Is There Such a Thing As Reincarnation?

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Is There Such a Thing As Reincarnation?

By Billy Graham, Tribune Media Services

Q: I've always been attracted to the idea of reincarnation, although
my Christian friends say it isn't in the Bible. But doesn't the Bible
say somewhere that Elijah came back to earth before the Messiah came?
I heard this somewhere, and it sounds like reincarnation to me. --
Mrs. P.N.




A: Your Christian friends are right; the Bible does not teach
reincarnation (the idea that after death we come back to life on this
earth).




In fact, the Bible explicitly rejects reincarnation, and teaches
instead that we only die once, and then we enter eternity -- either in
heaven with God, or separated from Him in the place the Bible calls
hell. The Bible says that "man is destined to die once, and after that
to face judgment" (Hebrews 9:27). The passage you mention (which you
can find in Matthew 11:7-14) does not teach reincarnation; Jesus is
referring here to Elijah only as a symbol of John the Baptist, who
announced Jesus' coming.




I have often asked myself why some people find the idea of
reincarnation so attractive. One reason, I've found, is because they
fear death, and they think reincarnation takes away that fear. Others
realize they need to live a better life, and they hope they'll have
another chance to do that.




If we know Christ, however, we don't need to fear death, nor do we
have to worry about living a more perfect life. Christ came to take
away our sins, and by His death and resurrection He opened heaven's
door for us. Put your faith and trust in Him, for "Salvation is found
in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men
by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).




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Send your queries to "My Answer," c/o Billy Graham, Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association, 1 Billy Graham Parkway, Charlotte, N.C.,
28201; call 1-(877) 2-GRAHAM, or visit the Web site for the Billy
Graham Evangelistic Association: www.billygraham.org.

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