Immortal Life—More Than Merely Living

When we talk about immortality we normally speak about breathing and moving about as a physical being, strong and able to interact with others and the world around us. No one looks forward to being in a coma, sustained by machines and chemicals. As we continue this discussion of immortality, we obviously need to talk not only about living long, but about the quality of life, regardless of its length. So we come to the words of Jesus, the Good Shepherd of the sheep.

"I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:9-11)

 

A faithful shepherd always checked his sheep daily, from head to toe, as they passed into the protective walls of the sheepfold between his legs. All through the night he remained at the entrance, guarding them with his own body so they might be safe and able to rest in peace. In the morning he led them out again to good, green pasture from which he had removed noxious weeds. He also brought them to quiet pools of water where they might quench their thirst. Thus they lived their lives throughout the summer under his protection. 

When the grazing season was over he would lead them back to the family homestead, always watching for wolves and lions as they moved through the shadows of valley walls. Finally, they would return to his father's house where they remained throughout the months of the cold, rainy winter season. 

Jesus drew upon this very familiar image to describe himself and his mission. He came to claim his sheep at the cost of his own life. We who enter the sheepfold and the father's house through him will indeed ever dwell in the house of the LORD (Psalm 23:1-6). 

In this manner Jesus speaks about the abundant life. The word in Greek is perissos, a word used to describe  remarkable, superior, greater, excellent life, surpassing all that you might want or imagine. Paul wrote about this in two wonderful passages. 

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). 

"that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith--that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

"Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen" (Ephesians 3:16-21). 

This life is much more than merely living and breathing. It is more than claiming the wealth and possessions of this world. It is life measured by a one on one relationship with your Good Shepherd. It is living by believing, trusting and loving Jesus. As John wrote, "Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:12-13).

This abundant life is a is a "continual process of learning, practicing, and maturing, as well as failing, recovering, adjusting, enduring, and overcoming, because, in our present state, “we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror” (1 Corinthians 13:12). One day we will see God face to face, and we will know Him completely as we will be known completely (1 Corinthians 13:12). We will no longer struggle with sin and doubt. This will be the ultimately fulfilled abundant life."

Christians are also interested in immortality or eternal life, but not merely to exist. We look forward to a life without end in the presence of our Good Shepherd, under His guidance and protection. We are thankful for any and all progress made by medical science and research. We are pledged to assist in those endeavors. This is why we support medical science and name our hospitals Good Shepherd, Good Samaritan, St. Luke, St. John, etc. However, we know that the final hope of true eternal life rests in the hands of our Shepherd. 

"But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. . .

"For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God"(Romans 8:10,11,18-21). 

Immortality Through Science And Technology

We who honor historical Christian worship practices have just completed our celebration of Easter and Christ's resurrection from the dead. Last Sunday we celebrated the festival of Pentecost and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Empowered by that Spirit, we believe we are sent out into the world with the message that Christ offered his perfect life for all mankind and thereby rescued us from the power of sin and death. He is risen and we who believe in him already have his life within us, a life that will never end. When Christ returns He will also grant us immortal bodies in a renewed creation (cf. Romans 8:9-34; 1 Corinthians 15:12-58). However, before that happens we must accept the hard fact that we will all die. Even though we already share his eternal life, our bodies, corrupted by sin, remain under the curse of death (John 11:23-27). There is no alternative.

However—and this fascinates me—a sizable group of humanistic-oriented scientists believe there is indeed an alternative. They need no Christ nor good news about some distant resurrection and renewal. They are working to bring mankind immortality through science and technology now! I want to acquaint you in more detail with the building of this new tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1-9), with what they assert. I hinted at this in one of my recent blogs. The basic claim:

• The singularity approaches. Many alive today will finally see death conquered by human science and technology. Immortality is within our grasp within the next 35 years! 

How should a Christian respond? For today let's consider what these scientists are saying. 

The main proponent for the 2045 singularity event is Ray Kurzweil. Time, in a February 10, 2011 article, says Kurzweil "believes that we're approaching a moment when computers will become intelligent, and not just intelligent but more intelligent than humans. When that happens, humanity—our bodies, our minds, our civilization—will be completely and irreversibly transformed. He believes that this moment is not only inevitable but imminent. According to his calculations, the end of human civilization as we know it is about 35 years away."

The Immortality Institute claims that science is already increasing human longevity and ultimately will discover the causes of biological death and eliminate them. They argue for more funding for longevity research since slowing down aging will stop many diseases before they occur. They believe the aging process is modifiable, that it can be decelerated. In turn that discovery will dramatically delay and lower the incidence of chronic disease and achieve a much longer health-span for us all. Could it ultimately even bring human immortality? Yes, yes, yes!

Fight Aging! insists, "We stand on the verge of a revolution in medicine: understanding, treating, and ultimately preventing the causes of degenerative aging." One posted article on that site quotes Ray Kurzweil and Dr. Terry Grossman in  Fantastic Voyage: Live Long Enough to Live Forever. Kurzweil and Grossman conclude:

"In our modern era of abundance, all generations can contribute to the ongoing expansion of human knowledge. Our life expectancy will be in the region on 5,000 years ... by the year 2100. By following the three bridges described in Fantastic Voyage, you should be able to reach the year 2100, and then, according to Aubrey de Grey (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence), extend your longevity indefinitely" (italics added).

Do your own research. The internet is packed with sites and related claims. How naive and out of touch are we Christians who claim that only Christ can and will conquer death. Stay tuned. We may have finally discovered Ponce deLeon's mythical fountain of youth!