SPIRITUAL or eternal realities are at the very core of Christianity. Like salvation, we repeatedly teach and emphasise these pillars which define our persuasion and conviction without tiring. Let's have a closer look at eternal life. Eternal life was there before death. It’s eternal because it’s everlasting and exists forever and ever.
This life is not a rushed stop-gap measure, but has been there before time. The Gospel of Christ or Grace of God among other things preaches the life of Christ which is received by believers through faith. As we receive this life, we are ushered into the Christian Faith or Christianity. Receiving the Grace of God awakens or quickens us by transferring us from death to life and from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Heaven. We are, therefore, citizens of heaven and we do not hold valid papers to exist in darkness.
Please remember that we receive the life of Christ not that we give our lives to Christ. This needs emphasis. Before salvation, we're spiritually dead and merely exist. You will be scripturally correct by calling out to the unsaved to bring their death as opposed to life, to Jesus. He will give them life for their death.
Throughout the pages of the Bible, we see the life of God that He is offering to humanity. This life is the basis for Christian hope. We, therefore, stand without shaking. Believers behold the future without trepidation and pursue their purposes with boldness and determination. Christians, therefore, live with a sense of security. Beyond the sense realm, we have full persuasion and conviction. We live in assurance.
Apostle Paul in Titus 1:2 settles: “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;” Because of the eternal life, we live in hope not fear and despondency. God cannot lie. It is not in His nature to reverse His promises. Here we are told that before the world began, eternal life was already there.
Our life is not in the hands of our ancestors. Our ancestors came after eternal life and cannot be custodians of eternal life. Sometimes because of lack of enough knowledge, weak minds are led to commit the souls of the departed into the hands of ancestors. They tell no one beyond death. That's a lie because we know Jesus Who passed death. We, therefore, do not worship ancestral spirits.
The book of Genesis in typology reveals to us this life. In the garden of Eden we see the tree of life which points to Christ. Genesis 2:9 records: “And out of the ground made the Lord God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.” The option to choose life has always been there. We are free moral agents.
God is not a dictator and, therefore, allows us the liberty to choose our course. Deuteronomy 30:19 shows: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore, choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:” We are persuaded and encouraged to choose life. Let us go for life.
- Sunday word: God’s blessings to law-abiding people
- The promise of eternal life
- Devotion Column: From the Old Testament to the New Testament
- Believers; work in progress
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We have noted that life was in the eternal realm. The Bible teaches us that this life was seen in our material world. 1 John 1:2 clarifies: “(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)” Eternal life came into our arena and was seen by human beings. The life was seen. This life of God is the Man Christ Jesus.
The Amplified Bible makes it clearer. It reads: “And the Life [an aspect of His being] was revealed (made manifest, demonstrated), and we saw [as eyewitnesses] and are testifying to and declare to you the Life, the eternal Life [in Him] Who already existed with the Father and Who [actually] was made visible (was revealed) to us [His followers].” Jesus Christ of Nazareth came on earth to release this life to the physical world.
The Christian Faith, therefore, is the only path for eternal life. Jesus emphatically declares in John 14:6: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” If Jesus Christ came with eternal life, therefore, there is life after death. What we call death in our physical realm is sleep.
Eternal life was there before death and shall be there after death. It supersedes death. Therefore, this world is not the end of it. We accept that Jesus came in the flesh to avail to us His life after His death and resurrection and glorification. 1 John 4:2-3 lay the foundation: “[2] Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: [3] And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already it is in the world.” Jesus Christ is not a mysterious distant phenomenon.
He is there to connect God to His people and humanity to God. We believe He came and that He shall return as the Bible says. Now read the salutation with scriptural mindset. Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.
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