Mortal Immortality

Job 14:5 “Since his days are determined, and the number of his months is with you, and you have appointed his limits that he cannot pass.”

Wow, here we are already into our third week of this six week study on the Christian perspective of “Life, Death and Live after Death” in our weekly Friday night Small Group Topical Bible Study. Some may that that study such a difficult biblical issue such as death would be complex and thorny subject to be avoided like the plague, but the context is about where you and I will go after our days on God’s’ green earth because that is the foundational perspective to build upon on this side of heaven. God is about life, not death, but we don’t ignore the reality of the full gospel message … that (as nasty as it is) we have been saved “from” something we deserved and have been (by grace) saved “to” something awesome. Our lesson explained that God let man know that the Messiah – the Anointed One who would crush the head of the serpent of old (Genesis 3:15), the Christ, would come. In the fullness of time god would send His Son, born of a virgin, born without sin, so that He might pay our debt of sin in full, offering us forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. Sin and death may be a reality and we do not have control, but justification, sanctification and glorification through Jesus Christ conquers them both and changes our eternal destiny through the grace of our Creator Father, who is in control of everything. We tend to focus on the finite “here and now” in which we exist, but need to believe, being solidly and confidently established in the eternal perspective of the clear, undeniable and assured “here ever-after”.

Deuteronomy 32:39 “See now that I, I am He, and there is no god besides Me; It is I who put to death and give life. I have wounded and it is I who heal, and there is no one who can deliver from My hand.”

Michael, in our group, told a story to illustrate the point … A man asked God; “What is a million years to you? God replied: “But a minute.” The man then asked God: “What is a million dollars to you? God replied: “But a penny.” So then the man said to God: “Give me a penny.” To which God replied: “In a minute”. This moment by moment carnal life is finite and fleeting, but eternity is infinite, so we need to live in anticipation of “maranatha”, which means “Come Lord”, because that perspective of this life’s journey defines the path. The fact that all are created by Creator God is not contingent upon our believing it, but because of the “Fall of Mankind” in sin and death, our eternity is contingent upon our believing the gospel truth of God’s “Plan of Salvation”. (1) Believe that Jesus Christ is Savior and Lord. (2) Believe that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead in “the Resurrection”?  Do you believe this?

John 11:24-26 Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

The lesson concludes that when we get a full biblical understanding of God, of His character and sovereignty, knowing and embracing the truths that we learn from His Holy Word, the Bible brings great comfort, godly contentment and a spiritual peace. Because God is sovereign, He rules over all, including death. The resurrection of Jesus takes the pain and agony out of death. Death could not hold Him. “He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25). We have certain hope because we have a Savior named Jesus!

Romans 8:10-11 “If Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.”
As you consider this, beloved of God, remember that God is love … and so much more. He is holy, righteous, and perfect in all His ways. God can never act apart from the totality of who He is. Remember, the grave is not the end. There is a resurrection – a resurrection of the righteous to life and a resurrection of the wicked to eternal judgment.

1 Corinthians 15:40-44 “There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

In Christ, Bran