The Beginning of Eternal Life

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…. And God said, ‘Let there be light:’ and there was light.” – Genesis 1:1, 3 RSV

“He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation:” – Colossians 1:15 RSV. Jesus was firstborn as Light.

“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be pre-eminent.” – Colossians 1:17-18 RSV. Jesus was the firstborn of the dead in the resurrection.

“That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and touched with our hands, concerning the word of life, (the life was made manifest, and we saw it, and testify to it, and proclaim to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was made manifest to us–) ” – 1 John 1:1-2 RSV. Jesus was manifested in the flesh to Mankind in the birth in Bethlehem.

Jesus came to die on the cross that we might never die.

“And this is what he has promised us, eternal life.” – 1 John 2:25 RSV’

“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who has not the Son of God has not life. I write this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.” – 1 John 5:11-13 RSV’

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, to know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life.” – 1 John 5:20 RSV’

“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – John 3:14-16 RSV.

“He who believes in the Son has eternal life; he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God rests upon him.” – John 3:36 RSV.

Jesus’ Words Are the  Spiritual Bread of Life:

“He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. … This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.” … It is the spirit that gives life, the flesh is of no avail; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” – John 6:54, 58, 63 RSV.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, if any one keeps my word, he will never see death.”” – John 8:51 RSV.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand.” – John 10:27-28 RSV’

Jesus Is the Resurrection

“Jesus said to her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?’” – John 11:25-26 RSV.

“When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven and said, ‘Father, the hour has come; glorify thy Son that the Son may glorify thee, since thou hast given him power over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom thou hast given him. And this is eternal life, that they know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.’” – John 17:1-3 RSV.

“I [am] he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” – Revelation 1:18 KJV.

The Origin of Human Life

The original law: “And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath [Hebrew ruah, also translated “spirit”] of life; and man became a living soul.” – Genesis 2:7 KJV. This is the Law of the Spirit/Breath of Life. Adam operated under this Law until he sinned.

The Law of Sin and Death: Genesis 2:16-17: “And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” – Genesis 2:16-17 KJV.

But Adam and Eve ate of that tree of death and so their Spirit died: “And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.” – Genesis 3:6 KJV.

So death came upon all Mankind: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” – 1 Corinthians 15:22 KJV.

Christ came to restore Mankind to the Breath/Spirit of Life:

“For the law of the Spirit [Breath] of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.” – Romans 8:2 KJV.

“8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. … 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: … 17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) … 21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.” – Romans 5:8, 12, 17, 21 KJV.

Resurrected Life Requires Crucifixion of the Flesh

“20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20 KJV.

This crucifixion of the Flesh happens when we come to true repentance. John 6:44: “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: And I will raise him up at the last day.”

John 12:32: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto me.”

This drawing of God to Himself must be responded to by total, complete surrender and acceptance of God’s will and plan. It is not a time to bargain with God for your own ways. It is likened to a death, the death of your own fleshly desires, habits, and will. This sacrifice of ones self will bring about God’s acceptance in the New Birth.

In The New Birth We Are Resurrected A New Creation

“3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. … 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with [him], that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. Romans 6:3, 4, 6, 7.

 This Is The First Resurrection

Romans 6:8, 9, 11-13, 23 KJV: “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. … 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. 13 Neither yield ye your members [as] instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members [as] instruments of righteousness unto God. … 23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Colossians 3:1-2, 6, 8-10 KJV: “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. … For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: … But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new [man], which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.”

The First Resurrection

Revelation 20:6 KJV: “Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years, [that is, forever].”

The first death comes when we totally and unconditionally surrender ourselves to God’s will and purpose. The “second death” is when the Spirit leaves the body. For the Christian, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, 2 Corinthians 5:6-8. This “second death” has no power over the Christian, for he has already been resurrected in the New Birth.

Revelation 1:6 KJV: “And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him [be] glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.”