Again we approach the cup of Babylon's wine and draw from it the doctrine of "Immortality of the Soul," which is the twelfth sip. The belief and teaching of the Roman Catholic Church is that man is inherently immortal, and that after death he lives on in the form of an immortal soul. This doctrine has given birth to numerous false ideas concerning the state of man after death, and has been adopted by most of the Protestant sects. Do the Sacred Scriptures teach that man now possesses an immortal soul?
The word "immortal" occurs only once in our Authorized (King James) Version of the Bible, and in this instance it refers to God alone. "Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." (1 Timothy 1:17) If all men were now invested with immortality, surely the word of God would not be silent about it. But it clearly states that only God has immortality. "Which in His times He shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen." (1 Timothy 6:15,16)
Eternal life is promised on condition that we accept Christ, and those who do not meet this condition cannot have eternal life. "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:11,12) Christ assures us that it is through the belief in, and adherence to, the word of God that we receive immortality.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that hears My word, and believes on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life." (John 5:24) If we were innately the possessors of immortality, we would not have to be admonished to seek for it. But Paul says that "eternal life" will be the reward "to them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality." (Romans 2:7)
The Lord does not leave us in doubt as to where and how immortality can be obtained. The gospel, which reveals Jesus Christ, is proclaimed in the Holy Scriptures. Therefore, by the study of, and faithful obedience to, their divine teachings we may have immortality bestowed on us at the second coming of Christ, for our Savior "hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel." (2 Timothy 1:10) "When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also appear with Him in glory." (Colossians 3:4)
Not until incorruption shall take the place of corruption, and mortality shall give way to immortality, will eternal life be ours. "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." (1 Corinthians 15:54) Loving life, as we do, and knowing that immortality will not be granted until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, we ought to prepare for, and look forward to, that glorious event. In the beginning, when man yielded to sin, he forfeited the right to eternal life. (Genesis 3:22-24) It is only through faith in Christ and His atonement that man regains his sinless state of character and the right to immortality. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:1)
The Lord was too wise to mete out eternal life to everyone, to saint and to sinner alike. He demonstrated His divine wisdom when He banished Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden after they had sinned, thus preventing them from partaking of the tree whose properties would perpetuate life. "And the Lord God said Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever: therefore the Lord God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life." (Genesis 3:22-24)
If man had been permitted access to the tree of life after his disobedience, he would have become an immortal sinner and not be subject to death. If all sinners of the past millenniums were alive today with their years of experience in sin, what a terrible world this would be to live in! To safeguard society our courts of justice mete out death or imprisonment to violators of the civil law. Now suppose that they were dealing with immortal criminals, who could never die. If they should attempt to exclude them from society by placing them in penal institutions, the world would not have room enough for buildings in which to incarcerate them. Some may say: " That is too preposterous for words!" However, that is exactly what the law enforcers would be confronted with, if it Were true that men are immortal. Although death is our enemy, it has made this sinful world a safer place in which to live.
Had Adam and Eve been obedient to God, they would have continued to eat of the fruit of the tree of life, and would have lived forever. But when they disobeyed and broke God's commandment, they were cut off from partaking of this life-giving fruit, and thus became subject to death. God never has promised eternal life to the disobedient. However, Satan in his declaration to Eve, "You shall not surely die," has promised men life through disobedience. Thus the first sermon ever preached on the doctrine of the immortality of the soul was spoken by the devil. These words uttered by the enemy of truth have been echoed and re-echoed from pagan, Protestant, and Roman Catholic pulpits, and the majority of mankind have embraced with complacency this false doctrine.
The plan of salvation will reach its culmination when the redeemed will be taken home to the glory land, where God's commandment-keeping children will receive the royal welcome of King Jesus. Then He will grant them the happy privilege of partaking of the life-perpetuating fruit from which man has been so long excluded. "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14) The condition upon which eternal life is granted stands the same today as it did when Christ answered the rich young ruler's question: "What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" The answer was: "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments." (Matthew 19:16,17) Peter said: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins." (Acts 2:38) The apostles also said: "Repent you therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out." (Acts 3:19) Paul said: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved." (Acts 16:31) In other words, obedience as well as faith, conversion, and baptism are needed.
Stop sipping from the cup which contains the erroneous doctrine of inherent immortality. Accept God's words, by His grace obey His commandments, and have implicit faith in the full atonement of Jesus Christ. "This do, and thou shall live." (Luke 10:28)