As human beings, we are not now immortal. But by faith in Jesus we can now claim the promise of immortality. The Christian’s assurance is that he or she will gain immortality when Jesus comes again a second time.

The certainty of the promise of immortality was demonstrated when Jesus burst open His tomb.

“Our Savior, Christ JESUS, who HAS DESTROYED DEATH and HAS BROUGHT LIFE AND IMMORTALITY TO LIGHT through the gospel.”
—2 Timothy 1:10.

The teaching that we are now immortal lies behind the belief in an eternally burning hell. Both the immortality of the soul and an eternally burning hell are ideas derived from Satan’s lie to Eve in Eden, when he promised, “You will not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). God’s perspective on human destiny is clear: eternal death for those who reject Christ and cling to their sins, or immortality as a gift when Jesus comes for those who have accepted Him as Saviour.