ETERNAL LIFE OR ETERNAL DEATH

(WHICH WILL IT BE FOR YOU?)

09-24-06

ETERNAL LIFE

(John 17:1-3) These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come [of my crucifixion on the cross, to pay the penalty for (our) sin]; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power [authority (delegated authority)] over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him [i.e. not to everybody in the world]. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee [be aware of, have knowledge of, perceive, understand] the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

1.  (John 1:29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world [kosmos; “cosmos” orderly arrangement].

2.  cosmos = Dict: 1. the world or universe as an embodiment of order and harmony (as distinguished from chaos). 2. a complete and harmonious system. 3. order; harmony.

3.  The Full Life Study Bible (with some changes): Eternal life is more than endless existence. It is a special quality of life that we as believers receive when we partake of the life of God through Christ; this allows us to know God in an ever-growing knowledge, and fellowship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. In the New Testament eternal life is described as:

a.  A present reality (John 5:24; 10:27,28). The present possession of eternal life requires a living faith. Eternal life is not secured and maintained merely by an act of repentance and faith occurring in the past; it also involves a present living union and fellowship with Christ (1 John 5:12); there is no eternal life apart from Him (John 11:25,26; 1 John 5:11-13).

b.  A future hope. Eternal life is associated with the promise and hope of the Second coming of Christ for His faithful (John 14:1-3; 2 Tim 1:1; Titus 1:1,2; 3:7).

4.  (John 5:24) 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 [damnation, judgment (unto eternal death)]; but is passed from death unto life.

5.  (John 10:27,28) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

6.  (1 John 5:12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

7.  (John 11:25,26) Jesus said unto her [Martha], I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

8.  (1 John 5:11-13) 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.

9.  (John 14:1-3) Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

10.  (2 Tim 1:1) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise [an announcement (for information, assent or pledge; espec. a divine assurance of good)] of life which is in Christ Jesus,

11.  (Titus 1:1,2) Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; In hope [(to anticipate, usually with pleasure); expectation or confidence] of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

12.  (Titus 3:7) That being justified [rendered just or innocent] by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

ETERNAL DEATH

Dake’s Annotated Reference Bible (with some changes): Death defined: The word death as applied to man in Scripture means the separation or a cutting off from realizing God’s purpose for which man was created [Gen 2:15]. One can logically substitute the word separation for death in every scripture where it is used.

1.  Physical death is the separation of the inner man from the outer man; the separation of the soul and spirit from the body.

a.  (Gen 3:19) In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

b.  (Eccl 12:7) Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

2.  Spiritual death is the separation of man from God because of sin. A person spiritually dead can be alive physically, or he can be dead physically and alive in hell, conscious in the untransformed soul (Rom 12:2) of the inner man.

a.  (Mat 8:22) But Jesus said unto him, Follow me [and live]; and let the dead bury their dead.

b.  (1 Tim 5:5,6) Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day. But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

3.  Eternal death is eternal separation from God because man chooses to remain [a questionable Arminian phrase that may be rephrased into Calvinism to “remains”] separated from God in sin.

a.  (Mat 25:41) Then shall he say also unto them [the goats] on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

b.  (Mat 25:46) And these [goats on the left hand] shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous [sheep on the right hand] into life eternal.

c.  (Isa 66:22-24) For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the LORD, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD. And they shall go forth, and look upon the carcases [corpses, dead bodies] of the men that have transgressed against me: for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh.

d.  (Mark 9:43-48) And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.

Death in all Scripture means the fulfillment or accomplishment of the purpose for which God formed you from the foundation of the world, be you either a goat or sheep, a tare or wheat, never annihilation or extinction of being. Physical death is the separation of your inner man from your body; only your body dies and goes back to dust. At the time of your physical death, either your untransformed soul goes to hell (an unsaved man or woman), or the Spirit of God which encompasses your transformed soul returns to heaven (a saved man or woman); both forms of existence are immortal, and you either remain eternally dead in your sins in hell or you are in full possession of eternal life in Christ in heaven. In either case, your existence will eternally continue in consciousness whether in heaven or hell. Which will it be for you?

Amen

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