Eternal Life:

There may be no term more familiar to Christian people than that of eternal life. Yet it may be true that this expression is not as clearly understood as could be desired. Probably in the minds of most believers the thought is that somehow, somewhere, probably in Heaven, we will live in some form or another. We will be preserved, maybe in much the same condition as we are, for eternity. Honestly, I don't believe that many of us would want to remain in the same state as we are now, with the same kind of personality, forever. Do you?

(1/21/2007) Eternal life. What is it? Is it merely immortality? No doubt numerous grief-stricken people would not want to continue forever as they are now, although those who have lost loved ones might want to be reunited with their relatives or friends.

What does the Bible teach about eternal life? The Bible teaches that eternal life is a Person—the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Life. He Himself is the Resurrection.

The Tree of Life in the midst of the Garden of Eden no doubt was Jesus Christ. There is no other eternal life.

Thus eternal life is a "thing," we might say. It is not merely the continuance of our existence.

Mankind is dead, spiritually. Jesus Christ, who is Eternal Life, came down to live among the dead people of mankind. Then He was crucified to make an atonement for the sins of mankind. But more than this, He ascended to God, and God made it possible for us to eat the flesh of the Living One and to drink His blood.

This is how we receive and then grow in eternal life. We eat continually from the only Tree of Life.

Under what conditions are we authorized to partake continually from the Tree of Life?

We must overcome all the forms of death that are in us or come against us. Every time we are tempted to please our sinful nature, or Satan, or the pressures of people, or our own expectations concerning ourselves, and to do something we know is wrong, we must look to the Lord for the strength and wisdom to do what pleases God. When we do, we are able to choose to behave righteously.

"Walk by the Spirit," Paul says, "and you shall not carry out the desire of the flesh."

Every time we choose to overcome the death that surrounds us, by calling on the Lord for help, we are fed with the body and blood of Christ. Every time!

In this way we are married to the Lamb. In this way we grow in eternal life. I should say, eternal life grows in us.

It is this eternal life that will lift us to meet the slain Lamb in the air.

It is this eternal life that is our resurrection.

When we think of the term "resurrection," we associate it with being lifted from the earth. Being lifted from the earth is our ascension, not our resurrection. This misunderstanding is common among us.

In fact it is the eternal Life of Christ that has been formed in us that will lift us to meet the Lamb when He appears. However, this is ascension, not resurrection. Resurrection is the removal of death and the creating of the Life of God in us.

Do the angels have eternal life? No. The angels are animated by Divine energy, as are the stars and planet that inhabit space. Jesus Christ upholds all these by the word of His power.

Eternal life is another matter altogether. Eternal life is the very Life of God. Of course it continues forever, just as God continues forever.

Is it possible to be in Heaven and not have eternal life? Yes. As I said, the angels are in Heaven but do not have eternal life.

Angels do not have eternal life because they cannot be "born again." Only human beings, those creatures formed in God's image, have eternal life. The least human being is eligible to have eternal life, if he or she will come to the Tree of Life. But the most exalted of the angels cannot be born again; cannot have Christ, eternal Life, conceived in him (it).

People have inherited a name greater than that of God's messengers. That name is "son." We are children of God by receiving Christ, and we are sons of God when we are led by the Spirit of God.

What do we then do, if we are to inherit the fullness of eternal life? We must learn to live in the Spirit of God. Every moment of every day and night we are to involve the Lord Jesus Christ in all we think, say, and do. In every decision we are to look to Christ for His will, His desire.

The Lord Jesus Christ lives by, from, out of, and because of the Father. Those who continually feed on the body and blood of Christ live by, from, out of, and because of Christ. Our animal nature is to be crucified that Christ may live in us.

Adam and Eve are real people, but they also compose a representation of the Lamb and His Bride. Adam was formed from the dust. Eve was formed from Adam. She was Adam in another form. She was intended to be Adam's glory.

The Lamb was formed from God. The Church is formed from the Lamb. The Church actually is the Lamb in another form. She is the glory of the Lamb.

Such perfection of unity was/is the eternal goal of the Apostle Paul. Paul counts all else as garbage in order that he may gain the full knowledge of Christ; the power of His resurrection; the fellowship of His sufferings.

Paul turned away from all else that he might attain to the resurrection, that is, that his whole personality might enter the resurrection of Christ.

We Christians hope to be raised from the dead when Christ appears. But there is something we must come to understand. The resurrection into the eternal Life of Christ must be attained to. It is there for us, but it must be attained to.

New wine cannot successfully be put in old bottles. There is no way in which a worldly, sinful, self-willed human personality can successfully be placed in a glorious body like that of the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace will not accomplish this, nor will mercy, nor the "love of God," nor any other device self-willed believers would like to employ to insure that they can live as they please in the world and then be transformed into spiritual giants at the appearing of the Lord.

As I review what the Bible says about eternal life I am persuaded that most believers in America today do not have eternal life in them. Their theological position is accurate, they mentally accept correct doctrine, but their behavior reveals that eternal life, the Life of God, is not being formed in them.

If any person does not have the Spirit of Christ he does not belong to Christ. Just because we have made a profession of belief in Christ does not mean we have eternal life. Eternal life is a substance, not a theological position.

Let each one of us now lay hold on eternal life. In order to do so we will have to pray for strength and wisdom to wrench ourselves from the seemingly endless array of material fascinations that form the American culture. We must devote time each day to seeking the face of Christ that we may know His will.

It may be that many of us have a unique Divine calling for service resting upon us; but we are so embroiled in the American pursuit of money and pleasure that we cannot hear His voice. Consequently our talent will be remove from us and given to another who has been more faithful.

Our reward will be a loss of the Presence of God, an untransformed character; and the inheritance of people that would have been ours will be given to another. Our destiny will be darkness, being separated from the love, joy, and peace of Christ and His faithful saints.

Believe me—this is what the Scriptures teach!