If we are born again when we leave this earth, does that make us immortal?

[~Anastasia~]

All will be resurrected - prior to the judgement.

 

[AlexDTX]

I had this thought, which made me think. I was thinking about thinking, but really what are your opinions on this?

There is a difference in meanings between the words "eternal" and "everlasting". Eternal means without beginning nor end, whereas everlasting means without end. God is eternal, therefore is immortal. He can not end because he has no beginning. When we are born again, the eternal Spirit, which is immortal, is joined to our spirits.

1Co 6:17 But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.​

The new birth transforms us into a new species. We are no longer human in the sense of being only a body, soul and spirit. We become partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Immortality is given to us by the immortal Spirit being joined to our created spirits. However, at this time the immortality is only in our spirits and souls. Our bodies will die, and when Jesus returns to rule the Earth we will be given a new, immortal body, in a twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:52).

So, with the new birth we have partial immortality which will be completed when the Lord returns. Then we will have both eternal life (God's very own life permanently within us) and everlasting life (our own created lives never ending.

 

[Unit 11]

I had this thought, which made me think. I was thinking about thinking, but really what are your opinions on this?

It reminded me of 1 Corinthians 15, as others have posted here. My main concern, though, is seeing to it that I am "born again" when my exit arrives. ("Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen.")

 

[RDKirk]

I agree on the points of being resurrected into an incorruptible body, and what was said before by several posters on that.

But I wanted to add, that we do not possess immortality on our own. Rather, God is the Source of Life. It is through Him that we have life. So yes, we will be "immortal" in the sense that because death will be no more, we will not die, but life itself is from God, and that will always be true.

I think that is the necessary distinction between "being immortal" and "having eternal life."

Technically, there is a difference between "eternal" and "immortal." The lifeline of immortal person is a ray: It has a beginning point (birth) but no end point. Eternality is a line--no beginning and no end.

I normally resist trying to translate ancient scriptural terms into a hard modern concept, but the ancient Greeks did have the concept of a person being born immortal to never die...not so much the concept of living without ever having been born in the first place. What if Christ did mean "eternal" in that way?

In that case, to "have eternal life" would necessarily mean sharing the eternal existence of God, not being given an immortality of our own.

 

[AlexDTX]

It reminded me of 1 Corinthians 15, as others have posted here. My main concern, though, is seeing to it that I am "born again" when my exit arrives. ("Worry about your own fortunes, gentlemen.")

Heb_13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

We would have to leave him which is next to impossible.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I had this thought, which made me think. I was thinking about thinking, but really what are your opinions on this?

Hi there!

It can be good to remember in this connection the last two words of a verse which sums up the Christian gospel so well: John 3.16: "...everlasting life". 1 Cor. 15 also speaks of the certain hope of the believer's resurrection to life, because of the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

[JacksBratt]

I had this thought, which made me think. I was thinking about thinking, but really what are your opinions on this?

Great posts, here, in response to your question. Have you ever heard the phrase:

Born once, die twice, Born twice, die once.

 

[Steve Petersen]

I had this thought, which made me think. I was thinking about thinking, but really what are your opinions on this?

No, it makes you worm chowder.

 

[Dr Bruce Atkinson]

According to what scripture says, we are "born again" when we accept Christ and we will be destined to have eternal life from that point.

When are to be resurrected into "incorruptable" bodies, and it's in that form that we will live that eternal life.

"Immortal" merely means "never dying." "Eternal life" means the same thing, for all practical purposes, as "immortal."

Excellent brief answer.
The question itself was misleading. We are not 'born again' when we die. By the grace of God and our faith, we are 'born again' while we are still here; we receive the Holy Spirit and are spiritually regenerated, and thus we receive eternal life; after our natural death we will be resurrected (like Jesus).

 

[Colter]

I had this thought, which made me think. I was thinking about thinking, but really what are your opinions on this?

No, we can still sin in heaven, choose to reject God.

 

[RDKirk]

No, we can still sin in heaven, choose to reject God.

I would clarify that as a distinction between potential and permission.

 

[marineimaging]

The answer is simple. It is in the scripture. Your "thinking" without scripture needs to be thinking toward scripture. So, what does scripture say about it? There are several who cleared it up using scripture and did very well.

 

[~Anastasia~]

No, we can still sin in heaven, choose to reject God.

Are you saying that in the life of the age to come, those who are Christ's, can change their minds and rebel?

I would disagree. Such a scenario would seem to lead to another event such as Lucifer's rebellion. God forbid! There will no more sin enter into the restored Jerusalem (not heaven, that is not our eventual home).

 

[St_Worm2]

Hi Anastasia, I believe the Bible agrees with you. Here's a verse or two that comes to mind:

"Christ Jesus .. abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" ~2 Tim 1:10

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” ~Rev 21:4​

Sin always results in death, (i.e. Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23; James 1:15) but there will be no more death "Death and Hades" will, in fact, be destroyed .. Revelation 20:14.

What is Theosis again?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

--David

"The last enemy that will be
abolished is death"
1 Cor 15:26​

 

[Alithis]

No, we can still sin in heaven, choose to reject God.

we are made one with christ ..IN him .. he cant sin

 

[~Anastasia~]

Hi Anastasia, I believe the Bible agrees with you. Here's a verse or two that comes to mind:

"Christ Jesus .. abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel" ~2 Tim 1:10

"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” ~Rev 21:4​

Sin always results in death, (i.e. Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23; James 1:15) but there will be no more death "Death and Hades" will, in fact, be destroyed .. Revelation 20:14.

What is Theosis again?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

--David

"The last enemy that will be
abolished is death"
1 Cor 15:26​

Thank you, David. I had another Scripture in mind when I wrote it, but it's hard to quote on the device I use. I had not made that logical connection, but I think you are also right to do so.

What is theosis again? LOL, that's a big topic for an aside.

But essentially ... it is the process of becoming like Christ, through the grace of God. The early stage of that might be what many Protestants refer to as "sanctification" in this life, but it goes beyond that (we refer to a stage called "purification" in life). St. Athanasius said "we become by grace what God is by nature" ... meaning that it is through the grace of God acting in us, and that we become LIKE God - it is very important to emphasize that we do NOT become "Gods" or like God in His very Essence - that is impossible for created beings. There is much more, but that's a basic answer.

 

[Colter]

we are made one with christ ..IN him .. he cant sin

Sure we could, Lucifer was a brilliant son of God in the celestial realm who betrayed his sacred trust and entered into a disastrous rebellion! He fell in love with himself and sinned to the point of iniquity. "There was war in heaven." It was an ideological war of allegiance, other celestials under his authority went with him. It could happen again.

 

[Colter]

Are you saying that in the life of the age to come, those who are Christ's, can change their minds and rebel?

I would disagree. Such a scenario would seem to lead to another event such as Lucifer's rebellion. God forbid! There will no more sin enter into the restored Jerusalem (not heaven, that is not our eventual home).

Jesus went to prepare a place for us in heaven, that's where the Lucifer rebellion originated, in heaven. That's where his sin first occurred.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Jesus went to prepare a place for us in heaven, that's where the Lucifer rebellion originated, in heaven. That's where his sin first occurred.

So the whole thing can start over, fallen beings, war in heaven (forgetting of course that we will not be in heaven but on the restored earth), another fall, another sacrifice of Christ perhaps? On and on forever, when THOSE redeemed eventually sin as well?

I don't think so. God is not such a lover of drama. We will be like Christ, and to imagine us sinning in the life of the age to come is like accusing Christ of sin.

Lucifer fell, creating a break in the spiritual world's fellowship. Adam sinned, creating a break in the natural world's fellowship. God will restore the natural world, and it will not be subjected over and over again to futility.

What a terrible thing to imagine. Having seen the consequences and effects of sin on generation after generation of mankind, every evil and suffering that we have experienced, to think to bring that all back again? We do not have such a God ...

Revelation 21 speaks to this on several fronts.

 

[trinichristiannudist]

We are already "immortal" ina sense bbecause remember, God breathed his"bbreath of life" into us and we became "living souls" (Gen.1). God created us to live FOREVER. If this was not his intention originally, then why make us"SOULS"? We mmust realise that with GOD, NOTHING DOES NOT EXIST. So when he created us, he created us with the purpose of experiencing EXISTENCE. Being lost in sin just condemns us to a place of separation from him once we die because of the curse of sin. Which is why JESUS came and taught us to be BORN AGAIN in the first place. Born again into the knowledge of who GOD is to experience life as he created us for.