Have you heard the song “Immortals” by Fall Out Boy? They wrote it for Disney's 2014 action comedy movie Big Hero 6. (If you haven't seen it, I'm about to give a bit of a spoiler, so skip to the article if you don't want it ruined.) The plot follows Hiro, a young boy whose brother is killed by a super villain. Hiro works through his grief by assembling a team of heroes to take down the villain.
The group includes a marshmallowy robot named Baymax, which was his brother's greatest invention. Baymax appears to be his brother's legacy, but, as the song Immortals expresses and as Hiro discovers, his brother's true legacy lives on through Hiro's life.
When we pass God's love onto others throughout our lives, we leave an "immortal" impression on the world once we're gone. But a legacy is not our only chance at immortality. Though our physical bodies will eventually run down, there's one part of us that will still remain: the human soul.
"And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it." — Ecclesiastes 12:7
The Bible repeatedly tells us that the soul, the spiritual part of every human being, is immortal (Psalm 22:26; 23:6; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Matthew 25:46; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19). When God breathed the breath of life into the first human, He created the human soul (Genesis 2:7). The soul keeps the body alive, but even when the soul leaves the body, the soul will never cease to exist.
To clarify, the way our souls are immortal is not the same as how God is eternal. God has no beginning and no end. He has always existed. He created time, so He exists outside of time. God is eternal and infinite. WE have a beginning because God created us within the flow of time. Our bodies are finite, and our souls are immortal.
We can be confident that ALL souls are going to live forever, but where will those souls exist? Where are our souls going to live for eternity after our physical bodes have died?
Friend, the choice is up to you. Those who choose to believe in Jesus—that He died for their sins, was buried, and rose again—have accepted God's grace and will live forever with Him in Heaven. Those who choose to reject God's grace will pay the penalty for their sin by spending eternity totally separated from God in a place of constant torment (Romans 6:23).
1 Corinthians 15:12-19 tells us something kinda crazy: the physical body you have today will be resurrected in the future! Just as all human souls have the same immortality regardless of if they place their faith in Jesus, all human bodies will be resurrected at the end of time—regardless of their faith.
Jesus painted a pretty chilling picture of the future in John 5:25-29, "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment."
The bodies of those who have accepted God's grace through Jesus will be resurrected and glorified (Revelation 20:5-6). The bodies of those who have rejected God's grace through Jesus will NOT be glorified and will remain separated from God.
Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). No number of good deeds will grant us access to Heaven because we will still sin every day (Romans 3:23); we cannot "earn" our way to God's side. Only by accepting God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ can anyone's soul be saved from the torment of hell (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Bible tells us that human souls are immortal (Psalm 22:26; 23:6; Ecclesiastes 12:7; Matthew 25:46; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19). Where each soul spends eternity is dependent upon an eternally important decision each person makes. Those who accept God's grace by putting faith in salvation through Jesus' sacrifice will live forever with God in Heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). Those who reject God's grace will spend eternity in hell (Romans 6:23). No number of good deeds will grant us access to Heaven because we will still sin every day (Romans 3:23); we cannot "earn" our way to God's side. Only by accepting God's grace and mercy through Jesus Christ can anyone's soul be saved from the torment of hell (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Vivian loves learning, studying the Word of God, and helping others in their walk with Christ. She is dedicated to helping people learn more about Jesus and is ready to help in any way she can. Her favorite things to do are spending time with her family and friends, cooking, drawing, and spending time outside. When she is not writing, you can find her soaking up the sunshine or going on an adventure.
