Eternity Future

~ A Future Certainty To Look Forward To ~

Eternal life is a current possession of all believers (the subject of a prior post).  However, our eternal state in our eternal home is a future certainty for believers (and the subject of this post). 

A New Heaven And Earth  ~  “Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.  Also there was no more sea” (Revelation 21:1).  “We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells” (2 Peter 3:13). 

The New Jerusalem  ~  “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Revelation 21:2).

The Eternal Glory Of Christ And His People  ~  “May the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.  To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever.  Amen” (1 Peter 5:10-11). 

God Dwelling With Men  ~  “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).  “And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people.  God Himself will be with them and be their God.  And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying.  There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away’” (Revelation 21:3-4).

God “All In All”  ~  “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all” (Colossians 3:9-11).  “Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).    

        

Summary  ~  “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.  He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.  And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:9-13). 

Do you have eternal life?  Are you sure?  You can be absolutely confident! 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Eternal Life

~ Eternal Life Is Current ~

Eternal Life is possessed by all who have put their trust in the shed blood of Christ on their behalf.  This is a present reality enjoyed by all of God’s children. “If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son.  He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son.  And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:9-13). 

Promised by God (its source)  ~  “In hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:2).   

Ever in Christ (its spring)  ~  “Jesus answered and said to her, ‘Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst.  But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life’” (John 4:13-14). 

Manifested by Christ (its stream)  ~  “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.  And these things we write to you that your joy may be full” (1 John 1:1-4). 

Given through Christ (its channel)  ~  “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).   

Hid with Christ (its security)  ~  “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.  Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.  For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4). 

Eternal life is a current possession of all believers (the subject of this post).  However, our eternal state in our eternal home is a future certainty for believers (and the subject of a future post).  “Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Titus 1:1-2).

Do you have eternal life?  Are you sure?  You can be absolutely confident! 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Jesus Christ as LORD

~ The Title “LORD” ~

Jesus said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). 

Many English Bible translations use both the name “LORD” and “Lord” throughout the Old Testament.  This is a deliberate and important distinction.  Before beginning a series of posts on various titles of The Messiah—Jesus Christ as Jehovah, it is worth visiting this distinction.  There has been a conscious effort to simplify this post rather than getting into the many complexities and nuances involved. 

“LORD”  ~  With only one exception, LORD in all upper case letters capitals refers to Jehovah (Adonai).  GOD in all upper case letters refers to Jehovah (Adonay, Yahweh).   “Jehovah” is the proper name of the God of the Hebrews.  The most important thing to realize is that whether in Aramaic, Hebrew, or Greek, the word expresses a great sense of honor, dignity, and majesty. 

An excellent example is in the fifteenth chapter of Genesis.  “After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Abram.  I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.’  But Abram said, ‘Lord GOD, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?’  Then Abram said, ‘Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!’  And behold, the word of the LORD came to him, saying, ‘This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’  Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’  And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’  And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for righteousness.  Then He said to him, ‘I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give you this land to inherit it.’  And he said, ‘Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?’” (Genesis 15:1-8). 

“Lord”  ~  Lord is basically a Saxon word signifying a ruler or a governor.  The Lord should be our ruler and govern our affairs. 

Comments  ~  (1)  LORD is the most sacred Hebrew name for God, as their covenant God, ‎Yah‎, ‎Yahweh‎.  The more common designation of Deity, ‎Adhonay‎ and ‎Adhon‎, are terms which were adopted to avoid pronouncing the most holy designation. 

(2)  There are clearly differences in how translators deal with the names of God.  For example, when two of the words that are usually translated “Lord” (both referring to God) occur together, the King James Version translates them as “Lord God,” and the American Standard Revised Version as “Lord Yahweh.”

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Jesus Christ as God

~ Testimonies To The Deity of Jesus Christ  ~

The Old Testament  ~  The Scriptures contain literally hundreds of prophecies regarding The Messiah—Jesus Christ.  For example, see the Abundant Life Now “Messiah” posts each Saturday since June 25, 2011. 

The New Testament  ~  The record continues to be clear that Jesus Christ is God manifested in the flesh.  For example, see the subsequent sub-headings in this post—what His contemporaries, His disciples, Doubting Thomas, the Apostle Peter, and even the Devil said about The Messiah.  Additionally, Jesus Christ claimed to be God.

Jesus Christ, Himself  ~  Jesus said, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30).  “Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip?  He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, “Show us the Father?”  Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me?  The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.  Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves’” (John 14:9-11). 

His Contemporaries  ~  Consider those who knew Jesus Christ while He was on earth.  “Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: ‘Hosanna to the Son of David!  “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Hosanna in the highest!’  And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, ‘Who is this?’  So the multitudes said, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee’” (Matthew 21:9-11). 

His Disciples  ~  “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him” (Matthew 28:16-17a). 

Doubting Thomas  ~  “Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came.  The other disciples therefore said to him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’  So he said to them, ‘Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.’ …  And Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’” (John 20:24-25, 28). 

The Apostle Peter  ~  “Jesus Christ said to them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’  Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:15-16). 

The Devil  ~  “Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him …  Then Jesus said to him,  ‘Away with you, Satan!  For it is written, “You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.”’  Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (Matthew 4:5-6a, 10-11). 

the key question: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). This is the most important question you will ever answer. If you do not answer it, or answer it incorrectly, you have made the biggest mistake anyone can make!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW