Eternal Life vs. Immortality – Part 4
March 20, 2005
Dear Friends:
The heart of the issue is the question of whether the believer has eternal life (the life of the age) now or is it something yet future. We believe that the Bible teaches very plainly that the believer has eternal life today in a spiritual sense. This does not mean that one lives forever — a physical quality, but that it is the way that God views us as living beings rather than dead in trespasses and sins. Likewise, we believe the Scriptures teach that eternal life is also a future quality when men and women will be given immortality and truly have in every sense “the life of the age.” The exhortation is simple for us all: We must have eternal life now to have eternal life in the Kingdom.
As we have mentioned, when the Apostle John uses eternal life, he uses it as a present possession. John always speaks in spiritual language and is often misunderstood because he does speak that way. Here are some of the better examples of John speaking of eternal life or the life of the age in the present tense.
“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.” (John 3:36) Notice the connection between belief and having the life of the age.
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” (John 5:24) Notice that belief passes us from death to life. It does not say we “will pass,” but “have passed.”
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life…Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life” (John 6:47,54) There is a connection between belief, the sacrifice of Christ and eternal life. This is another way of saying eternal life is wrapped up into covenant relationship with God through Christ.
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish.” (John 10:28) Remember a few weeks ago we talked about the idea of two groups of people – those who are asleep in Christ (will be resurrected) and those who are perished (will never be resurrected). This also touches on the idea that we can lose our eternal life which we will cover more fully later.
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (John 17:3) Interestingly enough, all of these verses prove we do not currently possess an immortal soul. Why would you talk to specific people about gaining eternal life if they already possessed an immortal soul?
“We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.” (1 John 3:14-15) It is a beautiful word picture to think of the life of the Kingdom age abiding in us. Those who hate their brethren do no have this quality.
“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) For the context of these verses, please see the Thought for the Week archives entitled the Case of the Three Witnesses.
This is just a few of the verses in John that talk about eternal life, but notice how they convey a connection between believing and possessing eternal life. The last verse quoted from 1 John 5 makes this especially clear. To connect oneself with Jesus is life and to fail to do so is death.
The teaching of eternal life in the writings of John is to associate with Christ via faith and thus pass from death in trespasses and sins to the life of the Kingdom age. It is not a physical transformation until that Kingdom age dawns upon us with the return of the King, but it is vital nevertheless to possess eternal life now. When the day of Christ’s coming dawns upon this earth, it will be too late to gain eternal life. It must be something we possess already when we are called to Judgment.
Have a great week!
