The concept of immortality for believers is widely misunderstood by many. People often wonder if this means a believer will not DIE. If Google is consulted, the answer will be a yes – Christians are mortals and susceptible to death. However, this is not the full truth. This like other truths in the Bible can only be spiritually discerned.
The Promise of Eternal Life
God’s will is that we have eternal life, and He’s made this possible through Jesus Christ. John 3:16 declares, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This promise of eternal life wasn’t an afterthought; it was part of God’s plan from the beginning. The tree of life in the Garden of Eden symbolizes this promise (Genesis 2:9). Although Adam rejected this life by choosing sin, Jesus, the “second Adam,” offers us a second chance (1 Corinthians 15:45). Furthermore, the book of Titus states expressly that God always intended for men to have eternal life before the world began..
“In the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time,” – Titus 1:2 NIV
Receiving the Gift of Eternal Life
Through Christ, we receive ZOE, the very life of God. This gift is available to all who put their faith in Jesus.. Romans 6:23 reminds us, “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
But why aren’t all believers experiencing this abundant life?
The potential is within us, like a seed that can become a tree.
However, just as a seed needs water to grow, we must “stir up the gift of God” within us (2 Timothy 1:6).
In the part 2 of this write up, we will be going in depth into eternal life and why man needed this.
