Is man born Immortal?

    There is the Greek philosophy which has permeated western culture and even more importantly Christian theology which teaches that mans soul is immortal. For centuries the presupposition of mans immortality has embedded itself in nearly every facet of Christianity. The Church has climbed into bed with the lie of the Serpent who said to Eve, "you will not surely die". If one thinks hard can you think of a culture that history has produced that does not have a form of the afterlife? The only exception would be the ancient Hebrews centuries before the coming of Christ where they believed that the grave would swallow up a man where there was no more remembrance, no more reward; where their love, their hatred, and their envy have all perished. And in the account of Job who uttered these words for us... "For there is hope for a tree, If it is cut down, that it will sprout again, And that its tender shoots will not cease. Though its root may grow old in the earth, And its stump may die in the ground, Yet at the scent of water it will bud And bring forth branches like a plant. But man dies and is laid away; Indeed he breathes his last And where is he? As water disappears from the sea, And a river becomes parched and dries up, So man lies down and does not rise. Till the heavens are no more, They will not awake Nor be roused from their sleep." Oh, that You would hide me in the grave, That You would conceal me until Your wrath is past, That You would appoint me a set time, and remember me! Job 14:7-13

    Concerning the grave and the fate of man King Solomon directed by the spirit of God penned these words, "For to him that is joined to all the living there is hope: for a living dog is better than a dead lion. For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished;..." "for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest." (Ecc. 9:5,6,10)
    David also speaks when he penned the psalms, "For in death there is no remembrance of you; In the grave who will give you thanks?" (Psa.6:4,5) Would this not certainly hold true for the wicked? But this also applied to the righteous man. Job was one such righteous man who said of the grave.... If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father: to the worm, Thou art my mother, and my sister. And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it? They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust. (Job 17:13-16)
    The ancient Hebrew of faith believed that the fate of the animal was the same for the man, for... "all go to one place; all are from the dust, and all return to the dust" (Ecc. 3:19,20). 
    King Solomon is in full agreement with the Lord God, who told our first parents that they would "...in the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, And to dust you shall return." (Gen. 2:19) What God had promised Adam in the curse the Psalmist understood thousands of years later when by the Holy Spirit he penned these words, "You turn man to destruction; and say, Return, you children of men." (Psa.90:3)  Man was to return to the dust from which he was taken. But the ancient Hebrews and there forefathers were not without hope. This too was understood by the Psalmist when he wrote of the God... "Who redeems thy life from destruction; who crowns thee with loving kindness and tender mercies; (Psa.103:4) 

   Job, in the midst of his misery surrounded by his friends who where there to "comfort" him, asked this profound question, "if a man dies shall he live again?"  Job 14:14

    Job's question touches the Gospel of Jesus Christ at its very heart. This carpenter from Nazareth who claimed he was the resurrection and the life and then proceeded to prove his claim by raising Lazarus who had laid dead four days in the tomb, did indeed answer Jobs question as to wither a man can live again. But Lazarus was not raised with an immortal body. He was raised back into the land of the living dead. He was to walk once more in this valley of the shadow of death only to see death take him once more. Lazarus went back into the grave at the appointed time where all men eventually go. The only hope that Lazarus has is the very hope that any believer in God has; that God will remember him in the grave and will raise him at the last day as the Gospel of Jesus Christ promises. The hope of the gospel is found in the resurrection where the believer is to be raised from the dead, to life, to be with the One who is our life. Our life is now hid in this one Jesus, who has been the only one who has come back from the dead having conquered death. "Why do you seek the living from among the dead?" Was what the angel said to the women at the empty Tomb.

    The account of Job which took place perhaps a thousand years before the Psalms were penned, tells us of the hope that Job possessed in the midst of his testing... "Why do you persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?" (referring to Job's friends) "Oh that my words were now written! oh that they were printed in a book!" (Job's desire was certainly fulfilled) "That they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever! For I know that my redeemer lives," (Job's hope) "...and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body," (Job understood and believed what God had said concerning the curse to Adam) "...yet in my flesh shall I see God:" (Job had an understanding of the resurrection) "Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." (Job 19:22-27)

    It was this very hope that the Apostle Paul was persecuted by his own countrymen. It was in the hope and the promise of the resurrection and that God would remember his people and not leave them in death and the grave. 
    Paul's testimony before Felix....  "Neither can they (Paul's countrymen) prove the things whereof they now accuse me. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: And have hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust."  (Acts 24:13-15) 
    Paul's testimony before Agrippa... "And now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. Why should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" (Acts 26:6-8) 
   Paul before the leaders of the Jews in Rome... "For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you: because that for the hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. (Acts 28:20)  

    The Promise of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is eternal life. It is the life which is from God, in God, and is God. It is the Life that promises to conform the believer to the image of God. God in us and us in Him, that God may be all in all. This is the goal of redemptive history. The hope of the Gospel is that hope which the believer in God carries with him into death. The believer sleeps in Jesus until the day of resurrection when this mortality takes on immortality. The day is coming when God... Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life: (Rom 2:7)

    It is Glory and honor and immortality and eternal life for which we seek as believers in God. It is these things that God promises to those who seek for such. Paul tells us through the letter to the Thessalonians that we should not be ignorant in these things.... "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1Thess. 4:13-18) Our comfort comes from the one "...who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords, who alone has immortality dwelling in unapproachable light whom no man has seen or can see..." (1 Tim.6:16)

    At present we cannot see nor has anyone seen the one who alone possesses immortality. There has been no one who ever ascended into heaven into the presence of God accept the Son of God (John 3:13) The light of God is unapproachable in our present state. It is only after this mortality has taken on immortality that we will abide in that light. We must be changed... and that change occurs at the resurrection on the last day when the last trumpet is blown and time will be no more.. "Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" (1Cor.15:50-55)

    Jesus Christ appeared the first time He came into this world for the purpose to abolish death and bring life. "But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:" (2Tim.1:10)
   The promise of God through the Gospel is Life (immortality), the hope of the Gospel is to be raised in that life, the goal of the gospel is to be found in his likeness conformed to the image of the one who is our life, (He alone has immortality, 1 Tim.6:16). Our life at present is hid in Christ, and when Christ appears the second time, to those who eagerly wait for him, then we will also appear with him in glory. (Col.3:4) All to His Glory.
                                                                                                                                    New May 2006   
        Revised and amended for grammar: 6/03/07

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