Lesson #27
EVERLASTING LIFE

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Reading: John3

You will already have noted in this Bible course that thefirst man Adam was made by God forming a body and then breathing into itthe breath of life. But Adam and Eve sinned and so became dying creatures.All men and women eventually die, because all are sinners, and the punishmentfor sin is death (see Romans 5: 12). We are all mortal (or dying). It isunthinkable that sinners should live for ever.

Only one man had been made immortal (never to die again),and that is Jesus. He overcame the power of death by living a sinless life.That is why God raised him from the grave and gave him everlasting life.Of course, God Himself is undying; He is "from everlasting to everlasting".Apart from God, only Jesus Christ and the angels possess immortality atthe present time (see 1 Timothy 6: 15-16).

The wonderful thing about the gospel is that through abelief in God's purpose and the saving work of Jesus, it is possible forus to have the hope of everlasting life.

"(Godís grace) is now made manifest by theappearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hathbrought life and immortality to light through the gospel" (2 Timothy 1: 10).

We cannot earn everlasting life

"The wages of sin is death; but the gift ofGod is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 6: 23).

As we have already seen, everlasting life is God's gift.None of us, however good, deserves it. As sinners, the best we can expectis to enjoy some of the benefits of life on this planet for up to 70 or80 years.

Look at the contrast (found in Psalm 90):

GODíS ENDLESS NATURE (Psalm 90: 2) "Before the mountains were brought forth, or everthou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting,thou art God."

MANíS DYING NATURE (Psalm 90: 10) "The days of our years are threescore years andten (70); and if by reason of strength they be fourscore (80) years, yetis their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we flyaway."

So we will go to the grave and corrupt, to be no more,unless we have the Bible hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ.

All the great Bible characters who believed God's promiseshad this hope. They looked for a better time to come in the future.

See what is said about Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Jacob, Davidand many others (in Hebrews 11: 13).

Paul and John, like other apostles, looked forward to eternallife (see Titus 1: 2; 1 John 2: 25).

Everlasting life is not for everybody

If everyone automatically were to receive everlasting lifethere would be no point in striving to obey Godís commandments. Thepromise of living for ever is made only to those who are seeking to respondto Godís love. If you read Romans 2: 6-7, you will see that we allhave a choice. God will give eternal life to those:

"who by patient continuance in well doing seekfor glory and honour and immortality."

If we do not seek for it, then there is no hope of a futurelife.

Eternal life and everlasting life

You will have noticed that some of the passages we havequoted talk about immortality (or everlasting life). While some use thephrase "eternal life". Eternal life is life which shows Godísqualities. If we live lives which are truly godly now, God by His gracewill reward us with endless life (everlasting life) in the future.

TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE MEANS TO LIVE FOR EVERIN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HARMONY WITH GOD

When will this eternal life which lastsfor ever be given?

It will be given by Jesus Christ to the faithful afterthe resurrection from the dead. The prophet Daniel looked forward to it:

"Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earthshall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlastingcontempt" (Daniel 12: 2).

This will be when Jesus comes back and calls those whoësleepí in the earth. They "sleep" because the Lordwill call them from the grave to life.

"For the hour is coming, in the which all thatare in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they thathave done good, unto the resurrection of life"(John 5: 28-29).

In lessons 25 and 26 we discussed the raising of the deadand the judgement which will follow when Christ will give his verdicts.Those who have faithfully followed Jesus will be those called "thesaints" - the ones selected to rule with King Jesus during his 1000years reign in Jerusalem.

These men and women will receive eternal life, not onlybecause it will be the gracious gift of God for their faithfulness in thisage, but also because it will be necessary to have perfect, immortal governorsin the Kingdom of God.

Why is that? In our present systems of government, rulersand officials are rarely just and righteous; they are not sufficiently wiseto solve the evils of the world; they often do not have the resources orauthority to do the good things they would like to do; and even the bestof them, when they do manage to make some progress, become old anddie.

Those who have eternal life will not change or weaken,and since they have been appointed by God they will be wise and just.

A SAINT IS A TRUE BELIEVER

"Saint" means "set apart"or "holy". True believers are not like the people in the world;they try to be godly.

What will the immortal saints look like?

Many wonder what the saints will look like when they havebeen made immortal. Will they be recognisable? Will they eat and sleep?Although we do not know all the details, the Bible does give us informationon the matter.

We know that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and the prophets willbe recognised in the Kingdom (see Luke 13: 28).

We have the example of Jesus himself, when he was clearlyrecognised by certain women and by the apostles after his resurrection.He shared meals with the disciples. His body still had the marks of thecruel torture on the cross, and the disciples were allowed to touch him.

It is true that there were moments when they wondered ifhe were some sort of ghost when he appeared miraculously in front of them.But he told them:

"Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself:handle me, and see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye seeme have" (Luke 24: 39).

It is clear that Jesus, possessing everlasting life, stillhad "flesh and bones". The record does not say that he had fleshand blood, because in Bible terms, "the life of the fleshis in the blood" (Leviticus 17: 11). In other words, ordinary lifeis energised by blood, but Jesus now lived by God's power.

When Jesus gives people everlasting life, their human bodieswill become "spiritual bodies" (1 Corinthians 15: 44, 53).Their new bodies will then be energised by the Spirit of God instead ofthe blood which dies. There will be no pain, no depression, no weakeningof the mind or of the body. There will be no suffering of any kind.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes;and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shallthere be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" (Revelation 21: 4).

The marvels of everlasting life!

What a wonderful way to live; to be able to enjoy fullyall the good things which God gives us.

There will be blessings of health;

of strength;

of good food;

of peace and security;

of knowing more about the things of God.

There will no more struggle against sin for the righteous.

You will remember that for a short while in the first centurythe apostles were given gifts of the Holy Spirit. Some could preach thegospel in foreign languages; some could heal the sick and cure mental diseases.These were just the "firstfruits" - a pointer to the harvest ofsuch gifts which the saints of the Kingdom of God will possess.

What a marvellous glimpse we are given of the future!

Eternal life is not just for 1000 years; it is for ever.Perhaps this is difficult for us to understand, because it is so differentfrom life today. Some have been tempted to think that everlasting life wouldbe boring. But God would never promise something which would be unattractive.

"For since the beginning of the world, men havenot heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath eye seen, O God, besidethee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him" (Isaiah 64: 4)

We cannot understand the wonders of that time. When thegreat and rewarding activity of the millennium (the 1000-year reign of JesusChrist) is over, there will be an even better time! For then "Godwill be all in all" (1 Corinthians 15: 28), and there will be aperfect relationship between the Creator and all His creation. This is howGod planned it in the beginning.

This is the promise of eternal life.

Summary

1. God, Jesus and the angels are the only ones who haveimmortality now.

2. After the judgement, the righteous (or saints) willbe given eternal life and be made immortal.

3. Those made immortal will have spiritual bodies. Theywill not suffer pain and will be unable to sin. They will be full of God'senergy.

Passages to read: Daniel 12:1-3; John 17; 1 Corinthians 15: 50-57

A good verse to memorise: John3: 16

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his onlybegotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but haveeverlasting life."