Introduction
In the article “Man Has Never Been Immortal and Never Will Be!“, I will explore the biblical understanding of human life, sin, and death. Beginning with the creation of Adam and Eve and God’s initial purpose for humanity, I will discuss how transgression led to the loss of immortality and how beliefs about life after death arose. We will also see how the promise of resurrection in Christ and the return to conditional immortality offer us hope for a future where death will no longer have power over us.
Life and Death
Life is a gift from God. If it were not for Him, nothing in the world we know would exist. He created all things, animate and inanimate. From the smallest being to the largest, all came into existence through His creation.
But the life we know and have today does not last forever. Its end comes to everyone. For some, it may come sooner, and for others, it may last a little longer. Regardless of which case we are talking about, the end of life is something we all face. Did God create man to be immortal, or was he never immortal?
God’s Purpose in the Beginning was Different
However, this was not God’s initial purpose for human life. The Creator of the universe wanted human beings and all of His creation to live eternally. In the book of Genesis, we find the existence of a tree called “tree of life“, which bore fruit so that man could eat it continually. But after the fall of Adam and Eve, when they both fell into Satan’s deception and allowed themselves to be led into disobedience to the Law given by God, God expelled them from the Garden of Eden, where the Tree of Life was.
Genesis 3:22-24 – “And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever; therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. And he drove out the man, and placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.“
In addition to expelling them from the Garden of Eden, God placed cherubim at the entrance to the Garden to guard it and prevent Adam, Eve, or any of their descendants from entering the garden and eating the fruit of the Tree of Life. According to the story, God did this so that man would not return and eat the fruit of the Tree of Life again, ensuring that he would not live “forever.“
The Human Being Was Created Perfect
God created man perfect. He had a perfect nature, free from any stain of corruption. There was no selfishness, no pride, no evil, no character flaws that we know of, for God had created him “in the image and likeness of God” (Genesis 1:26-27). Man came to possess a corrupt and evil nature. Because of this, God had to remove access to the fruit of the Tree of Life, otherwise, man with his evil nature would live forever! But being perfect, was man created immortal, or was he never immortal?
Was Human Being Immortal?
But after the fall, sin stained their perfect nature, and because of disobedience, human beings began to lose the glory of God with which they had been created. However, if we look at the biblical account, even in their perfect form, they needed to eat the fruit of the Tree of Life, because it was this fruit that maintained their eternal life. God created the Tree of Life with the purpose of keeping human beings alive eternally. The creature would depend on this fruit, and without it, they could not live eternally. By transgressing God’s Law and acquiring a corrupt nature, human beings lost access to the Tree of Life, and consequently, their bodies went through a degenerative process until they ended and returned to the dust of the earth, from which they had been created.
Genesis 3:19 – “In the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust you will return.“
Sinners Cannot Live Forever
No human being could live eternally with the corrupt nature he inherited from Adam. Because of transgression and disobedience, death came to exist for all men:
1 Corinthians 15:21-22 – “For as by one man came death, …For as in Adam all die, …“
Note that man was never immortal! The life span of man was limited and he depended on the fruit to live eternally. God’s will was that man could live forever with a perfect and uncorrupted nature. There was no (and there will be no) room for evil in God’s eternal plans.
Restricted to the Tree of Life
Without access to the Tree of Life, physical degeneration became normal for the body of created man, and consequently, death began to exist. Death is the absence and end of life! After death, the existence of a living being no longer has a place in this universe. This is a consequence of the transgression that man acquired. As Paul mentions:
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death …“
Human beings were not created to live and die. The purpose of their lives was to be eternal. After losing eternal life, people created beliefs to make up for what transgression had lost. In the countless beliefs created and adapted in every generation and nation that has existed, the “eternal life“came into existence after the death of the human being. The idea was created that man would continue to live after his physical death, and would go on to live in another dimension, be it in a place”spiritual”, in the “paradise”, or anywhere else. However, these beliefs are nothing more than a replacement for what was lost in the Garden of Eden. They are present in the countless religions we know, and even within Christianity, due to erroneous interpretations of biblical passages.
The Belief in the Immortality of the Soul
Man has never been immortal! The continuation of life after death is called “ Immortality of the Soul“. The “soul” of a human being is given life after his or her death, and with that, the same continues to live! It is a good and comforting thought for many people to know that their loved ones (or even themselves) continue to live even after a tragic death. However, these beliefs are in disharmony with the principle of the creation of the human being. Such beliefs create an “immortal” life for a finite and limited being like the human being. However, the Bible is emphatic in warning us that only God possesses inherent immortality:
1 Timothy 6:16 – “Him who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and power forever and ever. Amen.“
The idea that life could continue even after death has its origins in the Garden of Eden, at the time when the rebellious angel is trying to deceive Eve into transgressing the commandment given by God. Eve had said that God said regarding the forbidden fruit: “You shall not eat of it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” (Genesis 3:3), but Satan disputes such words and retorts to Eve saying that “you will certainly not die” (Genesis 3:4).
Life After Transgression: Who Promised?
Life after transgression, that was the promise sold by Satan. But God said that transgression would generate death, and with that they would cease to exist. Even today, many continue to listen to these words of Satan through the countless beliefs of life after death! While we lose access to the fruit of the Tree of Life, and consequently are destined to die, Satan continues to sell his deception that we continue to live even after death. His main and oldest doctrine, the “Immortality of the Soul“, has deceived millions, both outside and inside Christianity.
As mentioned earlier, God’s plan was for mankind to live forever, and although this was lost early on, God already had a solution for this problem. The continuation of the text of Romans 6:23 says the following:
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“
Man was never immortal! It was Satan who promised life after death!
The Great Resurrection
Through Christ, we have the chance to receive forgiveness for our sins and reconciliation with God. Only through Jesus can we receive salvation for our lives, because God gave His beloved Son in our place. When the gospel (the good news) is preached to the whole world, Jesus will return to rescue His children, those who have repented and put their faith in His name. At that time, there will be the long-awaited resurrection of the dead. In it, all those who have surrendered themselves to God and received the promise of salvation will be resurrected with glorified bodies. No longer with bodies of a corrupt and degenerate nature, but we will be transformed with an incorruptible and immortal body:
1 Corinthians 15:52-55 – “In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet: for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will 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 has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your sting? O hell, where is your victory?“
When Death No Longer Exists
How great will be that day when we shall transform our bodies, even as Adam’s body and nature were before his transgression! No more pain, sickness, evil, or even death will exist!
Revelation 21:4 – “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.“
Note that we will clothe our bodies with “immortality“. This means that we will no longer die. God will grant conditional immortality to mankind once again. Here, we are not talking about inherent immortality, since only God possesses that (1 Timothy 6:16). Even if we are clothed with conditional immortality again, it will last forever, since no righteous person who is saved will want to rebel against the Creator again. We will live in perfect union with our God. There will be no more transgression, but only obedience to His commandments. We will once again have access to the fruit of the Tree of Life, and this will become a frequent consumption for mankind:
Revelation 2:7 – “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches: To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.“
Revelation 22:1-2 – “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of its street, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.“
Conclusion: Man Has Never Been Immortal and Never Will Be!
Death will be no more! Human beings will once again live eternally, just as God intended in the beginning! Our life will be eternal and our bodies will be clothed with immortality, but this life will always be conditional on the obedience and will of our Creator. Man will never be inherently immortal! The fruit that grants us eternal life will always be available to us, and we will make use of it continually. Thus, God will preserve our life forever.
Give your life and your heart to God, and may He bless us!
