Immortality

Revelation 1:18 “I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.”

As a young man, the movie ‘Indiana Jones and the last Crusade’ was a favorite of mine. The premise of the movie revolves around an archaeologist who sought out treasures by fighting through impossible odds. The hunt for the Holy Chalice was a cup in which Jesus partook at the last supper. The movie made claim to a mystical power the cup contained in which whoever drank from it gained immortality.

Whether it was Ponce De Leon’s search for the fountain of youth or modern day scientists attempt at preserving life through genetic manipulation, the endless struggle to stave off death is a common theme.

What many of these hopeless pilgrims have missed is knowing that immortality exists already!

I Corinthians 15:53 “For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

From the moment we are born, our bodies begin the process of dying. Even though young and full of life, a child’s body is constantly deteriorating. Growth is a product of biological processes the Lord incorporated into our being. Damage cells at the sub-surface level and you discover the end of that damage later in life. The bottom line is, we have been corrupted.

Our nature has been corrupted by sin and the full evidence of this dilemma is as apparent in society as ever before.

When Paul spoke of “putting on immortality”, he was referring to people accepting the grace of God in Jesus Christ. When a sinner is redeemed from sin, they are removed from the inevitable death of their soul. Accepting Jesus is a transference from death to life, those who have died to their old nature are given a hope and a future.

Isaiah 61:10 “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

The Robe of Righteousness is the Immortality of God through Jesus Christ.

We see examples of this robe throughout God’s Word. From the robe of sonship given to the prodigal son, to the leper shedding his filthy garments, when we pass from death to life, we move from being unclean to being made pure.

The righteousness that is imparted to God’s people is the perfection of God’s nature.

When salvation comes to the repentant pilgrim, the grace of God transforms their life into one of godly beauty. When the redeemed stand before the Father, they will appear as Jesus will appear—perfect, Holy, and without blemish.

Unfortunately, there are those that try to manufacture their own righteousness…..

Romans 10:1-4 “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.”

The law’s requirement is to be upheld in perfection, to be found not guilty by God is to live according to the requirements of the law and this has never been accomplished by mortal man. Since all have broken the law, all have sinned. Sin is the mark of death.

Ephesians 1:7 “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace”

Walking in Christ

For those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they now have an advocate by which to live.

John 14:26 “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have told you.”

God’s people cannot be Holy on their own, even as followers of Christ they do not have the ability to follow without God’s strength. When the Holy Spirit is given, He begins to change a person’s nature. He transforms their lowly minds into minds set on Christ. He seals His people with a promise and leads them in the way they should go.

*Without the Spirit of God, so called “christians” are nothing more than false prophets in God’s Kingdom.

The way of the Lord is not easy, it was never intended to be. God has a long history of leading His people through trials. These tests bring strength and their reliance upon Him prepares them for greater expectations. God’s people grow in wisdom, in knowledge of truth, and in holiness as they go through the fires of God’s refining.

The beauty of trials is that God is behind them all. He takes an interest in His people’s lives because of His great love for them.

The difference between the people who trust in idols and those who trust in the Living God, one is led by their own understanding and the other is led by God.

* Having a relationship with Jesus is personal—He knows His people and they trust Him with their lives.

Psalm 73:28 “But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.”

Eternal Life

The life of those who have been born again is a life that has already entered into the path of eternal life. Their lives may be still be corrupted with the old nature, but their spirit has now been united with God’s Spirit and that life is the life that will endure for eternity.

Those who seek life apart from the Lord are seeking after the wind. Those who worship any other name than the name of Jesus have relegated their worship to that which is corruptible.

Romans 1:23 “and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.”

The immortality that God’s people have been clothed with is like a down payment for that which is to come.

2 Corinthians 5:2 “For in this tent we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling,”

These bodies will be done away with, we will be clothed with new bodies, imperishable bodies that are destined for glory. We would not be able to stand in the presence of God in the state we are currently in, this flesh would not survive. We are weak, fallible, and imperfect….sin has done this to us…we have done this to ourselves.

Romans 8:23 “Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.”

For those who belong to the throng of the righteous, they eagerly anticipate the return of the King. Jesus’ entry will be magnificent and His victory will be sure. When the completion of all things has ended, His people will spend eternity with Him.

Eternity is a state to which time has no application; it is Timeless.

This is a concept that is extremely hard to grasp from our perspective. Everything we do, every thought whether it is in regards to the past or to the future is held captive by time.

Timelessness is a trait that God dwells within, He has now drawn His people into this same state of being. Timelessness has no deadlines, you are neither late nor early. When your life is ordered by God, there is no need to fear, He is in control. Even though our flesh has an end, our spirit has been united with Him. For those who have died on gone to be with the Lord, they await new bodies, perfect, and incorruptible.

Psalm 8:3-5 “When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.”

Do you see why God has compelled us to seek and save the lost?

The magnitude of what awaits for those who trust in Him is unfathomable. From a perspective of those who have tasted of God’s goodness, who have partaken of His glory and witnessed His faithfulness, the idea of what awaits is beyond understanding. We simply have no perspective other than the limited window by which we can peer into a future hope.

Imagine how difficult it is for those who are blind and in darkness?

This is why the Lord has given us tools for evangelism. The law is used to help people understand they are sinners while the law of grace in Christ Jesus is magnified and His glory is exalted through the law. You wouldn’t let a blind man walk off a cliff without warning him. You might even grab him, hold on, and do everything to persuade him from going off into his destruction. As he falls to his death, with your hands over your mouth in exasperation, you cry out “why wouldn’t he listen”, and while you mourn, another comes walking down the same path toward the same fate.

This is the attitude we should have for the lost.

We are called to be ambassadors in this world until we are called home. We have eternity in our hearts so we must exhibit the attributes of the King while we still have breath. We must reach as many for His Kingdom and for His glory as we can, by whatever means we can….before it’s too late.