Former House Speaker and current Fox News Contributor Newt Gringrich wrote and published an article about scientific break throughs that he claims could delay and even reverse aging. Is such a thing even possible? While such a prospect may be appealing and no doubt, if that were even possible, there would be many advantages to such medical advancements (i.e. any Christian recipients of such treatments might buy more time on earth to serve the Lord), but at the same time there would also be dire consequences (i.e. wicked recipients would perpetuate their evil for a much longer period of time than they otherwise could).
Despite the claim by secular scientists that death is a natural part of life, man has always been trying to look for ways to delay the inevitability of death and to extend his years and the years of those people around him he holds dear because there is something inside each and everyone of us telling us that death is something that ought not be because there is a God in Heaven who did not originally create us to die, but to live and even it were possible to invent a medical treatment that could delay, reverse, and even stop aging altogether, most likely, it would not be made available to just everyone. Such a treatment would be priced so high so that only the super-wealthy, favored, and powerful would be able to afford it while the rest of us would be left to succumb to old age as we have always been since death entered the world, probably in the name of population control despite the fact that there are people whom we hold dear, look up to, and admire to whom we would love to see fifty or even a hundred years extended to them.
But even if the ability to retain perpetual youth could be achieved and financially afforded, it still would not constitute immortality since there are a myriad of other ways for a life to be extinguished such as by way of an unfortunate accident, the wickedness of other people, attacks by dangerous animals, catastrophic events, an illness that cannot be treated or cured, or something untimely such as a sudden aneurysm, stroke, or heart attack (those things can happen even to the young and seemingly healthy as well)
In order to become immortal, we would have to become immune to death altogether in every form it comes and that will never be humanly possible no matter what we try to do. We can only delay the inevitable, but we cannot stave death off forever and besides, would we even want to? Even if we could alter the genetic code so as to slow or eliminate aging, what unforeseen consequences could manifest themselves as a result? What if those consequences that arose were actually worse than succumbing to old age, and worse than death itself?
Secular minded scientists will tell you that if death were non-existent, the world would become overcrowded and would not be able to sustain an unrestrained population growth, and they are right as far as it pertains to the present state of this earth, but there is a God in Heaven by whose hand the universe was created who tells us something about death that the naturalists will not tell you nor even believe, and that is that death never used to be a part of nature. It was not even in the mind of the Creator that it should ever have a role in His creation, but instead was introduced into the world as a punishment for man’s disobedience and rebellion against His Maker. When God created man, man was forbidden to do only one thing: Eating fruit from a certain tree called the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. (Gen. 2:16-17, chapter 3)
When Adam and his wife Eve, the first two people from whom all of mankind descend, disobeyed that one command, that is when death came into the world as a consequence of his transgression (Rom. 6:23) and death has passed to all men because all men have inherited from Adam a condition within themselves called sin and because of this, we all die (Rom. 5:12) no matter what we do to escape it. We try to escape death through certain diet programs, a regular exercise routine, regular medical check-ups, taking medicines to fight off sicknesses, undergoing surgeries in an attempt to repair or replace failing vital organs, and of course attempting to either slow or reverse aging. We even do everything we can to keep the people we hold dear alive for as long as we can as well, this all testifying to the fact that death, because of the immense amount of grief it brings is and because of the misery and sorrow that comes with it, death is called in scripture an enemy to us (1 Cor. 15:26)
and how we are ever reminded of that whenever a person we hold dear is taken from us (i.e. a beloved family member or spouse, a friend held dear, or a child) or if even a pet we love so much as dies. And that is because death was never a part of God’s desire for anyone, but came into this world and infected all of creation as a consequence for the sin of Adam. (Rom. 5:12, 8:19-23)
Though death is counted as an enemy to us, at the same time, death has become necessary for the purpose of restraining evil and though we would love nothing more than to keep the God-fearing and principled men and women on this earth indefinitely so that they can continue perpetuating the good and God-honoring works that they do, at the same time, if death were non-existent, evil would also be perpetuated and increased to a far greater extent than it is even now.
But it is not only the bodily death to which we are made subject because sin, but there is a death which is even worse than the death of the body to which all who are under sin are subject as and that death is a spiritual death which results in being forever separated from our Maker and confined to a place of everlasting torment and punishment because God, in whom there is no sin, cannot allow sin to dwell in His presence and therefore has to keep sin separate from that which is without sin and that includes keeping out of His Kingdom those who refuse to turn from their sins.
But God in His love and mercy has offered redemption through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son who died on the cross or our sins and was raised from the dead. Jesus did on our behalf what we could not do for ourselves. He lived a life without sin and was able to live up to God’s standard of moral perfection, which made Him eligible to be that perfect sacrifice needed to take away the sins of mankind. But we, no matter how hard we try, have not been able to live up to God’s standard of moral perfection because we are inherently sinful. Even when we try to do what we know is good and right, sin is ever present with us, corrupting even our reasoning and motives for doing the good things that we do which is why we cannot buy or earn our way into Heaven.
It is by His grace that we are saved from being condemned to an eternity in Hell by our faith in Him (Eph. 2:8-9) and not by our own efforts which fall short of the glory of God. The salvation that we receive in Christ has nothing to do with how worthy we are, but is the greatest demonstration of His love towards us His mercy.
It is in Christ that the demanded punishment for sin and the love and mercy of God are both met.
And it is when we call upon the name of Jesus for salvation that we receive forgiveness of sins and are saved and granted entry into His Kingdom and are reconciled to the Father. It is in Christ that we have hope for a better world than the world we live in now, a world in which death is no more because sin is absent and in which there is no curse upon the creation for when that world is made manifest, this present world in which sin abounds, death reigns, and is subject to a curse as a result of sin, will pass away and along with it, all the suffering, pain, grief, and sorrow therein. Thus will the promise to wipe away all tears be fulfilled to those who are in Christ. (Rev. 21:4)
But in order to become a part of that new and perfect world, you must repent and turn away from your sins, placing your trust in the only one who can forgive you of yours sins and that is Jesus. Otherwise, if you do not and continue to harden your heart against Him and reject His love, mercy, and forgiveness, then there is nothing left to look forward to except an eternity of everlasting torment.
But that is not the fate that our Lord desire for anyone, yet at the same time, He cannot allow they who choose to remain in their sins and do the things that displease Him into His Kingdom. That is why I urge you reader, to choose eternal life in Christ and turn away from the sin that condemns you before Him so that you will no longer have to stand condemned but receive forgiveness and entry into Heaven.
If you are not sure what to say, here is an example
of a prayer you can pray:
"Lord Jesus I need you.
I realize that I am a sinner
who has fallen short of the glory of God
and that my goodness falls short
of His standard of Moral perfection.
Please forgive me of all of my sins.
Come into my heart and into my life
to be the Savior and Lord of my life.
Make me into the servant and follower
that you want me to be.
In your name Lord Jesus, I pray.
Amen."
The Lord is not concerned with the words that you
use as but only with the attitude and sincerity within your heart and if you have,
with all sincerity, have asked Him to forgive you of your sins and to be your
Savior and Lord, you are already saved and will one day spend eternity with Him
forever.
End notes:
1. Newt Gringrich, “Newt Gingrich: Can aging be reversed? Incredible new research may let us grow younger instead of older,” Fox News, January 5, 2020
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/newt-gingrich-could-stop-aging
Scripture references:
1. Genesis 2:16-17
2. Genesis 3
3. Romans 6:23
4. Romans 5:12
5. 1 Corinthians 15:26
6. Ephesians 2:8-9
7. Revelation 21:4
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