Eternal Life vs. Immortality – Part 5
March 27, 2005
Dear Friends:
In our final communiqué on the difference between eternal life and immortality, we want to conclude with a few thoughts.
In pointing out that Scripture sometimes uses eternal life as a present quality which is the position of the believer before God, we don’t want to discount the physical aspect of eternal life. Some writers speak of eternal life as a future physical possession. For example, in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus says “Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.” (18:29-30) It is important when reading these eternal life passages to read them in context and determine whether a present or future application makes more sense.
For those who are still struggling with the idea of eternal life being a present possession, let’s use another Biblical idea that conveys the same idea. We are told many times that when we come into Christ, our names are written in the Book of Life (e.g.. Ps. 69:28, Phil 4:3, Rev. 3:5; 20:12; 21:27). All those whose names are in the book will be given immortality at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Our names, however, can be blotted out of the Book of Life, through sinfulness and lack of saving faith. The idea of having our names written in the Book of Life and possessing eternal life now are the same ideas using different terms.
Eternal life in the spiritual sense is much like other spiritual concepts such as redemption, fellowship and our names in the Book of Life. These qualities are not tangible, but are no less real here and now. They all have a common moral implication for those who have eternal life (or the redeemed or in fellowship, etc.). To have the “life of the age” or eternal life is to live the life of the age. We must live the life now to keep this precious gift we have been given.
We must ask ourselves why we would want to live forever in the Kingdom of God in perfect harmony with the Creator if in we find no pleasure in doing His will today. To possess to the life of the Kingdom Age is to live it. Eternal life has profound moral implications. If we want to be like Him then, we must truly desire to be like Him now!
Although we have discussed this before and it is really only a minor point in our presentation on eternal life, we would suggest that the only person ever to possess eternal life in the physical sense without possessing immortality was Adam (and only Jesus so far of the created order of things now possesses both). Adam was not subject to death, but could die as evidenced by the fact that he eventually did die. He would live as long as he did not sin. He had the life of the age. His aion or age was pre-curse and therefore not subject to death. This is a foreshadowing of the life that was to come through the second Adam, Jesus Christ. Those who come into Christ have life and are freed from the law of sin and death.
“And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” (1 John 5:11-13)
Have a great week!
