During my sermon yesterday, I made the point that we are immortal until God has decided our work for him on earth is done. I wasn’t suggesting that we won’t suffer danger, hardship or persecution. But I was suggesting that God has specific work for his people to do which continues until our dying day. Nothing can stop us doing that work God wants us to do and the only evidence we have fully and finally done all that he wants is when he calls us home to glory. Until that day, we are absolutely immortal. If you want to understand a but more about what that means in practice, you will have to listen to the whole sermon here.
Of course, that thought – in more broad terms – is not unique to me. I understand George Whitefield said words to that effect. I am led to believe John Paton – the missionary to cannibals – said words to that effect (John Piper quotes them here):
As he was trying to escape from Tanna, another island of the New Hebrides, at the end of four years of dangers, he and his native friend Abraham were surrounded by raging natives who kept urging each other to strike the first blow.
My heart rose up to the Lord Jesus; I saw Him watching all the scene. My peace came back to me like a wave from God. I realized that I was immortal till my Master’s work with me was done. The assurance came to me, as if a voice out of Heaven had spoken, that not a musket would be fired to wound us, not a club prevail to strike us, not a spear leave the hand in which it was held vibrating to be thrown, not an arrow leave the bow, or a killing stone the fingers, without the permission of Jesus Christ, whose is all power in Heaven and on Earth. He rules all Nature, animate and inanimate, and restrains even the Savage of the South Seas. (Autobiography, 207)
C.H. Spurgeon also said much the same things. Here is an excerpt of his:
A fair assurance this! It was no doubt based upon a promise, inwardly whispered in the Psalmist’s heart, which he seized upon and enjoyed. Is my case like that of David? Am I depressed because the enemy affronts me? Are there multitudes against me, and few on my side? Does unbelief bid me lie down and die in despair – a defeated, dishonored man? Do my enemies begin to dig my grave?
What then? Shall I yield to the whisper of fear, and give up the battle, and with it give up all hope? Far from it. There is life in me yet: “I shall not die.” Vigor will return and remove my weakness: “I shall live.” The Lord lives, and I shall live also. My mouth shall again be opened: “I shall declare the works of Jehovah.” Yes, and I shall speak of the present trouble as another instance of the wonder-working faithfulness and love of the Lord my God. Those who would gladly measure me for my coffin had better wait a bit; for “the Lord hath chastened me sore, but he hath not given me over unto death.” Glory be to His name for ever! I am immortal till my work is done. Till the Lord wills it no vault can close upon me.
Others, I am sure, have said the same thing again. It is a truth that flows from a deep-seated belief in God’s sovereignty, a belief that God’s Word will accomplish everything he wants it to do and that – as we were reading from Jeremiah yesterday – he is watching over his Word to make it flourish. Like Jeremiah, he has given his people today a task to do – words to share and people to go to – and he is at work in and through us so that all that he wants us to accomplish for him will be accomplished. We are, in that sense, immortal until the work God wants each of us to do is done. And when it is done, he will welcome us by saying ‘well done, good and faithful servant.’