One of the early hits by the Beatles
was a song called “Can’t Buy Me Love”.
We all know that there are certain things that money cannot buy, yet you wouldn’t
know it by observing our culture. And if we are not careful we can get sucked
right into the ideas that people buy into today. Money cannot buy youth, yet
people spend billions on creams, make-up, medical procedures, foods, and “elixers”
of all kinds seeking to stay or look young. Money can’t buy happiness, yet
people are spending billions on pleasure of all kinds, hoping for the thrills
and the fun to provide a perpetual Disneyword where they expect to be happy.
And money cannot buy life, or shall we say… the avoidance of death.
I recently read an article that
described a book by an author named Adam Gollner. I haven’t read it, but the
review described some of the contents. In the book the author profiles five
billionaires who are pouring money into longevity research. If I was a
billionaire, maybe I, too, would want to enjoy it longer and therefore invest
resources in such a way. Life extension is a common theme in movies and on
television, typically in the science fiction and fantasy genre. It’s not new,
though. Even in earlier times Chinese emperors, European alchemists, and those
who possessed power through the ages have listened to the hucksters of their
times and tried all kinds of crazy “solutions” to death. There are no proven
ways of extending the lifespan of humans beyond today’s parameters. And the
Psalmist reminds us... “The
length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet
their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.” (Psalm 90:10).
Gollner
writes about Larry Ellison, CEO of Oracle Corporation, who has been quoted as
saying, “Death makes me very angry. It doesn’t make sense to me. Death has
never made any sense to me. How can a person be there and just vanish, just not
be there.” In his attempts to defeat death, Ellison has set up a foundation
dedicated to ending mortality. The foundation gives out money to any research that
looks promising in combatting age-related diseases and disabilities. The book
also describes 32-year-old Russian multimillionaire Dmitry Itskov. He has
started an organization known as the 2045 Initiative. Their goal is to help
humans achieve physical immortality within the next 30 years. His main aim is
to transfer individual personality to a more advanced non-biological carrier:
the idea of giving up our biological bodies for artificial, machine bodies.
All
of the people whom Gollner profiles approach not just the present, but the
future as well, from a completely materialistic (or non-spiritual) point of
view. To them the idea of a personal God and of our spirits existing eternally
is too speculative. They definitely are thinking more atheistically than
theistically. What a shame to miss out on the Word of God and what it tells us
about our broken humanity and God’s work of grace to redeem us and give the
gift of eternal life through Christ, our Lord. Something greater than these
billionaires could ever imagine is already the possession of those whom God is
saving. And it costs nothing… at least nothing of this world’s goods. Jesus
Christ paid the cost in full when He shed His blood and died for our sins. By
faith we repent and believe and have the assurance of eternal life promised in
the Scriptures.
May
we worship God aright for bringing us to Himself, for giving us the gift of
faith, and for the converting work of the Holy Spirit in giving us the new
birth. And may we be free to tell others of the amazing grace that comes
through Jesus Christ. May our hope be only in Him because, while heaven and
earth will pass away, Jesus never fails.
Romans 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal
life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:19-20 (NIV) 19 If only for this life we have hope in
Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men. 20 But
Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have
fallen asleep.
1 Corinthians 15:52-57 (NLT) 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blink of
an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who
have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be
transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be
transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be
transformed into immortal bodies. 54 Then, when our
dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this
Scripture will be fulfilled: “Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death,
where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” 56 For
sin is the sting that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. 57
But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through
our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 John 3:1-3 (NIV) 1 How great is the love the Father has
lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we
are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2
Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be
has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like
him, for we shall see him as he is. 3 Everyone who has
this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
Revelation 21:3-4
(NIV) 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,
"Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They
will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more
death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed
away."
PRAYER: Father, thank you for the hope you have given
me that is founded in Christ. In Christ alone my hope is found. Apart from him
I have no future, I have no joy, and I have no expectation beyond the grave. He
alone is the basis of my hope of eternal life. I rest in him, lean on him,
trust in him, and look to no one or no thing other. Be glorified in your Gospel
in this world. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.”
Jesus
Christ is Lord!
Scott
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