Topical Bible: Eternal Life: Given by God

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Topical Encyclopedia

Eternal life is a central theme in Christian theology, representing the life that God grants to believers, transcending physical death and continuing forever in the presence of God. This concept is deeply rooted in the teachings of the Bible and is a promise extended to those who have faith in Jesus Christ.

Biblical Foundation

The promise of eternal life is woven throughout the Scriptures, beginning with the Old Testament and finding its full revelation in the New Testament. In the Old Testament, the hope of eternal life is often implied through the covenant relationship between God and His people. For instance, Psalm 16:11 declares, "You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at Your right hand."

In the New Testament, eternal life is explicitly linked to faith in Jesus Christ. John 3:16 is perhaps the most well-known verse on this subject: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." This verse underscores the belief that eternal life is a gift from God, made possible through the sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus.

Nature of Eternal Life

Eternal life is not merely an unending existence but a quality of life that begins in the present and extends into eternity. It is characterized by a restored relationship with God, marked by peace, joy, and righteousness. In John 17:3 , Jesus defines eternal life as knowing God: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent."

The Apostle Paul further elaborates on the transformative nature of eternal life in Romans 6:23 : "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Here, eternal life is contrasted with the death that results from sin, highlighting its nature as a divine gift that brings spiritual renewal and victory over sin.

Means of Receiving Eternal Life

Eternal life is received through faith in Jesus Christ. The New Testament consistently teaches that it is not earned by human effort or merit but is a gracious gift from God. Ephesians 2:8-9 states, "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast."

The assurance of eternal life is also emphasized in the writings of the Apostle John. In 1 John 5:11-12 , he writes, "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." This passage affirms that eternal life is inseparable from a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Eternal Life in the Kingdom of God

Eternal life is often associated with the Kingdom of God, where believers will experience the fullness of life in God's presence. Jesus frequently spoke of the Kingdom in terms of eternal life, as seen in Matthew 19:29 : "And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for My sake will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life."

The Book of Revelation provides a glimpse of the eternal state, where those who have received eternal life will dwell with God forever. Revelation 21:3-4 describes this future reality: "And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying: 'Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man, and He will dwell with them. They will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away.'"

Conclusion

Eternal life, as given by God, is a profound and transformative promise that lies at the heart of the Christian faith. It is a gift of grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ, and it assures believers of an everlasting relationship with God, beginning now and continuing into eternity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 133:3
As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended on the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for ever more.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... to inbirth faith in each scene of life – so that ... "Faith is the divinely given conviction
of ... Our believing has eternal meaning when it becomes "-believing" by ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4102.htm - 18k

Library

First Sunday after Easter. God Hath Given to us Eternal Life, and ...
... First Sunday after Easter. God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in
His Son. God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. ...
/.../winkworth/lyra germanica the christian year/first sunday after easter god.htm

Of the Sweetness of the Commandment which God Has Given us of ...
... lasts through eternal life, yea, is no other thing but eternal life! ... him, or that
great emperor who had given him so ... my God, I know not whether I ought more to ...
/.../francis/treatise on the love of god/chapter i of the sweetness.htm

Divine Election and Reprobation
... them involved in one common misery, God has decreed ... his glorious grace, which he
has freely given us in ... gifts of salvation, and finally eternal life itself, as ...
/.../anonymous/synod of dort/divine election and reprobation.htm

The Lord's Prayer.
... All humanity was given into his hands that he might ... in true discipleship.] 3 And
this is life eternal, that they should know thee the only true God, and him ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxxii the lords prayer.htm

Prayer Takes in the Whole Man
... Trumbull spoke forth the Infinite in the terms of our world, and the Eternal in
the forms of our human life. ... The whole man must be given to God in praying. ...
/.../bounds/the essentials of prayer/i prayer takes in the.htm

The Disappointment of the People.
... that no man can come unto me, except it be given unto him of ... thou hast the words
of eternal life. ... we have believed and know that thou art the Holy One of God.". ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/the disappointment of the people.htm

The Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby
... is that whosoever believes in Christ crucified shall not perish, but have eternal
life. ... are indebted for this benefit solely to the grace of God given them in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/synod of dort/the death of christ and.htm

Salvation
... utterly. That is what our eternal life stands in; that is why God has given
to us eternal life in His Son, that we may know that. Oh ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon ii salvation.htm

The Imitation of Christ
... The Forty-Ninth Chapter: The Desire of Eternal Life; the Great Rewards Promised
to Those Who ... The Fifty-Third Chapter: God's Grace Is Not Given to the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kempis/the imitation of christ/

Robert Hall -- Marks of Love to God
... of God, and are in the way of eternal life: the same ... and large excursions into the
spiritual and eternal world? ... let them take that solemn warning given by God ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/robert hall marks of.htm