The Second Mystery - Eternal Life
If you come to understand this mystery you will be able to understand a lot of the parables. Ask God for understanding.
Most people believe in an afterlife. They define eternal life as something we come into after death. They believe that the eternal life that Christ spoke about meant in everlasting life in heaven. With this type of reasoning, they will never understand what it is nor be grounded in hope. By not understanding eternal life you will never have the assurance of salvation. You will go through life hoping that when you die you will go to heaven. This is not hope. If you believe Eternal life is to live forever, you have missed the mark through your human reasoning. Eternal life isn’t something you come into after death. But something you come into before death. Human reasoning is what deceives people. Whether you do it yourself for except others who teach this false doctrine.
What they haven’t considered is everyone lives forever. If your lost – you go to the Lake of Fire throughout all eternity and if your saved you go to Heaven. In either place you live forever. The definition of Eternal life is not defined as to live forever. Those that believe and teach such things do so much damage. They hide the truth that gives us the assurance of salvation and by doing so send so many people to hell.
Scholars such as John H. Leith assert that eternal life is never described in detail in the New Testament, although assurances are provided that the faithful will receive it. Suggesting that we will receive it after death. This is his human reasoning. A lot of people believe what he said.
Here is his quote:
Reference: Basic Christian doctrine by John H. Leith 1993 page 296
“Scholars such as John H. Leith assert that eternal life is never described in detail in the New Testament, although assurances are provided that the faithful will receive it.”
D. A. Carson suggest that eternal life is explicitly defined in John. This is the quote he used for his reasoning.
John 17:3
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
Carson explains this verse to mean, “Eternal life turns on nothing more and nothing less than knowledge of the true God.” Carson fell short of his understanding, through his human reasoning, which built the foundation of a lie. The devils acknowledge God but are condemned. He was saying eternal life was by acknowledgment only. This verse is meant to be a personal knowledge given only by God. It is not an acknowledgment of the Everlasting One.
John 17:3 does tell us the definition of eternal life but Carson, like Judas didn’t understand what he was told, in Carson’s case he didn’t understand what he read. There is no justification for ignorance, seeing it is God who gives us understanding. Having knowledge of something does mean you understand.
You might ask; Why haven’t they understood? The reason being is because they haven’t asked God for understanding. By receiving understanding from God verifies He is in us, which is the definition of eternal life.
Here is the definition of eternal life.
John 17:1-3
“These words spoke Christ, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, FATHER, the hour is come; glorify your Son, that your Son also may glorify you: As you have given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as you have given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.”
D. A. Carson said that acknowledgment was the only requirement. This is where his human reasoning came in. But did you notice the definition? It is to know the Father and the Son, our Savior. This is speaking of a personal relationship with them not the knowledge of Him only. Many are taught today that there is a God and that His Son came and died for our sin. But they have not understood. Carson believed if you accept that there is a God and His Son that is all you need to be saved. James wrote that the devils believe in God but are not going to be saved.
Acknowledgement alone is not enough.
Now when Judas had heard these words, he didn’t understand how they would come to know the Father and Christ, but the rest of the world would not. Also know this judas was not Iscariot, the one that betrayed Christ but the other Judas.
So, Judas asked Christ to explain it.
John 14:22
“Judas said to him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that you will manifest yourself to us, and not unto the world?”
Christ explains to him how this relationship would be made possible as it is written in John 14.
John 14:23
“Christ answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my FATHER will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode (meaning home) with him.”
And in another place it is written this way:
John 14:21
“He that have my commandments, and keeps them, he it is that loves me: and he that loves me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest (meaning to make known) myself to him.”
John also speaks of the promise of eternal life and when we actually come into the promise.
1 John 2:24-25
“Let that therefore abide in you, which you have heard from the beginning. If that which you have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, you also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father. And this is the promise that he hath promised us, eternal life.”
Those who believe that eternal life is to live forever or it is something we come into at Christ’s second coming or receive it through acknowledgment alone will never understand the words of Christ when he says:
Matthew 7:23
“depart from me I never knew you.”
Our Savior gives us a clear understanding of eternal life, by explaining exactly what it is and when we receive it. D.A Carson quote John 17 but failed to see the understanding. Both D. A. Carson and John H. Leith uses their human reasoning for their explanations.
The Apostle John tells us that if we continue to trust what we have received, we will have a personal relationship with the Father and the Son which is the promise made by God and define as eternal life.
The conclusion of the matter is this: When people speak of eternal life as living forever or what we receive when we get to heaven have used human reasoning for their understanding. It is not achieved through the acknowledgment that there is a God or his Son. The damage they cause with their ignorance is this; They hide the truth, keeping those from the assurance of salvation. Many don’t understand that the personal relationship is their assurance and a gift in receiving God’s righteousness.
Son, no one will live forever, in heaven, if they don’t possess eternal life before they die. Without eternal life they will hear the words from Christ when he says:
Matthew 7:23
“depart from me, I never knew you.”
Remember many are called but few are chosen.
How is this personal relationship made possible? It is through the Holy Spirit given to us.
Listen to Christ:
John 14:25-26
“These things have I spoken unto you, being yet with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the FATHER will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
How do we know for sure that we know the Father and his Son?
The Apostle said this:
1 John 2:4 (jnt)
“And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”
The process is this: The Father sent his Son into the world, to speak the words of truth. All those whom the Father calls comes to believe and put their trust in Him.
As Christ said:
John 6:44-45
“No one can come to me unless my Father, the one who sent me, draw him. As it is written in the prophets, They will all be taught by God. Everyone who listens to the Father and learns from Him comes to me.”
Those whom the Father has revealed these trues too are never left in doubt or confusion.
Now you can understand the words:
Matthew 7:23
“depart from me I never knew you.”
To know the Father and His Son is eternal life.
If you don’t have the personal relationship while alive you will not receive it after death.