Do You Believe In Ghosts?

I want you to notice what Samuel says in v. 16, “What do you want me to do about this?” He is like a father who visits his son in jail. He says, “Son, I’m sorry. There’s nothing I can do. You have made your bed and now you have to lie in it.” And I cannot warn you enough, church. The Bible says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found.” In other words, don’t wait to obey God. Delayed obedience is disobedience and you are gambling when you continue to live that way. If you have known sin in your life, confess it, make it right, and be right with God. Saul waited too long and it was too late.

Now, let me deal with a few questions concerning magic…

1. Does the Bible support the idea that the dead can readily return to interact with the living?

The answer to that question is “No.” The Bible does not support that idea. In fact, this is the only time in Scripture, in 1 Samuel 28, that this idea of consulting with the spirits of the dead is mentioned. Isaiah 26, the prophet speaks about those who have gone to the grave.

Isaiah 26:14 says, “They are now dead, they live no more; those departed spirits do not rise….”

The Bible tells us that the ghosts or spirits of people who have died are located in one of two places. They are either in hades/hell awaiting their Day of Judgment. Or they are in the presence of their Savior, Jesus Christ, in Paradise/heaven. There is no holding tank for souls like purgatory.

I haven’t seen the movie, but I’ve seen enough of the previews to know what it is about…Ghost, with Patrick Swayze, it is not that way. The dead do not decide to hang around on earth to solve murder cases or to handle unfinished business. Once a person dies, there is no unfinished business. You can’t change your eternal status after you die. That must be taken care of before you die.

If you remember in Luke 16:19-31, Jesus tells the story of the Rich Man and Lazarus. Both of these men die. Lazarus was escorted to Paradise and the rich man to hell. And you remember, hell is such a terrible and final place, that the rich man calls out to Abraham who is in heaven, “Father Abraham, I beg of you, send Lazarus to my five brothers who are living. Warn them not to come here!” And Abraham denies his request and says, “They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them listen to them.”

“But you don’t understand!” The rich man screams. “If a dead man goes to them, they will most certainly listen.”

And Abraham simply says, “No, they won’t.” The dead are not allowed to return.

2. Is it possible to see a spirit?

Yes. I think the Bible does suggest that there are two invisible forces at work today. There is the host of God’s angelic army, which I could show you countless verses in the Bible that they not only exist but they are everywhere.

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Hebrews 13:2