Page 152 - Apologetics Student Textbook
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that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return.” David in the death of his son by
Bathsheba said, 23 But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I
will go to him, but he will not return to me.” Death is a one-way trip into eternity!
The Bible never mentions people having a second chance at life or coming back as different people or
animals. Jesus told the criminal on the cross, "Today you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43), not
"You will have another chance to live a life on this earth." Matthew 25:46 specifically tells us that
believers go on to eternal life while unbelievers go onto eternal punishment.
The one passage that some point to as evidence for reincarnation is Matthew 17:10-12 which links John
the Baptist with Elijah. However, the passage does not say that John the Baptist was Elijah reincarnated
but that he would have fulfilled the prophecy of Elijah’s coming if the people had believed his words and
thereby believed in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 17:12). The people specifically asked John the
Baptist if he was Elijah, and he said, "No, I am not" (John 1:21).
Belief in reincarnation is an ancient phenomenon and is a central tenet within the majority of Indian
religious traditions, such as Hinduism, Sikhism, and Jainism. Many modern pagans also believe in
reincarnation as do some New Age movements, along with followers of spiritism. For the Christian,
however, there can be no doubt: reincarnation is unbiblical and must be rejected as false.
Can Christians Believe in Reincarnation
How can I become one with God and nature?
The New Age movement, along with other followers of spiritism, teach that a person can meditate and
become one with God and nature. To them, God is not a person but a force in nature. To be united
with the force is to unite with God. These teachings become popularized in the Star Wars movies and
are an integral doctrine of those who follow the “green” movement – one with nature.
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