0085. The Gift Is Eternal Life

The Gift Is Eternal Life

"God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (Joh_3:16).

When one receives Jesus Christ as Saviour, he becomes immediately the possessor of eternal life. The Bible clearly says: "He that hath the Son, hath life". Eternal life, then, is a present possession never a future obtainment.

We read in Joh_5:24, "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". This verse is conclusive inasmuch as it shows that eternal life begins when faith begins, and that the life which then began is eternal.

If a person could be saved today and lost tomorrow, the life that he had today could not be called an "eternal life". Certainly, the word "eternal", outreaches, by far, the narrow confines of a few passing weeks.

Illustration: Dr. Pettingill once asked a man if he was saved. The man replied: "No, sir, not now." "But," said the man, "I was saved until recently." Dr. Pettingill then asked him if he had been truly born again, and he replied, affirmatively. "And what did you receive when you were born again?" asked the preacher. The man responded: "Eternal life." "And how long did it last you?" "Six months," was the response. The folly of all this is easily seen. If we receive eternal life when we become children of God, then we have a life that never ends. We are saved unto the ages of the ages.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR