"ETERNAL" Life pt.1

Let's look at the Biblical meaning of "eternal life". How one understands this will greatly affect how they view God, salvation, and themselves. This is then an extremely important topic to properly understood.

Praying to His Father, Jesus says, "even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to ALL WHOM YOU HAVE GIVEN HIM, He may give eternal life" (John 17:2). Let's exegete this passage a little. First of all, Jesus, as the humble God Man, declares His submisison to God the Father... "You gave Him authority". Secondly, we learn just what the Father gave Him authority over, and to do. We learn this through the parallel He makes of His authority over all of mankind, with His authority to "give eternal life" to every person the Father has "given Him". If you're lost already, please reread all of that lol. This text is crucial in understanding what exactly "eternal life" is. There are many, many passages which teach the same thing. That is, that God the Father, before time began, gave to His Son a people. It was this people that Jesus prayed about, and for, in John 17. God the Father had an infallible purpose, which Christ carried out, in this eternal covenant they made. That purpose was to redeem a people.

Somewhat of a parallel passage, doctrinally speaking at least, is found in John 10:

"To him (The Shepherd) the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out" (10:3).

This is an absolutely incredible passage of Scripture! Hear what Christ's says, "He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out". But leads them out of where? Go back, starting in verse 1... He's leading them out of the control and care of "false shepherds". Because it says He calls them BY NAME, we certainly must conclude this passage speaks of individual calling and election. This text leaves no room for any sheep, which He calls BY NAME, to not at least be led out of the false shepherds care. The Shepherds calling of His sheep, notice, precedes their being led out. The sheep are led out BECAUSE they are called by name.

Later in the same chapter, Jesus says:"My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I GIVE ETERNAL LIFE TO THEM, AND THEY WILL NEVER PERISH; and no one will snatch them out of My Father's hand" (10:27-28).

Why do the sheep follow? Because they know their Shepherds voice. Is everyone a potential sheep then? That is an impossibility according to this text (and a multitude of others). If all COULD be His sheep, then the sheep's decision to follow would precede their hearing Him. But thats not Biblical. The sheep follow BECAUSE they are His, are known by Him, and hear His voice.

Some might say, "I agree the sheep can't be snatched out of the Father's hand, but surely they can walk away themselves". But you miss the whole point of the passage! What does it say before it says they can't be snatched out?.... "they will never perish". That is as cut and dry as it gets. Christ's sheep come to Him because they hear His voice. Others don't BECAUSE, as Jesus said, they are not His sheep (10:26). Just as He said in John 17, so also this says... Christ's sheep have been GIVEN eternal life. By that I say, they did not play a part in earning it; it was a gift. Not an ounce of merit helped secure this eternal life. In fact, this eternal life was promised to them, "before time began":

"God, who has saved us (past tense) and called us with a holy calling, NOT ACCORDING TO OUR WORKS, but according to His own purpose and grace which was GRANTED US in Christ Jesus BEFORE TIME BEGAN" (2 Timothy 1:9)!!! It was "granted" to us, "not according to works, but according to His purpose and grace"; and, it was granted "before time began". That's what we call the Doctrine of Election, or as is better named, the Doctrine of Unconditional Election. Salvation is ALL of grace!

"Eternal" life is "aionios" in the Original Language of Greek. It's a word which speaks of perpetuity. It's that which cannot cease, nor be anything else. It's a term used of the Holy Spirit in Hebrews 10:14... "the ETERNAL Spirit through which He (Christ) offered Himself without blemish to God". Could the Spirit of God ever cease to be eternal? Of course not. Eternality cannot be lost.

Because salvation cannot be earned, nor deserved, as is clearly taught all throughout Holy Writ (Ephesians 2:8-9), we are foolish to think it can be held onto through human merit, performance, and effort. If we could lose our salvation... WE WOULD. Consider these passages:

"by His doing you are in Christ Jesus" (1 Corinthians 1:30).

"saints BY CALLING" (1 Corinthians 1:2).

"Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, blameless in the day of our Lord" (1 Corinthians 1:8).

"To those WHO ARE THE CALLED, beloved in God the Father, and KEPT for Jesus Christ" (Jude 1).

"Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy" (Jude 24).

To be continued...