The Search for Longevity

Fourteen-year-old Julia knew she was dying. She had a rare form of cancer, and doctors said she would only live a few more months. Knowing this, she began to research cryonics. Maybe there was a way for her to experience a better life again in the future! 

Cryonics is the freezing of the body to temperatures below -238° F (-150° C) so that the body’s tissues and organs, particularly the brain, are preserved with the possibility of being reanimated in the future. Julia requested cryo-preservation in the hopes that scientists would someday find a cure for her cancer. She shared,

I don’t want to die, but I know I am going to. I think being cryo-preserved gives me a chance to be cured and woken up, even in hundreds of years’ time. I don’t want to be buried underground. I want to live and live longer and I think that in the future they might find a cure for my cancer and wake me up. I want to have this chance. This is my wish.1

The mission of cryonics is to grant the wishes of people like Julia and offer hope of a “world free of disease, death and aging.” The president of the Cryonics Institute puts it this way: “Our objective is life after revival, with renewed youth and extended lifespans.”2

Does this technology seem a bit radical? Regardless of whether it’s feasible or not, it expresses the human longing to live forever. No one wants to die. We are earnestly seeking to circumvent this inevitable part of human experience. 

But perhaps there is a way you haven’t yet considered. An ancient book suggests a key to longevity that will surprise you.

The Offer of Eternal Life 

One of the most famous religious teachers of all time, Jesus Christ, gave us a plan by which we could be delivered from death. In His book, the Bible, He said: “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24). 

Jesus lived on this earth, healing the sick, teaching the principles of selfless love, and giving people a renewed sense of life and hope. He allowed Himself to be condemned to death, and then He rose from death to prove that He has the power to resurrect. He said, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Jesus’ words are bold, and they force us to consider the following: either Jesus was the most fanatical liar who ever existed, or He was who He said He was—and if so, He truly has power over life and death. Jesus, unlike cryonics, offers us a guarantee of eternal life—at no cost.

You might be unsure about the truthfulness of Jesus and the Bible. But if there was even a 1% chance that Jesus’ words were true, wouldn’t it be worth investigating? Imagine—immortality! Living forever in a perfect place with the freedom to build homes, develop talents, experience true friendship, and learn the mysteries of the universe directly from God Himself. A place with no death, disease, depression, crime, betrayal, or loneliness. Wouldn’t it be worth a bit of research to see if it’s true? 

The chances of winning the lottery are 1 in 175 million, and yet people spend billions of dollars every year to take a chance at winning. Immortal youth and beauty in a perfect paradise is the biggest jackpot you could ever win—take your chances and investigate it. 

Eternity Begins Now 

Perhaps following Jesus sounds strange. Perhaps it sounds like just another religious ritual. But when we read about Jesus’ life, we find that He actually objected to many of the empty religious rituals of His time and promoted life principles that flow from a relationship with God. He said that eternal life can begin right now as we come to know God in a personal way (John 17:3). We do this through reading His messages in the Bible and talking with Him in prayer. 

Then, although our bodies may wear out and we may die, we have the assurance of the “hour [that] is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth” (John 5:28). 

Our new forever home will be a place where there “shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). What a life to look forward to! 

If you would like to learn more about this personal God and His gift of eternal life, please contact us at the information on the back of this paper.