Eternal Life

Jeff Friesen

Fishing For Men • Sermon • Submitted 3 years ago

1 John 3:11–13

Eternal Life

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Lesson Five

1 John 5:11–13 KJV 1900

And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 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 life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The teaching of sound Bible doctrine makes for a strong church. One of the most important doctrines in the Bible is the teaching of the believer’s security of having eternal life. When one doubts their salvation they are rendered useless for God’s purposes.

God always works in sure knowledge never in doubt. Satan uses doubt to paralyze believers in their forward movement. God does not even use doubt to bring someone to salvation. He uses sure knowledge to help someone see they have never trusted His Son for salvation.

Doubt is not God’s way of working out His plan. It has always been Satan’s way of working out his plan. Consider some eternal things we have in Christ.

We Have Eternal Life

Eternal life is a present possession for the one that has received Jesus Christ as their Saviour. If there has ever been a time when you placed all of your trust in Christ for salvation you are saved. Some will have you to think that once you die physically you enter into eternal life.

The truth is that you entered into eternal life the very moment you received Christ Jesus as your Saviour from sin. You can only li ve in true joy knowing that you can never be separated from Jesus Christ.

John 10:27–29 KJV 1900

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.

We Have an Eternal God

Deuteronomy 33:27 KJV 1900

The eternal God is thy refuge, And underneath are the everlasting arms: And he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; And shall say, Destroy them.

We Have an Eternal Power

Romans 1:20 KJV 1900

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

We Have an Eternal House

2 Corinthians 5:1 KJV 1900

For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

We Have an Eternal Purpose

Ephesians 3:10–11 KJV 1900

To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, According to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord:

God has a [purpose that He is working out that is eternal. He has invited me when I received Christ to join that purpose. I am privileged to be able to labor in God’s eternal purpose as I wait to live in my eternal house.

We Are Headed For an Eternal Glory

1 Peter 5:10 KJV 1900

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

There is an eternal glory for us when we meet Christ after we die. We share in His glory today, but now we see through a glass darkly the glory that will be revealed in us through Christ.

There is an Eternal Fire

Jude 7 KJV 1900

Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them, in like manner giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

We can see that there a lot of eternal things that we have in Christ. Some of these things we will only see when we die, but eternal life is a present possession and through this life we are afforded everything else that is eternal as well

John 5:24 KJV 1900

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Some teach that this doctrine is dangerous, giving the Christian a mindset that they can live as they wish, meaning living a devilish life, while the whole time claiming eternal life. We must never change Bible doctrine because we are trying to justify a hypothetical situation.

Let us learn some things that will help us see that knowing eternal life is a present possession is not dangerous to the believer, but in all reality a blessing.

John 3:36 KJV 1900

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

I. We Are New Creatures

2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV 1900

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

A. The desire of your heart changes because you have become a new creature in Christ.

This is not saying that sin is not appealing to the flesh. A carnal Christian can easily give in to fleshly temptations. The difference is that before he wanted to do those things, but now his desire is to be free from these sins. Christians become too weak to fight temptations because of lack of surrender to Christ’s leading.

B. The Holy Spirit brings conviction upon your soul because you have become a new creature in Christ.

John 16:13–14 KJV 1900

Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall shew it unto you.

When you have Christ’s eternal life in you, you have changed into a new creature. You are now somebody that is indwelt by God’s Spirit. He is leading you from the inside. Because I have eternal life I have the eternal Spirit guiding me daily.

It is not dangerous to believe you have a present possession of eternal life, because without it you have no inner guide into holy living. There is a very distinct change that happens in a person when they become born again.

This change is needed in order for us to live the way Christ desires us to live. To teach that salvation can be lost is somehow placing the ability on the flesh to live right, which is impossible, rather than Christ living through you.

II. We Have A New Motive

2 Corinthians 5:14–15 KJV 1900

For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

1 John 3:16 KJV 1900

Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

A person that has received Christ and become a new creature has perceived a demonstration of a love that has never been seen before. As we consider Christ, and what He has done, we live with a new motive to live right.

People that think the doctrine of eternal life is a dangerous doctrine do not take into account that one that has eternal life has an understanding of how great a love God has and is motivated to live their life pleasing Him.

III. We Have A New Father.

Hebrews 12:1–11 KJV 1900

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

A. Before we received Eternal life we were a child of the Devil.

John 8:44 KJV 1900

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

When the devil was our father we would do what he wanted us to do. We reflected his character. He was liar and we lied to get our way. He was murderer and we cut people off from our lives in bitterness and anger. A child of the devil behaves as a child of the devil as a child of God behaves as a child of God.

Ephesians 2:1–10 KJV 1900

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others. But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

B. When we receive eternal life, we have a new father that deals with us as His children.

I discipline my children not yours. If children are fighting I may rebuke a young boy misbehaving, but I will only chastise my children as you should yours. It shows them that you are their father and shows them they are your children.

One of the blessings of knowing we are saved is knowing we are in God’s family and that He is our Father in heaven. A person that doubts their salvation doubts their position in God’s family. God does not want us to doubt. He wants us to know we are His children and that he will deal with us as a Father deals with sons, by chastising and teaching us to live righteously before Him. He does not disown us as a child because we are disobedient, He chastises us as sons. This proves our present possession and also disproves that it is a dangerous thing to know you have eternal life. Someone thinking that eternal security is license to sin, does not take into account that we have a new Father in Heaven.

IV. We Have A New Judgment.

A. A person without Christ will face the Great White throne Judgment.

Revelation 20:11–13 KJV 1900

And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

A person that does not die in Christ already possessing eternal life is dead in their sins. At the Great White throne Judgment death will deliver up all of those that are in it. These are those that did not have eternal life, but are abiding in death.

This judgment takes place 1000 years after the Second Coming of Christ. This judgment is a judgment of sin in those that stand before God outside of Christ. They are in death because death is the wage of sin. They will have their final judgment proclaimed by the judge of all judges and the final sentence issued, the second death, because they refused eternal life in Christ

B. A person in Christ will face the Judgment Seat of Christ.

1 Corinthians 3:11–15 KJV 1900

For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man’s work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.

All people at this judgment have eternal life. Death could not hold them because they had victory over death in Christ.

1 Corinthians 15:51–58 KJV 1900

Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

This judgment is a judgment based upon what we have done in our bodies for Christ before we died physically, whether it was useful or useless for the cause of Christ. Our sin will not be brought into judgment because it has already been judged on the cross of Calvary in Christ.

However, what will be brought into judgment is how we allowed Christ to use us. A person that is only concerned about themselves and their place in eternity will not fare well at this judgment. They will suffer much loss and shame.

We have to be concerned about souls around us if we want to be bold at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

1 John 4:17 KJV 1900

Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

This judgment will occur after the catching away of the church before the Tribulation period. Seven years after this judgment Christ will return with us, His saints, at the Second Coming of Christ.

Notice we are not delivered up from death, but are asleep in Christ at the time of the rapture. Because we have eternal life we are never a part of death, but are in Christ who is life.

We are in Christ because sin’s wage was paid in Him, thereby giving us life in Him.

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18 KJV 1900

But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

1 Corinthians 15:51–58 KJV 1900

V. We Have A New Freedom.

Titus 2:13–14 KJV 1900

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

A. We have been freed from the payment of our sin through Christ’s record.

2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV 1900

For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

When we stand before God, we stand in Christ’s record. Christ’s record is a sinless record, in fact as Christ has never sinned, so will we appear before God as one that has never sinned. We can take that a step further and say because Jesus Christ has always been a righteous perfect person, it is the way we will be seen before God, never having been a sinner.

B. We have been freed from the power of sin through Christ’s resurrection.

Romans 6:6–11 KJV 1900

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. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Because we were in our flesh with God we were condemned by sin and also in bondage to sin. Since we received eternal life we have been made free from sin’s penalty and sin’s power over us, because we now have the potential to live in Christ yielded to His perfect sinless control of our lives.

We have been delivered from the grave and been given a place in heaven with God, not in the future, but now a present possession through our eternal life.

Ephesians 2:5–6 KJV 1900

Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

C. We will be freed from the presence of sin through Christ’s return.

Philippians 3:20–21 KJV 1900

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

Paul had a very real confidence that his body would be changed into a glorious body. This is the final stage of our salvation. Our bodies cannot be salvaged, they have to be changed, because they are corrupted with sin.

When Christ brings freedom , he will bring us complete freedom from all the infections of sin. This is all made possible because of the present possession of eternal life, we have if we have received Christ Jesus.

Knowing that we have eternal life is in no way giving a Christian license to sin; in fact it does the opposite in giving the believer the power to live holy and righteously before God.

Do you have a confidence that you are a child of God? If you are not confident God cannot use you to bring confidence to others. Knowing you are saved forever will have a tremendous impact on the way God uses you.