THE ETERNITY OF MAN
According to the Christian Scriptures, one of the main characteristics of the human being is his eternity. This aspect of man derives from the fact that he was created in the image and likeness of his Creator (Genesis 1:26). God, who is eternal, shares this feature of his being with the creatures that he creates in his likeness. However, one might suggest the point that such a statement does not hold, because humans die. Yes, it is true: human beings die. Death, however, in humanity, does not represent the end of man's being, but only the passage to another form of existence.
Humanity today, in its present condition, separated from God, experiences the reality of death. But it was not supposed to be this way, because, according to the biblical text, man was created eternal. See what Genesis 2: 16,17 says: "and the LORD God commanded the man, 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die'". In other words: he would only die if he ate from that tree. Adam did not follow the divine guidance and death entered into humanity. It is clear that, in this act of the first man, there are other aspects involved, besides disobedience. But, this brief text does not allow for a more extensive analysis of the issue.
In this way, it is a fact that man, today, is living his death. It seems like a paradox, but that is exactly it. The original man is dead, and the present human being is only a caricature of him. His constituent elements, body and spirit, are dead. The spirit is dead because it has lost that which gave it life: the connection with his Creator. The body, likewise, is dead because it has lost its initial characteristics and is progressing to decomposition in the grave. But then, what about the aspect of human eternity?
Man's being remains eternal. When he is said to have died, it means that he has lost his original condition of perfection that he possessed before the Fall and has been cast into a separate existence from God. If he does not catch the way back to God, through Christ, during this life, he will remain permanently in this state of decay (Revelation 20:11-15). On this issue, Paul told the Thessalonians, "He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).
But as for the man who is reunited with God, in Christ in this life, his spirit is quickened and he is already in relationship with the Spirit of God that "testifies to our spirit that we are children of God (Romans 8:16). And regarding the body, notice what the Apostle Paul says in Romans 8:11: "and if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you". Then, writing to the Philippians, Paul says that Jesus, "who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body" (3:21).
Thus, in the Holy Bible Scriptures, two eternal futures for mankind are noted. One marked by happiness and the other by suffering. Then the theological question arises as to how God can allow such a situation. Here there are complexities that, for the purpose of this text, will not be considered. However, one can say in a nutshell that, although God is sovereign and controls everything, created beings, in His image, enjoy relative freedom to make decisions and choices. And where there is freedom, there is also responsibility. God guided the first man about the danger of eating from the forbidden tree and, now, provided the salvation for him to leave this state of death, but it is up to the human being, with God's help, to take this path.
Along with all the above, man's eternity derives from the very Being of his Creator, who is sovereign obove the time. But his eternity, unlike God who exists outside of time, had a beginning. Yet man has always been in the divine mind, even before the creation of time. Paul, to the Ephesians, said that God "chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight" (1:3). But when man strayed from the original purpose of his Creator, the Eternal One revealed Himself in time and opened a way for man to return to the divine presence. Thus, "only through this revelation of the eternity our own history acquire a share in eternity (BRUNNER, 2010, p.395).
Antônio Maia - M.Div.
Copyrights reserved
BRUNNER, Emil. Dogmática - Volume 1 - Doutrina Cristã de Deus. São Paulo: Fonte Editorial, 2010.
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