based on an afterlife experience.  Not really quite sure how to respond, I asked her to tell me about it.

She said she had an accident.  As her life slipped away, she saw a great light and felt completely at peace.  She didn't say she believed Jesus is God's son who lived a sinless life and died in her place to pay the penalty for her sins so that divine justice could be done on her behalf.  (1 Peter 3:18).  She didn't say Jesus rose again the third day and showed himself to hundreds of witnesses in fulfillment of prophecy to prove the legitimacy of his claim.  (1 Cor. 15:3-12).  And she didn't say she repented of her countless sins against God to begin following Jesus, who is the only Way to eternal life.  (Mark 1:15; Luke 13:1-5; Luke 24:45-48; Acts 17:30, 20:21).  The bible makes clear, however, that salvation is obtained only when one obeys the gospel by believing in the complete sufficiency of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and by turning toward God in repentance (Rom. 10:16; 2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Peter 4:17).

So, is it wise for her to trust in her afterlife experience?  The bible says, "No!"  In fact, we have a clear account of that very thing from the Apostle Peter.  In his second letter, which Peter wrote not to unbelievers but to "those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:1), Peter stressed the importance of making sure the believing readers were certain they were going to heaven.  (2 Peter 1:10).  Peter deemed it very important to help believers make sure they were going to heaven, and we should too.  It should not be offensive to a true believer.  A true believer should be grateful we are following in the steps of Jesus' closest disciples, like Peter.

In trying to help believers of his day make sure they were going to heaven, what did Peter urge his readers to do?  First, he reminded them as follows:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain" (2 Peter 1:16-18).

Peter could have stopped with his personal experience of Jesus.  He could have urged them to base their faith and trust in Christ on his eyewitness account of the amazing Transfiguration of Jesus when Jesus displayed the full radiance of his heavenly glory.  But Peter didn't do that.  He didn't want them to trust in his personal experience alone.  While Peter's eyewitness account is certainly powerful evidence for us to consider, it's not the best evidence or ultimate source.  

So what did Peter do next?  Second, and most importantly, he reminded them that God's Word is the best evidence and ultimate source upon which we base saving faith:

And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:19-21).

How do we make our salvation sure?  We base our faith and trust in "something more sure" than a personal experience:  "the prophetic word" of God, which has been completely and miraculously fulfilled in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The next time I encounter someone who is trusting in a personal experience, even an amazing afterlife experience, I now know how I will respond.  I will follow Peter's example and urge the person to place their faith and trust in the word of God, which fully explains the gospel of salvation.  And I will urge them to obey the gospel before it's too late by repenting and trusting in Christ alone.