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IMMORTALITY
Thousands of years ago Job asked the question, "if a man die, shall he live again?" All of us have thought about this question in the course of our lives.
Various explanations have been given of immortality. Some speak of racial immortality where the individuals perish but the race lives on. Others speak of immortality where mental and moral qualities live on after the individual is dead. Some may discuss the immortality of influence and the immortality of memory, but today I would like to speak of the Immortality of the soul.
The Bible teaches that man shall live again and that the death of the body does not mean the of the soul. Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 12:7 that "Dust shall return to the earth as it was: the spirit shall return unto God who gave it."
Since the death of the body does not mean the death of the soul, we have the assurance that the dead shall be raised. Jesus and Paul left no doubt in the minds of people who believe the Bible, the Bible says the dead will be raised. Jesus taught the resurrection of the dead when he said, marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.* The good and the evil will be raised at the same time. Both classes will go to Judgment and there the separation for eternity will be made.
Paul described the great resurrection in the great-15th Chapter of I Corinthians. He wrote: "if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our faith vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also that are fallen asleep in Christ are perished." But in that same grand chapter, after making these arguments to prove the resurrection, Paul declared, "For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (I Cor. 15:53). Jesus and Paul believed that man would sleep the sleep of death but not forever.
The gospel teaches that this life is not all. In the 17th chapter of Matthew, we read the story of the transfiguration. Moses and Elias came and talked with Jesus on the mount. Moses and Elias had been dead and buried hundreds of years, but they were living still. This is but another Bible to show the immortality of the soul. Since the dead must be raised, and since you are an immortal soul, what must you do? First, you should admit that you cannot save yourself. No matter how much money or power you might have, you should realize that 4 isn't possible for you to save yourself. Then you ask the question: who can save me?" The answer comes from John 14:6. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by me." There is one way of salvation, and that one way is Jesus Christ. Will you not obey the plan of salvation. Hear the gospel (Rom. 10:17); Believe the gospel (Heb. 11:6); Repent of your sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 17:30); Confess faith in Christ (Matt. 10:32); Be baptized (Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:3-4); and Live a good life (Rev. 2:10; Titus 2:11-12).