8 Feb 2021
We began by considering what eternal life refers to. We then took note of how the three Persons of the Godhead were, and are intimately involved in re-creation and the formation of the new humanity and the granting of this life: the Father chose us before the foundation of the world; through His Son Jesus He made it possible for us to be forgiven, to be adopted as His children (Eph.1:5); in the Holy Spirit, He blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Through Jesus and in Jesus (the union effected by the Holy Spirit), we receive the life of God which enables us to have access to the Father and to enter into the fellowship and relationship within the Trinity.
At this juncture, it is very helpful to see the various facets of this eternal purpose of God in the gift of eternal life: it is like looking at the various gleaming facets of a beautiful diamond and to truly admire it and to give praise to the one who fashions it from a ‘raw lump’ into something so exquisite.
We saw how God started with a ‘raw material’ – the twisted and wretched sinners in the first Adam and in His love, mercy and grace, He ‘fashions’ them, against all odds and in the face of intense spiritual opposition from the enemy, to make a people for Himself.
He chose them before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight (Eph.1:4) – this is the first facet. As the New Testament declares, ‘”you shall be holy for I am holy”. God opposes all that is evil and unholy and for us to relate with Him, it is essential for us to be holy. But how can rebellious, stiff-necked people be holy – God took upon HImself to be the judge and the one to be judged, and to take the penalty for sin on our behalf. The glory of God is seen in all its splendour at the cross when He defeated the devil, disarmed the evil spiritual forces, destroyed death and freed (those who believe) from the bondage of sin and the power of sin and death. He also unites us with Christ and raised up together with Him to sit with Him in the heavenly places. In uniting us with Christ, the Holy Spirit grants us the life of God which is in the Son – eternal life, and in addition, God adopts us as His children into HIs family and gives us a status and an eternal inheritance in Christ Jesus.
The next facet is to belong to God as His people; as members of His family, sharing the privileges and status which belong exclusively to the Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus calls us ‘brethren’ and we can call God “Abba” (Father). The family of God displays the unity, love, joy, harmony, holiness and happiness which are seen in the unique fellowship and relationship among the three Persons of the Godhead. Because we are related to Christ in the Spirit, we are invited into this wonderful and beautiful presence of the triune God.
The unity and harmony is seen also in the illustration of the body – we are the body of Christ and Christ is the head (Rom. 12:4-8). Collectively, we are related to Christ and to one another. This is a spiritual reality which begins here on earth and is progressively realised by God’s working in His Spirit and is consummated when Christ comes again. We need to realise also that such a unity and oneness is possible only when all the members are ‘born again’ and take on the ‘holiness’ and character of God; when Christ comes again, He would make it possible for us to be like Him and we then ‘qualify’ to be truly one with Him in all its fullness and we are able to relate with the triune God in all its possibilities.
The Bible describes believers as a temple of God: the Holy Spirit dwells in us and by the Spirit, the Father and the Son also make their ‘abode’ in us (John 14:16.23; 1 Cor. 6:19). The presence of God in us implies the need for holiness as the holy God can only dwell in what is holy and set apart; the holiness of the temple should not be compromised if God is to continue to be pleased to dwell therein. It is a great privilege and honour to have God’s presence in us; the Old Testament saints generally have the Spirit of God falling upon them but we in the new covenant have the very presence of God in us. The glory of God was seen on Moses’ face when he came into the presence of God but this was temporary and it went away; for us who have God’s presence in us and if God is pleased to continue to dwell in us, HIs glory can be manifested in our lives with increasing measures as we ensure that the temple remains as that which is suitable and in order for the Lord to remain and to show forth His glory. This is indeed a glorious facet which belongs to the life of God (eternal life) and God’s children have this life in them.
The love which is displayed in the intimate fellowship of the three Persons of the Godhead can also be ‘transmitted’ to the fellowship of His children with the Lord Jesus. In fact, this love is of such a quality that the church is described as the bride and Christ as the bridegroom. Ephesians 5 compares the Christian marriage to that relationship between Christ and the church. The love of Christ for the church is highlighted and this is a sacrificial love which sees the Lord Jesus giving Himself for the church to make her holy and to present her to Him as a radiant ‘bride’ without spot or wrinkle. At best, the human marriage on earth can display a fraction of this reality which is seen in the relationship between the heavenly bridegroom and His bride. This is indeed a glorious and gleaming facet, displaying love of the greatest degree, and this is what the church can now experience as a ‘foretaste’ but would experience it in all its fullness in the ‘wedding banquet’ which would take place at the end of the age.
We see that eternal life granted by God to believers ‘enables’ them to enter into a relationship and fellowship with the triune God and with one another, starting here on earth and becomes increasingly richer with the passing of time and consummated in all its fullness in the new heavens and new earth. Savour the quality of eternal life; it is not just living forever – it is living as truly human (as God intends it to be), exemplified by the life of Christ on earth, and nurturing a deep and intimate fellowship and relationship with God and the brethren, characterised by love, holiness, unity, harmony, joy, and pleasure forevermore!