GOD NEVER INTENDED HUMANS TO DIE. Death is not something God intended for us humans. We were created immortal. How then did we lose our immortality and become subject to death? And how and when will we regain immortality?

This series addresses the concerns we all have: the concern for sin, evil, death, dying, and what happens after we die. Is there hope after death? When God created us, humans, he intended for us to live forever in a loving, peaceful relationship with him. But this relationship has been broken by sin.

Here, we address the origin of sin and look more closely at death and dying.

But, instead of looking at death negatively, we look at it in the context of hope, the promised hope based on what Jesus did for us when he died and came back to life again.

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 4: Sabbath.School (See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School)

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Inviting the Spirit of God

Heavenly Father, sin has created a gap between You and us. We ask that you forgive us of our sins. We plead the blood of Jesus and we thank you for giving us your son to bridge the gap between us and you. In Jesus’ Name Amen

Because of the sin of our first parents Adam and Eve, we lost the privilege of immortality. The penalty for sin is death. Thus, we lost our immortality. But God before the world was made in his loving mercy, had a plan for this “terrible emergency” God would send his son his only as a ransom to redeem the world. 

Thus, we read in 1 John 5:11, 12 that the immortality that we in the Garden of Eden lost through sin, we can have through his Son.

11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (I John 5:11-12)

Therefore, we are mortal being subject to death. But for those who die in Jesus, they rest in the grave until he returns. When he returns, they will again receive immortality. Hence, they will live eternally with God in Heaven.

For now, we understand from 1 Timothy 6:15-16 that only God has immortality. we are mortal, and it is only at Jesus’ return that we will put on immortality.

15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen. (I Timothy 6:15-16)

And 1 Corinthians 15:53-55

53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (1 Corinthians 15:53-55)

Since we are mortal, we again obtain immortality from Jesus. For He is life and the giver of life according to Psalm 36:9; Colossians 1:15–17 and Hebrews 1:2.

Psalms 36:9

9 For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. (Psalms 36:9)

Colossians 1:15-17

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

16 For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.

17 And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. (Colossians 1:15-17)

Hebrews 1:2

2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; (Hebrews 1:2)

So, when Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit as told in Genesis 3 their descendants, including us, came under the curse of physical death. Hence our bodies no longer lived forever. We lost the gift of eternal life. But our loving God established a plan for us human beings to regain the eternal life we lost in the Garden of Eden. This plan we see from what Paul says in Ephesians 1:4 was made even before the world was created.

“Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4, NKJV).

Paul in Romans 5:12–21 explains that “just as through one man [Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin,” so through “the one Man, Jesus Christ,” the gracious gift of eternal life became available to all human beings

Picking up at Romans 5:18

18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life.

19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous. 

20 Moreover the law entered that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, (Split)

21 so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 5:21)

What is Paul saying?

He is saying that by disobedience, or by transgressing God’s law, Adam brought sin and death into this world.

But demonstrating the mercies of God, John adds in I John 5:11-12

11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:11-12).

In conjunction with John and Paul, Jesus, by whom we obtain eternal life, says in John 6:40

40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:40).

Jesus also says, in John 11:25

25 “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. (John 11:25, NKJV). (Split)

Do you get the picture?

Jesus has loved us humans and has made every provision for all to have a new birth, a new life derived from His own life. For  “He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.” Those who believe in Christ obtain their motivation and the quality of their characters from Him in whom they believe. —Sons and Daughters of God, p. 299. Adapted

What does all this mean? It means that eternal life is a gift from God obtained only through Jesus Christ.

The conclusion is very simple: if everlasting life is granted only to those who are in Christ, then those who are not in Him do not have everlasting life (1 John 5:11, 12).

This lets us know that only those who accept Christ have eternal life. As for the wicked, eternal life is not extended to them. They will be burned up, wipe out of existence. Thus, for those who reject Christ, this privilege of eternal life is not offered to them. 

Furthermore, after death, there is no opportunity to change your mind and accept Christ. Nor can your loved ones pray you into heaven after you die. You must do it now, while we have time. Thus, if you have not accepted Christ’s death on the cross for your sins, do it today, turn away from sin, turn to Christ and receive the privilege of eternal life.

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