One of the things you may see in people with wealth, power and influence is their desire to prolong their physical life. In their attempts to live a little bit longer, they may have organ transplants, utilize elixirs, or may be obsessed with natural foods and vitamins. This is not to say that any of this is wrong per se, and of course, we need to take care of our bodies and are not to engage in conduct which may shorten our lives. But this does not mean that we must try to artificially prolong life at all costs—such as being “nourished” intravenously for months or years, while in a coma, with no hope of recovery.
Others, knowing that their physical existence is temporary, may build monuments and erect statues of themselves, so that others may remember them after they are gone.
At the same time, we find that built into the human psyche is a desire for eternal life. The Bible says that God gave man such a desire (Ecclesiastes 3:11). Man wants to know what he must do to “get it.” Many have searched for centuries for the proverbial “fountain of youth,” and others have tried to invent elixirs to make them immortal. In their trust in the advancements of science, some even go as far as to have their mortal remains frozen in ice, until science has found a way to revive them.
Notice what a lawyer asked Christ, as recorded in Luke 10:25: “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Of course, the lawyer was trying to test or tempt Christ, but it is still true that many people wonder what, if anything, they can do to obtain immortality. But most people seek immortality in the wrong manner; that is, they resort to human means and reasoning.
On the other hand, true Christians understand what their future holds. They are told that eternal life lies within their grasp, and that God created man with the potential to obtain eternal life. Notice what Paul says in Titus 1:1-2: “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began…”
Eternal life is a promise which has been a part of God’s Plan for mankind, before time began—that is, before man even existed.
However, Satan lied to Eve by telling her that eternal life could be received by disobeying God. One can never obtain eternal life through rebellion against God and disobedience of His Word. God wants to give us eternal life, but He will only do so when we prove to Him that we will always love Him enough to be obedient to Him and His Word.
When you think about it, for those in whom God’s Spirit dwells, there is no conscious interruption between physical death and immortal spirit life. When they die in the faith, they will be resurrected to eternal life and immortality within the next second of their consciousness. For them, it is like going to sleep at night and awakening in the morning. While they slept a dreamless sleep, they had no conscious awareness of the passage of time.
As true Christians, we don’t have to be terribly concerned with trying everything we can possibly think of to prolong this physical life at all costs. Rather, our desire must be to seek first the Kingdom of God and God’s righteousness. When we please God and are obedient to Him in this life, fulfilling our responsibilities as Christians, then we will receive in due time God’s GIFT of an eternal joyful and pleasurable life in His very Kingdom.
