The writer was visiting a small town on the Lancashire coast, lately, and in conversation with a working man, he asked him, “Could you tell me of any persons in G—that have eternal life, and who know of it?” After some reflection, the man said, “I cannot truly say that I have eternal life myself, but I think there is one man in the town who has eternal life, and I should like you to call and see him.” This was, if we may so say, remarkable, as, in walking through the town, the writer had had a strong leading to call and see this very man. Well, he called, and found it was so. Mr. H. had eternal life, and knew it. We soon found we were not strangers. He had written for tracts years ago; God had blessed the truth to his own soul, and he was preaching the gospel to the poor.
The next day we had an hour’s conversation with an aged and intelligent man on the same subject. He was quite sure he had not eternal life. He felt the immense importance of having it, and knowing it, but had no conception how this desired certainty could be obtained. He knew well the controversies and contradictions amongst professing Christians, their sad bitterness and animosities, but to the inestimable blessing of the certainty of having eternal life he was as yet a stranger. And more, from long observation of the professing church, he said he felt assured there were comparatively very few that knew they had eternal life. As we passed a little farm, we said, “How strange it would be, if a man was working on that land which a nobleman had given to him, and you asked him if it belonged to him, and he was to reply, “I am not at all sure whether it is mine, or not.” We never show such unbelief in the word of a man as we do in the word of God.
Is it, then, really so, in the midst of so much profession? Are there really few that know they have eternal life—that they are eternally saved? What! with the scriptures on this subject in their hands? The last of the inspired writers brings out this great subject most fully. Was it not the very purpose of God in the gift of His Son? For this was He not lifted up on the cross, even as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life”? Is not this the re-suit of the pure, unmerited love of God? “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.” “He that believeth on the Son, hath eternal life; and he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Mark, in both cases this is a present thing. It is not, shall have, but hath, eternal life. In like manner, whatever professions of holiness in the flesh, “he that believeth not the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.” Surely it is a fearful thing to deny and attack this teaching of Christ, and call eternal life “fictitious life.” Nothing is more clearly taught by Christ than this blessed truth, as He says, “Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
But an anxious soul may say, “How am I to know that I have eternal life?” Hear the answer of the Lord Jesus: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath eternal life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.” Now, to such as hear the word of Jesus, and believe God that sent Him, could anything be more plain or certain?
But you say, “I have been taught that a great deal has to be done by us; and if we do it, and continue to the end, we may hope to get eternal life in the next world.” We ask you to compare this hearing the word of men with hearing the word of Jesus, and believing God that sent Him. The one is all uncertainty, and in the future; the other, the word of Jesus, gives present certainty— “hath eternal life.” Yes, Jesus says, “Verily, verily.” If you believe Him, you have eternal life; if you have not eternal life, or deny it, you do not believe Him. Do not reject this great truth, it is the very will of God. “And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one that seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.” Is it not most evident that if we have not eternal life, then we have not, and do not, believe on Christ, or receive Him by faith? For He saith, “Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” Thus, to doubt or deny that the believer has eternal life, is to deny, in effect, both the incarnation and atonement of Christ. Eternal life, then, is one of the marks or characteristics of those that are Christ’s. He says, “I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any pluck them out of my hand.” (John 3; 4; 5; 6; 10) It is God the Son who thus speaks, and it would not be eternal life if it could perish.
This brings us to an important point. Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life.” (John 11:25.) He did not say, I am the life and the resurrection—He was the self-existent life. “In him was life.” But, as the Holy, Incarnate One, He must die, and rise again, and thus be to us the resurrection and the life. In incarnation He was holy, apart from sin, yet He died for us, bearing our sins; being made sin for us; and endured death for us. Without this, there could have been no atonement. In order to meet the case of man, of death, of Lazarus, to take him out of the grave, He Himself must go into it.
In incarnation He must remain alone, as He explains: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground, and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”
Thus the foundation of Puseyism, the communication of life by the incarnation, is all false, and it follows, its continuance by sacraments is equally false.
Thus we now see the importance of the words of Jesus to Martha, as meeting our need, communicating life to us. He is first the resurrection, and then the communication of life to us. As to life, then, resurrection-life is the gospel; and life by incarnation a delusion, which well suits the deniers of eternal life. Let us, then, lift up the eye of faith, and behold the Son of God, risen from among the dead. The life—yes, the source to us of life, but life beyond the reach of sin and death—He dieth no more. In incarnation he died once for us; in resurrection He is alive for evermore. In Him we see risen, glorified humanity, incorruptible, one Person, the Eternal Son. Now all believers, Jews or Gentiles, are not quickened by His incarnation, but with Him, and in Him, risen from the dead. (See Rom. 6; Eph. 1; 2)
Thus the life the believer has is eternal. Christ is the resurrection and the life, and He says,” I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish.” Is it not wondrous that we should have the same eternal life now as He has, seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high? And when we see Him, then, this will be manifested, even as to our raised, or changed, bodies. We shall be like Him. It might be asked, “What I will this be the case should we die, and these bodies be dissolved in corruption?” Yes, for Jesus says, “ He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.” Is there a necessity, then, that the body should die? No, for He further says, “and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die.”
This is true of all believers as to the true character and power of death. If, as to the body we should die, it is to depart, and be with Christ. Death has lost its terror and power, and the body shall be raised in the full glory of redemption. Therefore, at that blessed moment, when He shall come, the dead in Christ shall be raised in glory; and those that are alive shall not die at all, but be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15); and also, “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.’’ (1 Thess. 4:15-17.) Thus the precious words of Jesus will be fulfilled at that wondrous moment: “ He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this?” He did not reveal all He meant to Martha, as afterward to Paul.
In conclusion, we ask the reader’s solemn attention to the record that God hath given on this subject: “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God, hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 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.” Could the teaching of Christ, or the record of God, be more clear on this blessed, all-important truth?
It may not be known to all the readers of this magazine, that one great object of what is called the Salvation Army, is, to train all its officers to attack the above teaching of Christ on this subject, and to deny this record of God. In a tract, written by an admiral, sent to us from headquarters, eternal life is called “fictitious life.” It is a solemn thing to make God a liar. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” It is not something that we can lose—it is in His Son. Reader, do you believe the record of God? Do you ask, Can we possibly know that we have eternal life? Is it the will of God that we should know? Hear the aged inspired apostle: “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.” (1 John 5:9-13.) We do not wish you to be occupied with the “army” attack on the teaching of Christ, but we do ask this—Have you believed the record of God, or do you make Him a liar? How wondrous the infinite grace! How stupendous the gift of God—eternal life! There is nothing the proud heart of man rejects with such disdain as eternal life, and that the pure, unmerited gift of God. Believing God, and know-in of that we have eternal life, and that life is in His Son, may we walk as the children of the Father, divinely assured faith sustaining our souls at every step! C. S.
Praise the Lord! He died to save us,
‘Tis by Him alone we live,
And in Him the Father gave us
All that boundless love could give,
Life eternal
In the Savior we receive.