Why Do We Want to
Live Forever?
For
thousands of years, thinking people have wrestled with that question. Is there
a logical, satisfying explanation—one that harmonizes with both our
physical makeup and our natural desire to live forever? Millions of people
would answer with a resounding yes! Why? In the Bible, they have found the most
satisfying answers about human nature.
From the outset, the Bible plainly states that
humans, while having some things in common with other creatures, are
fundamentally different. For example, at Genesis 1:27, we read that God
created humans in his image. How so? He gave us the capacity to display love,
justice, and wisdom. And as the One who lives forever, God implanted in us the
desire to live forever. He “planted eternity in men’s hearts and minds,” says Ecclesiastes
3:11.—The
Amplified Bible.
Physical evidence that humans were originally
designed to live much longer than we do can be seen in the power of the brain,
especially in its potential to learn. The Encyclopedia of the Brain and
Brain Disorders states that the long-term memory capacity of the human
brain “is virtually unlimited.” Why have this capacity if it were not meant to
be used? Yes, in fundamental ways, humans reflect God’s original purpose for
mankind. Then why do we grow old, suffer, and die?
Why We Grow Old and Die
The
first man and woman had perfect bodies along with free will. Sadly, they
misused that free will by rebelling against their Maker. * (Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:6-11) Their disobedience,
or sin, caused them to have profound guilt and shame. It also resulted in
damage to their bodies, triggering a slow, inexorable descent toward death.
“The sting producing death is sin,” states 1 Corinthians
15:56.
In line with the physical laws of inheritance,
all of Adam and Eve’s descendants acquired imperfection and the inclination to
sin, or do what is wrong. Says Romans 5:12: “Through one man sin
entered into the world and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men
because they had all sinned.”
What can we conclude from the foregoing? This:
The secret to endless life will never be found in a laboratory. Only God can
undo the damage caused by sin. But will he? The Bible answers with another
resounding yes!
“He Will
. . . Swallow Up Death Forever”
God has already taken a major step toward
removing sin and death. He sent Jesus Christ to give his life in our behalf.
How can Jesus’ death help us? Jesus was born perfect and “committed no sin.” (1 Peter 2:22) Hence, he was
entitled to endless, perfect life as a human. What did he do with his perfect
life? He willingly gave it up to pay for our sins. Yes, Jesus gave his life “a
ransom in exchange for many.” (Matthew 20:28) Soon, that ransom
will be fully applied in our behalf. What can that mean for you? Consider these
scriptures:
·
“God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son,
in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have
everlasting life.”—John 3:16.
·
“He will actually swallow up death forever, and the
Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces.”—Isaiah 25:8.
·
“The tent of God is with mankind . . . And he will
wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more.”—Revelation 21:3, 4.
How long can you live? The Bible’s answer is
clear: Humans can have the hope of living forever—a hope that will be
fulfilled after God cleanses the earth of all badness. (Psalm 37:28, 29) Jesus had that
precious hope in mind when he said to a man impaled next to him: “You will be
with me in Paradise.”—Luke 23:43.
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