When family members have passed, can they hear us or see us from heaven?  Do they remember us?

Sincerely,
Still Here

Dear Still Here,

Within Hades, there are two areas where people wait for the final judgment. All of the faithful who die wait in the good part of Hades called ‘Paradise’ (2 Cor 12:4, Lk 23:43). All of the wicked who die wait in a part of Hades known only as ‘torments’ (Lk 16:23). We cannot say with entire certainty whether people can look down on the affairs of Earth while in Hades, but the story of the rich man and Lazarus implies that they can’t. When the rich man died, he was in the ‘torments’ of Hades. He then began to inquire about his brothers in a way that leads us to believe he couldn’t see what was going on in their lives (Lk 16:27-31).  However, the rich man remembered remembered his brothers, even though he couldn’t see what they were doing.

I am concerned that I may have committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Two times, when I was younger and unhappy with life, I looked up at heaven and put up my middle finger and cursed at the Holy Spirit. I have since repented and asked forgiveness. Is this the type of speaking against the Holy Spirit that Jesus said is unpardonable?

Sincerely, Wish I’d Watched My Mouth

Dear Wish I’d Watched My Mouth,

There is definitely no doubt that you sinned, but it wasn’t an unpardonable sin. You can still be forgiven. The sin against the Holy Spirit mentioned in Matt 12:31-32 is the sin of rejecting His Word. The Holy Spirit is the one who gave us the Word of God (Jhn 14:26, 1 Cor 2:11-13). See this post for more details on the work of the Holy Spirit.

When someone “sins against the Holy Spirit”, they reject what the Holy Spirit offers mankind – the Bible. Every other sin can be forgiven, but when someone rejects God’s Word, there is no hope left. A murderer, thief, adulterer, etc. can all be reformed if they will accept the authority of the Bible… but no matter how good someone seems to be, if they reject God’s Word they cannot be saved (Rom 1:16). By the very act of asking this question, you prove that you haven’t rejected the Bible. Therefore, you have not committed the unpardonable sin.

     I have made a stupid mistake that has been haunting me for the past few months; I have trouble sleeping and eating a full meal.  It happened when I was working out in our field during planting season.  One of the fertilizer cylinders wasn't working; I don't know what I was thinking, but I thought, "I'd give my soul to make this stupid thing work," and within five seconds, it worked.

Is there no hope for me?  Is my soul damned to hell?

Sincerely,
Petrified

Dear Petrified,

Saying that you would give up your soul to make the fertilizer cylinder work doesn’t guarantee your eternal destiny any more than saying, “I’ll go to heaven if I fix the fertilizer cylinder.”  We aren’t the final judge of our eternal home – Christ is (2 Tim 4:1).  If you have done what Christ teaches you must do to be saved, you will go to heaven (read “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” for specifics on the steps of salvation), and if you turn away from Christ, you will be lost (Acts 4:12).  Everyone deserves to go to hell because of their sins (Rom 6:23), but Christ offers to save us if we love and obey Him (Jhn 14:15).  What you did in the past doesn’t matter; what you do now is what counts (2 Cor 6:1-2).

Having said that, in the future, it would be best to refrain from that sort of language.

    I have a lot of questions that I would like to ask, but I am going to only ask one – even if it is a crazy one.  I am scared to die, but I want to go to a good place.  How do I get rid of the scared feeling of dying?

Sincerely,
Coffin Coward

Dear Coffin Coward,

The Bible tells us that if Jesus is on our side, we can approach the throne of God with confidence (Heb 4:14-16).  We fear the unknown, and fear of death diminishes when we know where we are going after we die.  All humans have a natural survival instinct, so it is completely normal to have a natural fear of death, but God also tells us that christians can have hope that death is just the beginning of an eternal life in heaven (Jhn 6:40).

So how do we get eternal life?  The Bible says that Jesus is the way to eternal life (Jhn 3:16).  If you are in Christ, you are saved (1 Cor 15:22).  So how do we get into Christ?  Gal 3:27 says that when we are baptized, we put on Christ.  Baptism is the final of five steps to become a christian (read “Five Steps To Salvation” for the full plan of salvation).  When you are in Christ, you have hope and don’t near to fear the Judgment Day.

     I was told that there are two salvations: one in heaven and one on earth. Some chosen christians will go to heaven, and the others will stay on a paradise Earth after the millennium and when all evil has ended.  Is this true?

Sincerely,
Making Reservations

Dear Making Reservations,

No, that isn’t true.  What you are talking about is a popular teaching of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, but it isn’t a biblical teaching.  There was an earthly paradise; it was called the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:8).  Mankind was cast out of that paradise because of sin (Gen 3:22-24).  We are told that the next paradise faithful people see will be a heavenly paradise.  Jesus referred to Paradise as a place that God’s people will see once they die (Lk 23:43).  Paul refers to Paradise as existing in heaven, not on Earth (2 Cor 12:2-4).  Eventually, this world will be totally destroyed by intense heat (2 Pet 3:10-13), and this earthly age will pass away and be replaced by a spiritual one for all eternity (1 Cor 15:49-54).  Jhn 14:2-4 says that we will dwell where God dwells (heaven) and that even now, Jesus is preparing a place for us.  Matt 24:35 says that heaven and earth will pass away – unlike God’s Word.  When the Judgment Day comes, the faithful will go to heaven.  There will be no earthly paradise.