My aunt almost died last year, and she claims that when she was at her worst she had a vision of Jesus welcoming her into heaven. The only problem is, she'd never had any use for God, and she didn't even believe in life after death. What do you think happened to her? — Mrs. L.L.

I don't know exactly what happened to her—but I hope she learns the right lessons from her experience. God has spared her life and given her a second chance to turn to Him, and it would be tragic if she failed to heed His warning.

Why do I say that I hope she learns the "right" lessons from her experience? The reason is because she could easily draw the wrong conclusion from it (as some people have done who have had a similar experience). She could easily conclude that it doesn't matter what she believes or how she lives—because God will welcome her into heaven anyway. But this would be wrong.

The Bible is clear: Ahead of us is eternity, and we will spend it in one of two places: either with God in the place the Bible calls heaven, or in that place of eternal darkness apart from God that the Bible calls hell. And where we will spend eternity depends on what we do with God's offer of salvation in Christ right now. The Bible says, "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).

These are solemn words, and we ignore them at our peril. Pray for your aunt, and ask God to help you point her to Jesus. And if you are not certain about your own salvation, turn to Christ in repentance and faith today.