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Jesus said that 'good deeds' by themselves are not enough to gain eternal life. Whoever keeps the commandments enters eternal life. To be a 'good person' and enter eternal life one has to keep the commandments. Can someone tell me what is meant by eternal life? Is it eternal life after death when one goes to heaven, or is it eternal life in the world after the apocalypse, or what ?
Jesus said that 'good deeds' by themselves are not enough to gain eternal life. Whoever keeps the commandments enters eternal life. To be a 'good person' and enter eternal life one has to keep the commandments. Can someone tell me what is meant by eternal life? Is it eternal life after death when one goes to heaven, or is it eternal life in the world after the apocalypse, or what ?
Thanks
First of all, Jesus did not teach that works have anything to do with receiving eternal life. When the rich young ruler asked Jesus what he must do to obtain eternal life (Matthew 19:16-22; Luke 18:18-23), he was asking on the false assumption that by keeping the law he could earn eternal life. And Jesus answered him on that basis. But no one can keep the law. The Bible is silent on whether there was any further communication between them at a later time.
But in John 6:27-29 when Jesus spoke of working for the food which endures to eternal life and was then asked by the crowd what the works of God were that they might do them thinking that there were works they could do to impress God and earn eternal life, Jesus corrected them by telling them that there was only one work they must do, and that was to simply believe on Him. Jesus called believing on Him a work because it was something they must do, but it was a non-meritorious work for which they could take no credit.
People confuse Jesus' teachings on discipleship with what He taught about receiving eternal life. Eternal life is a free gift which is received by simply trusting in Jesus Christ for it. But discipleship is something which requires effort. Not every believer in Christ is a disciple of Christ, but every believer in Christ has eternal life and can never lose it.
Now what is eternal life? Eternal life is spoken of both in terms of quality and quantity. In terms of quantity, eternal life is endless life in the presence of God - in relationship with God. In terms of quality, eternal life refers to the blessing that being in eternal relationship with God brings. John 17:3 describes eternal life in the following manner.
John 17:3 "This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
A person receives eternal life the very moment he first receives Christ as Savior. Although we all die physically and will be physically resurrected in the future, the moment a person trusts in Christ for eternal life he enters into an eternal relationship with God, and his soul - the inner man will go to heaven when his soul separates from his body at physical death. If a believer grows spiritually by learning and applying the teachings of the Word of God to his life between the time he believes on Christ and the time he dies, he increases his capacity to enjoy his relationship with God before he departs from this life and to have the supernatural joy and inner peace that his relationship with God makes possible.
And by the way, John 17:3, shown above, is stating that the Father is the only true God, not in opposition to Jesus Christ who is the Second Person of the Godhead and so is Himself the only true God, but in opposition to the false gods and idols which men make and worship.
So if you have received Christ as Savior you have eternal life here and now and will have it forever. The body will die, but the real you, the inner man will go into the presence of the Lord in heaven where you will be conscious, and in the future, at the rapture of the church, the body will be resurrected in a state of immortality and incorruptibility.
Last edited by Michael Way; 01-21-2014 at 03:46 AM..
Okay.. But what about when the bodies are physically resurrected after the apocalypse, will the conscience of a dead man be in heaven at the time and go back to earth to the body?
Okay.. But what about when the bodies are physically resurrected after the apocalypse, will the conscience of a dead man be in heaven at the time and go back to earth to the body?
You are probably using the word apocalypse to refer to the Tribulation. But the word apocalypse actually means revelation or disclosure. And that is what the entire Book of Revelation is - a disclosure of information, including Jesus' specific messages to each of the seven churches in chapters two and three which are representative of churches throughout the church-age which will come to a close before the Tribulation begins.
When the rapture and resurrection of the church occurs (and this will be before the Tribulation) those church-age believers who have physically died and gone to heaven will come with Christ (who will come to the air - the earth's atmosphere) and be reunited with their resurrected bodies, while the bodies of those believers who are alive on the earth will be changed and they will be caught up into the air. Then the entire church will go into heaven and remain there while the Tribulation takes place on the earth. This is what 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-54 are referring to. When Christ returns to the earth at the end of the Tribulation, the church - having been wedded to the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-8) will return with Him.
1 Thessalonians 4:13 But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. 15] For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16] For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17] Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.
1 Cor. 15:51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52] in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. 53] For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54] But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, "DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory.
Old Testament saints and Tribulational martyrs who are in heaven (Rev. 6:9-11; 20:4) will be resurrected on the earth when Christ returns at the end of the Tribulation.
Okay.. But what about when the bodies are physically resurrected after the apocalypse, will the conscience of a dead man be in heaven at the time and go back to earth to the body?
Remember what Jesus said about his dead friend at John 11 vs 11-14 that his dead friend was sleeping.
Jesus likened death to a deep sleep. That would mean before God resurrected the dead Jesus that Jesus would be in a deep sleep-like state until God would resurrect Jesus out of the grave. - Acts 2 vs 27,31,32; 3 v 15; 13 vs 30, 37
Jesus was well educated in the Hebrew OT Scriptures, so Jesus would have learned that sleeping condition about the dead from such verses as Psalms 6 v 5; 13 v 3; 115 v 17; 146 v 4; Daniel 12 vs 2,13; Ecclesiastes 9 v 5.
It is only those who have first or earlier resurrection who are resurrected to heaven.- Rev. 20 v 6; 5 vs 9,10; 2 v 10
The majority of mankind [ John 3 v 13 ] will be awakened from death's unconscious sleep to life on earth during Jesus' 1000-year kingdom reign over earth. That is why the future tense is used at Acts 24 v 15 that ' there is going to be ' a resurrection of the righteous and unrighteous. The wicked ones will be destroyed forever- Psalm 92 v 7.
Those resurrected like Jesus to heaven reign over earth or over earthly subjects of God's kingdom-Psalm 72 vs 8,12-14
and those earthly subjects can gain ' everlasting life ' on a beautiful paradisaic earth as was originally offered to Adam before his downfall. Everlasting life in a perfectly healthy sound heart, mind and body.
Jesus said that 'good deeds' by themselves are not enough to gain eternal life. Whoever keeps the commandments enters eternal life. To be a 'good person' and enter eternal life one has to keep the commandments. Can someone tell me what is meant by eternal life? Is it eternal life after death when one goes to heaven, or is it eternal life in the world after the apocalypse, or what ?
Thanks
Scripture talks of eternal life or everlasting life both in heaven and on a beautiful paradisaic earth.
Sinless Adam could have lived forever on earth if he did not break God's law.
All who lived before Jesus [ John 3 v 13 ; Acts 2 v 34 ] can have an earthly resurrection to life forever on earth.
Those who will be joint-heirs with Christ will be resurrected to heaven to be part of a first or earlier resurrection to live forever in the heavens.- Rev. 20 v 6
The living humble ' sheep ' on earth [ Matthew 25 vs 31,32 ] at the soon coming ' time of separation ' can remain alive on earth, and keep right on living on earth, right into the start of Jesus' 1000-year kingdom reign over earth or over earthly subjects of God's kingdom in the hands of Christ Jesus.
Then, those Not called to heaven will have an earthly resurrection [ Acts 24 v 15 ] with the prospect of never having to die again, but can gain the original healthy human perfection that Adam had before his downfall.
The living ' sheep ' and the ' resurrected-on-earth ' people will be the humble meek who will inherit the earth, or inherit the earthly realm of God's kingdom, forever - Psalm 37 vs 11,29
Like the revelation of the Christmas tree , which is coniferous type tree, which is evergreen in the dormant season , So is eternal life , which is life forever and ever and a day after forever never ending
Living for an eternity must be quite boring. I rather die!
Well, since God now knows how you feel about it, it is likely He will grant you your wish.
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