Topical Bible: Eternal Life: Christ Is

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Eternal life, as presented in the Christian Scriptures, is a central theme that is intricately connected to the person and work of Jesus Christ. The concept of eternal life is not merely an unending existence but a quality of life that is deeply rooted in a relationship with God through Christ. This entry explores the biblical foundation of eternal life as it is revealed in Jesus Christ.

Biblical Foundation

The New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the embodiment and source of eternal life. In the Gospel of John, Jesus explicitly states, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in Me will live, even though he dies" (John 11:25). This declaration underscores the belief that eternal life is found in Christ alone, transcending physical death.

Furthermore, Jesus affirms His role as the giver of eternal life in John 10:28, where He promises, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand." This assurance highlights the security and permanence of the life that Christ imparts to His followers.

Union with Christ

The Apostle Paul elaborates on the concept of eternal life through union with Christ. In Romans 6:23, he contrasts the wages of sin with the gift of God, stating, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse emphasizes that eternal life is a divine gift, accessible only through Jesus Christ.

Paul further explains this union in Galatians 2:20, where he writes, "I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me." Here, eternal life is depicted as a transformative experience, where the believer's life is intertwined with the life of Christ.

Knowledge of God

Eternal life is also described as knowing God and Jesus Christ. In His high priestly prayer, Jesus defines eternal life in relational terms: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent" (John 17:3). This knowledge is not merely intellectual but involves a deep, personal relationship with God through Christ.

The Role of Faith

Faith in Jesus Christ is the means by which individuals receive eternal life. John 3:16, one of the most well-known verses in the Bible, declares, "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 encapsulates the gospel message, highlighting the necessity of faith in Christ for the reception of eternal life.

The Present and Future Reality

Eternal life is both a present possession and a future hope for believers. In 1 John 5:11-12, the Apostle John 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 begins in the present for those who are in Christ, while also pointing to its consummation in the age to come.

Conclusion

The biblical portrayal of eternal life is inseparable from the person of Jesus Christ. It is a gift from God, received through faith, and characterized by a transformative relationship with Christ. As both a present reality and a future promise, eternal life in Christ offers believers the assurance of an unending, abundant life with God.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 John 1:2
(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show to you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested to us;)
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 John 5:20
And we know that the Son of God is come, and has 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 life.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

2210. zemioo -- to damage, suffer loss
... As a person grows in knowing Christ they willingly "lose" their "right" to be #NAME?
eternal significance in every scene of life by living in faith ("His ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2210.htm - 8k

2590. karpos -- fruit
... in union with Christ (the Vine). By definition, fruit (2590 ) results from
life-streams -- the Lord living His life through ours -- to yield what is eternal ( ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2590.htm - 7k

4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... inbirth faith in each scene of life – so that ... 6). But a personal encounter with Christ
(a true ... Our believing has eternal meaning when it becomes "-believing ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4102.htm - 18k

Library

Part 1 Christ the Eternal Life. Rom. 9:05
... HYMNS AND SPIRITUAL SONGS IN THREE BOOKS. HYMN 22 PART 1 Christ the eternal
life. Rom. 9:5. LM Christ the eternal life. Rom.9:5. ...
/.../watts/the psalms and hymns of isaac watts/hymn 22 part 1 christ.htm

The Scriptures Reveal Eternal Life through Jesus Christ
... PROVED, AND SINGULARLY IMPROVED; OR, A PRACTICAL CATECHISM. Lecture IV.
The Scriptures Reveal Eternal Life Through Jesus Christ. ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/lecture iv the scriptures reveal.htm

He Then Wonderfully Displays the Eternal Life, which is Christ, to ...
... Book X. Section 2. He then wonderfully displays the Eternal Life, which is Christ,
to those who confess Him not, and applies to them the mournful lamentation ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/section 2 he then wonderfully.htm

Imitation of Christ
... XVIII That temporal miseries are to be borne patiently after the example of Christ. ...
XLVII That all troubles are to be endured for the sake of eternal life. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kempis/imitation of christ/

Death and Life in Christ
... Then God's promise is not true, and Christ's word is false""I give unto my sheep
eternal life, and they shall never perish;" then the foundations are removed ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/death and life in christ.htm

The Imitation of Christ
... The Forty-Ninth Chapter: The Desire of Eternal Life; the Great Rewards Promised
to ... Sixth Chapter: We Ought to Deny Ourselves and Imitate Christ Through Bearing ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kempis/the imitation of christ/

Rejection of Errors
... needed to die, and also did not die, for those whom God loved in the highest degree
and elected to eternal life, since these do not need the death of Christ. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/synod of dort/rejection of errors 2.htm

Salvation
... tittle. What did the Lord Jesus Christ say that eternal life was? 'This ... sent.'.
To know God and Jesus Christ; that is eternal life. That ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon ii salvation.htm

Schleiermacher -- Christ's Resurrection an Image of Our New Life
... us as the meat and drink of eternal life, but every one striving to make his new
life intelligible to ... might see why it was necessary for Christ to suffer ...
/.../the worlds great sermons volume 3/schleiermacher christs resurrection an.htm

The Death of Christ, and the Redemption of Men Thereby
... ARTICLE 5. Moreover, the promise of the gospel is that whosoever believes
in Christ crucified shall not perish, but have eternal life. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/anonymous/synod of dort/the death of christ and.htm