Topical Bible: God is Declared to Be: Immortal

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The concept of God's immortality is a fundamental attribute of His divine nature, underscoring His eternal existence and unchanging essence. In the Scriptures, God's immortality is presented as an inherent quality that distinguishes Him from His creation, affirming His supremacy and eternal sovereignty.

1. Scriptural Affirmation of God's Immortality

The Bible explicitly declares God's immortality in several passages. In 1 Timothy 1:17 , the Apostle Paul writes, "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen." This verse highlights God's eternal and immortal nature, emphasizing His unique status as the only God deserving of perpetual honor and glory.

Furthermore, 1 Timothy 6:15-16 states, "which the blessed and only Sovereign One—the King of kings and Lord of lords—will bring about in His own time. He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen." Here, God's immortality is linked to His sovereignty and His dwelling in unapproachable light, reinforcing His transcendence and the mystery of His divine essence.

2. God's Immortality in Relation to Creation

God's immortality sets Him apart from all created beings, who are subject to mortality and change. In contrast, God is self-existent and uncreated, possessing life in Himself. This is reflected in Psalm 90:2 , which declares, "Before the mountains were born or You brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting You are God." This verse underscores God's eternal existence, affirming that He is not bound by time or the limitations of the created order.

3. Theological Implications of God's Immortality

The immortality of God has profound theological implications. It assures believers of His unchanging nature and the reliability of His promises. As the eternal God, He is the source of life and the sustainer of all that exists. His immortality guarantees that His purposes will be accomplished, and His covenant faithfulness will endure throughout all generations.

In Isaiah 40:28 , the prophet proclaims, "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary; His understanding is beyond searching out." This passage highlights God's inexhaustible strength and wisdom, attributes that are intrinsically linked to His immortal nature.

4. God's Immortality and Human Mortality

The contrast between God's immortality and human mortality is a recurring theme in Scripture. While humans are subject to death and decay, God offers eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ. In John 11:25-26 , Jesus declares, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies. And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?" This promise of eternal life is rooted in the immortal nature of God, who alone has the power to grant life beyond the grave.

5. Worship and Reverence for the Immortal God

The recognition of God's immortality inspires worship and reverence among His people. In Revelation 4:10-11 , the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say, "Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created." This scene of heavenly worship reflects the acknowledgment of God's eternal and immortal nature, prompting adoration and submission to His divine authority.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Timothy 1:17
Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Timothy 6:16
Who only has immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach to; whom no man has seen, nor can see: to whom be honor and power everlasting. Amen.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Argument. --Moreover, He is Good, Always the Same, Immutable, one ...
... that God's own name also cannot be declared, because He ... to be able thereby to obtain
God's mercy. He is therefore also both immortal and incorruptible, neither ...
/.../chapter iv argument moreover he is.htm

That the Son is Very God, of the Same Substance with the Father. ...
... very God, or not with the Father the One and only God, or not truly immortal because
changeable ... But herein is declared, not only that He is God, but also ...
/.../augustine/on the holy trinity/chapter 6 that the son is.htm

Souls Can be Recognised in the Separate State, and are Immortal ...
... By these things, then, it is plainly declared that souls ... unborn, in order that they
may be immortal, or if ... the body itself"let them learn that God alone, who ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter xxxiv souls can be recognised.htm

Argument. --God is Above all Things, Himself Containing all Things ...
... beyond Himself, has left room for no superior God, such as ... He is on that account
immortal, that He does not ... than all discourse, nor can He be declared; for if ...
/.../chapter ii argument god is above.htm

Argument. --But that God, the Son of God, Born of God the Father ...
... the Founder and Creator of all things, who only knows no beginning, invisible, infinite,
immortal, eternal, is ... And therefore He declared that God is one ...
/.../chapter xxxi argument but that god.htm

Controversy
... Christ declared to His hearers that if there were no resurrection of ... hear the voice
of the Son of God, and will come forth from the grave to immortal life ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 66 controversy.htm

Demonstrations by Syllogisms. That God the Word is Immutable.
... with God and the Word was God," and had declared Him to ... His existence is eternal;
He is God; He made all things ... Of the soul as being immortal he said nothing in ...
/.../demonstrations by syllogisms that god.htm

Porphyry's Account of the Responses Given by the Oracles of the ...
... For the gods have declared that Christ was very pious, and has become immortal,
and that ... to some who asked Hecate whether Christ were a God, she replied ...
/.../augustine/city of god/chapter 23 porphyrys account of the.htm

That the Father and the Son must not be Divided is Proved by the ...
... that death cannot touch, and therefore it is that the Apostle, though knowing both
the [human] soul and angels to be immortal, declared that God only had ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter iii that the father.htm

The First Great Deception.
... referring to the state of the dead, declared: "I confess ... is in, or the elect angels
of God are in ... is an undeniable fact that the hope of immortal blessedness at ...
/.../33 the first great deception.htm