“Eternal Life or Eternal Fire!”

“Eternal Life or Eternal Fire!”

> Main Passage References: I John 1: 1-4 and Revelation 20:11-15.

> Who among us believe that Eternal Life can only be secured after we get to die and leave this planet, to be with the Lord Jesus?

> On the other hand, who among us believe, that even prior to our biological or biophysical death, and while we’re still alive on this planet, we could already secure Eternal/Everlasting Life, the moment we surrender/totally yield our all, to Jesus?

> If you believe the 1^st question, you are greatly erring or mistaken. If you believe the 2^nd question, you are on the right track/path. Eternal Life is secured already, the moment you commit/devote/subject/submit/surrender/totally yield your all to the Lord Jesus Christ. The moment you receive Jesus, in your life, this way, you already secure Eternal/Everlasting Life, for yourself.

> I John 1:1 declares, “That which was from the beginning/very start ( arche ), which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of Life”. Here, John, the Lord Jesus’ beloved ( one of the twelve apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ ), was giving an account of what they, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, have personally experienced, they being first hand witnesses of what they have personally experienced concerning/regarding the Word of Life. So, he was saying, “we have heard, we have seen with our eyes, we have looked upon, and our very hands have handled, the Lord Jesus Christ”. They personally experienced in their lives, the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were Jesus’ first hand witnesses.

> Continuing further with I John 1:2, “For the Life ( referring to Eternal/Everlasting Life ), was manifested/revealed/disclosed/exposed, and we have seen It, and bear witness, and shew unto you that Eternal/Everlasting Life ( Aionios Zoe ), which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us”. So, John, the Lord Jesus’ beloved ( together with the other apostles, and followers, of the Lord Jesus Christ ), have seen and borne witness of the Eternal/Everlasting Life which was with God the Father, and this very Eternal Life, having been manifested/revealed/disclosed/exposed to them, they have even shown, to the people.

> I John 5:11 accounts, “And this is the record, that God ( referring to God the Father ), hath given to us Eternal/Everlasting Life, and this Life, is in His Son ( being the Lord Jesus Christ )”. Question: Why is Eternal Life secured “in” the Lord Jesus Christ ( and not “out” of the Lord Jesus Christ )?

> Take note that the Lord Jesus Christ is referred to as “The Son of God”, this title or phrase, being synonymous to “God the Son”, or God the Father’s very own Son ( Romans 8:3 & 32 ). This Sonship of Jesus with God the Father is so unique, in that, God the Father has no other “own” Son, other than the Lord Jesus Christ. Since the Lord Jesus Christ is God the Father’s “own” Son, they definitely belong to a single & the same kind ( John 10:30-33 & John 3:16– monogenes ). God the Father has no other Son that is of the same kind with Him, except the Lord Jesus Christ. Since God the Father is God in kind, or Godkind, His “own” or “one and only” Son, is also God in kind, or Godkind ( Philippians 2:5-6; Hebrews 1:8-9 & Psalm 45:6-7 ). In essence, God the Father and God the Son ( the Lord Jesus Christ ) were and are, both addressing each other as God, for they both belong to a single and the same kind ( monogenes )– i.e., “Godkind”. Please consider that the book of Psalms was already accounting the Sonship of “God the Son”. Psalm 2:11-12 reckons, “ Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish/suffer from the way, when His wrath/fury/anger/ indignation is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him”. Who are considered blessed? All they, that put their trust in the Son- the Lord Jesus Christ! When was it accounted for? Back in the Old Testament times. Who was making the account? David, the Psalmist. No wonder why his son Solomon would get to account in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways, acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths”. The same LORD which King David directly served, obeyed, worshipped and loved was the same LORD which his son King Solomon directly served, obeyed, worshipped and loved. True enough, they learned well from their Israelite ancestors and Moses, who directly served, obeyed, worshipped and loved the same LORD Jesus Christ ( Hebrews 11:24-26 & I Corinthians 10:1-4 ). Moreover, even the apostle Paul, later in the New Testament times, fully realized that the God whom he should directly serve, obey, worship and love is none other than the Lord Jesus Christ ( Colossians 3:23-24, 17; II Corinthians 10:5; Romans 10:3-4; Hebrews 12:2; I Timothy 6:12;Galatians 2:20; Colossians 2:8-10; Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16; Colossians 3:11B ).Why not directly serve, obey, worship and love God the Father or God the Holy Spirit? Answer: Because God the Father is the God or Godkind who is infinitely invisible ( John 1:18; I Timothy 6:16; I John 4:12; John 6:46 & John 14:6 ), while God the Holy Spirit is the God or Godkind who is infinitely symbolic ( Matthew 3:16; Acts 2:1-4; Revelation 1:4; Revelation 4:5 ), and the only God or Godkind with whom we have direct access to, is solely/purely/particularly/specifically, the Lord Jesus Christ, back in the past, now in the present, in the future, forever, and for all eternity.

> Now, to reiterate/restate my previous question, “ Why is Eternal/Everlasting Life solely/only directly secured from and “in” the the Lord Jesus Christ?”

> I John 5:12 declares, “He that hath the Son ( referring to the Lord Jesus ), hath Life ( i.e., Eternal/Everlasting Life ), and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not Life”. Let us now consider the story in Mark 10:17-27. On one occasion, while Jesus and His disciples were walking in the way, there came one man running unto Him, and knelt before Him, saying, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit Eternal Life?” Then answered back Jesus to him, “Why callest thou Me good?” And said further, “No one is good except God”. Here, Jesus is insinuating in the mind of the man talking to Him, that He ( Jesus ), is God, since there is no one good except God. And since the man calls Jesus good, Jesus wants the man to realize that He ( Jesus ), is definitely God. As if, Jesus is saying to the man, “You call me good! Do you know that I am God, for only God is good?” Then, continued further Jesus, His statement, saying, “Thou knowest the commandments. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not kill. You shall not steal. You shall not bear false witness. You shall not defraud/cheat/deceive. Honor your father and mother”. The man answered Jesus back, saying, “Master, all these, I have kept from my youth”. Then, Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said, “Thou lackest one thing. Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give it to the poor. And thou shalt have treasure in heaven. And come, take up the cross, and follow Me”. Take note that Jesus didn’t tell the man that he will have Eternal Life if he gets to sell whatsoever he hath, and gives it to the poor. But rather, Jesus told the man that if he gets to sell whatsoever he hath and gives it to the poor, the man will secure treasure in heaven, but not Eternal/Everlasting Life. The six commandments, Jesus mentioned about, that the man claimed to have complied with from his youth, from the original ten ( 10 ) commandments, which the same Lord Jesus gave to Moses ( back in the Old Testament times- Hebrews 11:24-26; I Corinthians 10:1-4; Exodus 32:31-33; Revelation 20:15; 13:8 ), solely/purely pertain to the right/appropriate human relationship with other humans, while the remaining four ( 4 ), of the same ten ( 10 ) commandments solely/purely pertain to the right/appropriate human relationship with God or the Godkind. In essence, when Jesus said to the man, …“and come, and take up the cross, and follow Me”, He was cueing/hinting to the man, that what he is lacking, to secure Eternal/Everlasting Life, is the very adherence to Jesus, which is the very substance/essence of the remaining four ( 4 ) commandments, which the man failed to comply with, from the original ten ( 10 ). And that’s why, hearing this from Jesus, he was grieved, and went his own way ( for he had lots of possessions that he values, more than Jesus ). In reality, the six ( 6 ) commandments which the man claimed to have complied with, from his youth, didn’t really materialized/proved true, before the presence of Jesus, for the man refrained/desisted/abstained, from selling and giving what he had, to the poor, thereby violating loving his neighbor, as himself. He intently rejected Jesus’ instruction for securing treasure in heaven ( Mark 12:31 ), and willfully resisted from adhering/cleaving to Jesus ( Mark 12:30 ), thereby violating loving his God, with all his heart, soul, mind and strength, which is the only direct way of securing Eternal/ Everlasting Life. Moreover, after the man had left grieving, Jesus looked around and told His disciples, “How hardly shall they that have riches, enter into the kingdom of God!” And His disciples were astonished/astounded/awestruck/amazed/ surprised at His words. But Jesus answered again, and said unto them, “Children, how hard it is for them that trust/rely in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a wealthy /affluent/rich man to enter into the kingdom of God”. And the disciples were more surprised, and said among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus then, looked again upon them, and said, “With men, it is impossible, but not with God, for with God, all things are possible.” From the above accounts, it is manifest/evident/revealed/disclosed, that wealthy/affluent /rich/prosperous people are not per se ( or “as they are” ), rejected before God, but those wealthy ones who trust/rely in their riches, meaning, those who value their material wealth, greater than they value their neighbors, or far worse, greater than they value the Lord Jesus Christ. The disciples were surprised above measure, probably because they have the mind- set, that wealthy people are such ( meaning, rich as they are ), because they are well- favored by God. And if this be the case, if the rich, who are well- favored of God ( as they thought ), can barely get saved, how much harder it would be for the poor ( who are not well- favored of God, as they thought ), to get saved? So, Jesus had to assure them. As if He is saying, “It’s okey!!! I am God anyway. Without Me, you all can do nothing. But with My help, all things are possible for you!”

> In I John 5:13, the apostle John ( Jesus’ beloved ), had to render this account, “These things have I written unto you that believe on the Name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have Eternal/Everlasting Life, and that ye may believe on the Name of the Son of God.”

> He is saying as well in John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath Everlasting/ Eternal Life: and He that believeth not the Son shall not see/have/possess Life; but the wrath/fury/indignation/anger of God abideth on him.”

> Earlier, he was saying, in John 3:16, “For God ( the Father ) so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten ( “monogenes” )/single kind/same kind Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have Everlasting/Eternal Life.”

> The Lord Jesus Himself is saying in John 10:27-28, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give unto them Eternal/Everlasting Life; and they shall never perish/suffer, neither shall any man pluck/remove them out of my hand.”

> Deuteronomy 13:4 reckons, “Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him, and cleave unto Him.”

> Again, the apostle John had to account in I John 5:20, “And we know that the Son of God ( or God the Son ) is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know Him that is true, and we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God and Eternal/Everlasting Life.”

> Why is Eternal Life solely/only/purely directly secured from and in the Lord Jesus Christ? Answer: Because only Jesus Christ, is the Eternal/Everlasting Life, Himself. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit are both infinite ( no beginning & no end ), just like God the Son- the Lord Jesus Christ ( in His Godhood/Deity/Divinity ). Thus, all three ( 3 ) of them are having/possessing unending existence, with no commencement, but only the Lord Jesus bears the title and/or Name “Eternal Life”. God the Father and God the Holy Spirit could either be addressed as True God, but only Jesus could be appropriately labeled or addressed as “The True God & Eternal Life”.

> Continuing further with John’s account, he had to write in I John 1:3, “That which we have seen and heard, declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ.”Since John was a firsthand/direct/personal witness of the Eternal Life ( being the Lord Jesus Christ ), having seen and heard Jesus well, John had to declare Jesus before the people. John was even saying that the believers’ fellowship is not only with the apostles ( being personal witnesses of Jesus ), but also certainly, with God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, since once you have secured Jesus Christ in your life, you are in effect securing God the Father also, in your life ( John 14:23 ).Furthermore, Jesus Christ can never be alone, for God the Father is always with Him ( John 16:32 ). True enough, we can only be secured & complete, “in” Jesus ( Colossians 1:16-19; 2:9-10 ).

> And that’s why, John can confidently say in I John 1:4, “…these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.” No wonder why even King Solomon ( King David’s son ), a lot far earlier in the scriptures, would even get to account, saying, “For God gives to a a man that is good in His sight, wisdom, and knowledge and joy: but to the sinner, He gives travail ( or an extremely painful and difficult work/toil/labor ), to gather and to heap up/accumulate, that he may give to him that is good before God ( Ecclesiastes 2:26A ). Also, he had to say in Proverbs 13:22B, …“the wealth of the sinner is laid up/gathered for the just/righteous.”

> The apostle Peter renders his piece by saying in II Peter 1:3, “According as His ( Christ’s ) Divine/Godly/Great power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and Godliness/piety, through the knowledge of Him ( Jesus ), that hath called us to glory/honor and virtue/goodness.” Didn’t Jesus give us the Holy Scriptures or the Bible? This Book, being our Manual or Guidebook for life, contains a tremendous/great amount of information and/or instructions, as well as resources to help us cope best with life, as we live Godly lives for and before the Lord Jesus Christ. All of God’s written instructions and statutes/ rules/orders, as well as teachings and/or commandments are already laid down in the Bible. It’s just a matter of appropriating what we get to learn from this Book.

> The apostle Peter further continues in II Peter 1:4, saying, “Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these things ye might be partakers of the divine/Godly nature, having escaped the corruption/dishonesty/fraud that is in the world, through lust.” Indeed, the Holy Scriptures or the Bible is a complete Manual or Guidebook for us, where we can draw and claim and secure the Lord Jesus’ inexhaustible and valuable promises, so that we won’t be part of this wicked world, but rather, victoriously separated, for the Lord, manifesting much good works ( Titus 2:13-14 ). Living up to this Book in its entirety, we don’t only secure Jesus for our Salvation, Eternal Life and Everlasting Glory, but also for our All in all ( Colossians 3:11B ).

> “In” Jesus, we have Eternal Life!!! Outside Jesus, there’s no Eternal Life, for Jesus is the Eternal Life, personified!

> Lastly, let’s consider the rendering of Revelation 20:11-15. Here, the apostle John ( being the Lord Jesus’ beloved ), was being shown the events that were about to take place, in the future. In his vision, he had seen a great white throne, where the Almighty God, who sits on the same throne, would get to render His last and final judgment over the persons or individuals or selves, belonging to the humankind and to the angelkind. This Almighty God, who sits on the great white throne, was being portrayed/described by John as the One, from whose face, the heavens and the earth fled away, so that no place was found for them anymore. Who could this figure be? A. God the Father B. God the Son- the Lord Jesus Christ C. God the Holy Spirit D. All of the above E. None of the above; Answer: Since this figure who sits on the great white throne, will render the last and final judgment to both human beings and angels ( and that He would be visibly and directly seen and heard by all of them ), this can never be God the Father, for no createdkind(s) has/have ever seen, nor will ever see God the Father, personally and/or directly, for God the Father is the God/Godkind who is infinitely invisible to all createdkinds ( including angels and humans- John 1:18; I Timothy 6:16; I John 4:12; John 6:46 ), meaning, back in the past, now, in the present, in the future, forever, and for all eternity, no createdkind(s) had ever seen, nor will ever see God the Father. Furthermore, God the Father has never judged, nor will ever judge any human being, for He has already committed/devoted/dedicated all judgments to God the Son ( John 5:22 ). In the same manner, God the Holy Spirit cannot be the Figure, who sits on the great white throne ( that will render the last and final judgments to both angels and humans ), for God the Holy Spirit is the God/Godkind who is infinitely symbolic ( Matthew 3:16; Acts 2:1-4; Revelation 1:4; 4:5 ), meaning, He always manifests/shows Himself in symbolic forms, back in the past, now, in the present, in the future, forever, and for all eternity. Only the Godkind Son/God the Son/the Son who is of the same kind with God the Father ( “monogenes”- John 3:16 ), being the only God/Godkind, directly and/or personally accessible to us ( John 14:6; Matthew 5:8 ), is the rightful and appropriate and real Figure, that both angels and human beings will behold, sitting on the great white throne, of His last & final judgment, to execute the same. Didn’t John say, concerning the Almighty God who sits on the great white throne to judge ( both angels and humans ), …“from whose face, the heavens and the earth fled away, so that no place was found for them anymore”? Please, correlate well this phrase/statement with Hebrews 1:8-12 ( wherein, God the Father addresses/calls Jesus His own Son, as God ), paying more particular/meticulous attention on verses 10-12, where God the Father talks to God the Son, saying, “And Thou Lord, in the beginning, hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of Thine hands. They shall perish, but Thou remainest, and they all shall wax old as doth a garment. And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.” Since Jesus is being addressed by God the Father as the One who laid the foundation of the earth, and that the heavens are the works of His hands, God the Father is in effect saying, “Jesus, You are the Creator of the heavens and the earth ( and therefore, by implication, the Creator of all things )”. Moreover, God the Father is in effect saying as well, “Jesus, since You are the God/Godkind who created the heavens and the earth ( and none but You ), You will remove the same, or fold them up, just like a garment/vesture, and have them replaced and changed, with new ones ( Isaiah 66:22; 65:17; II Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1A&B, 5A ). No wonder why Revelation 20:11 would say,… “ from whose face ( meaning, Jesus’ face ), the heavens and the earth fled away, so that no place was found for them anymore”, since Jesus had to replace them with new ones. Now, before the great white throne of Jesus, where he would render His last and final judgments for both human beings and angels, John, the apostle ( Jesus’ beloved ) had to render his vision further, saying, that before the presence of the Lord Jesus, as He sits in His great white throne, to judge, John saw all the dead ( both great and small/rich and poor/noble and otherwise ), stand before Jesus. Meaning, mainly all humankind who were in the grave/tomb/ sepulcher, or all who have undergone biological/biophysical/natural death ( regardless, whether they be children of God, or otherwise ), were then raised up, their necrotic/decomposed/putrefied/dead bodies, revitalized/ revived/restored, and incorporated with their spirits and souls, and made to stand before the presence of Jesus. And before the presence of Jesus, as He sits in His great white throne, the books were opened ( with the records/accounts/reckonings of all the works that all this people have done, prior to their biophysical death, whether good or bad ). And they were all judged according to their works. And another Book was opened, which is the Book of Life of the Lamb slain/slaughtered from the foundation of the world ( Revelation 13:8 ). This Book contains all the names of all the faithful servants/slaves/stewards, of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even the sea, gave up the dead which were in it. Also, death and hell delivered/ gave up the dead which were in them. Question: Who were the dead given up by death and hell? Answer: The fallen angels ( meaning, demons ) and the revitalized/ reconstituted biophysical bodies, as well as the corresponding incorporated spirits and souls of human beings, who were separated from God, by sin, but not restored, to a right relationship with Him. All these creatures were made to appear before the great white throne of the Lord Jesus’ last and final judgment. And since they were not found written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, they being part of death and hell ( hell, being a place of torment/torture, where the worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched- Mark 9:43-48 ), were further placed in a far more wretched/miserable and torturously intense eternal fire, being the Lake of Fire and Brimstone ( which is the second death )- Revelation 21:8. Please, remember and bear in mind, that the Author and Owner of the Book of Life is the Lamb– the Lord Jesus Christ ( John 1:29, 36 ). And therefore, it is really and appropriately to Him, that we all should give account to ( II Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 4:12-13 ). Furthermore, it is interesting to point out that it is Jesus, Himself, whom Moses and the Israelites and all Old Testament faithfuls, directly served, being the only God/Godkind, directly accessible/approachable/encounterable and knowable to all createdkinds ( more particularly, angels and humans– Hebrews 11:24-26; I Corinthians 10:1-4 ). In fact, when the Israelites sinned against the Lord, when Aaron made them a golden calf to worship, instead of the LORD, Moses interceded for the Israelites, before the Lord, by asking Him to forgive the sins of the Israelites. He even asked the Lord to blot his name out from the Lord’ s Book, if the Lord will not forgive the sin of the Israelites. But the Lord answered back, that only those who have sinned against Him, will He blot out, from His Book ( Exodus 32:31-33 ). This same Book, is the Lamb’s Book of Life ( Revelation 20:15; 13:8 ).

> So, what now, friend? Will you commit/devote/dedicate and subject/submit, as well as surrender/totally yield your all to Jesus, today? If so, then, you’ll get to secure Him now for your Eternal Life. But if not, your name will not be written in Jesus’ one and only Book of Life, and therefore, you’ll be hell- bound, and subsequently, into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, which is Eternal Fire!

> Eternal Life or Eternal Fire!!! Your choice is your destiny!

> Closing Prayer: Lord Jesus, today, we surrender our all to You. God the Father has so willed/desired/purposed & God the Holy Spirit has so confirmed/witnessed to/led/inspired, that we love You, with all our hearts/emotions, with all our souls/lives, with all minds/thoughts, and with all our strengths/might. We’re making our choice, of securing You today, for our Eternal Life, and we’ll be forever grateful, for Your goodness, Your loving kindness, Your unfailing mercy and Your steadfast love. Thank You Jesus!!! All this we pray, in Your most outstanding, excellent Name! Amen!!!

Author:  Dr. Edmund Paul Medina

“Eternal Life or Eternal Fire!” by Dr. Edmund Paul Medina is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Philippines License.
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