To understand the connection between Eternal Life as the Source, and eternal life as the gift bestowed on the believer of the Lord Jesus, we venture to give an illustration.
When a tram reaches its terminus and has to return, it is necessary for the conductor to remove the wheel that contacts the live wire, and reverse its position, so that the return journey may be made. How careful is the conductor to make actual contact with the live wire. The wheel may be the fraction of an inch clear of the live wire, and nothing will happen. If it makes no contact, it might as well be a thousand miles away.
But look, contact is made. We know this at once, for if it is night time, the tram immediately lights up, and the electric current enters the machinery of the car, giving power for the return journey. But where does the power come from? The answer is, there is a mighty power station, it may be miles away, and the electric current flows along the live wire hung on standards along the whole route the tram must take. But see, the power station is giving light and power, not only to one tramcar, but to hundreds, illuminating the houses of a wide district, setting machinery into motion in hundreds of factories, covering an extensive area of territory, and serving a wide district.
Does the reader not catch at once the point of the illustration? The Lord bestows the gift of eternal life; not only upon a single believer, but also on millions of believers in every part of the world, in every nation, in every station of life, wherever men and women are found believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is clear that the bestowing of eternal life does not lift the believer to the level of Deity, any more than the electric fluid entering the tramcar, giving it power of movement, made it the power station.
The power station is the source of electric power; the tramcars, houses, factories, the recipients of that power. So the Lord is the Source of eternal, life, is Himself the Eternal Life, whilst believers are the recipients of this priceless gift, won for them by the atoning sorrows of Calvary.
Here is another question that often arises. The Gospel of John emphasizes very happily that the believer is the possessor of eternal life, whilst in the first epistle of John we read that we have this life in God's Son. We read, "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is IN HIS SON." (1 John 5:1111And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:11)).
Is there a contradiction here? The Gospel says the believer has eternal life; the epistle says that he has it in Christ. We may be sure that Scripture does not contradict itself. Inspiration, the fact that the Scriptures are God-breathed, leaves us in no doubt of this.
May we be allowed to give an illustration from nature, which has helped the writer for many years. Our Lord often used nature to illustrate His theme. The Apostle Paul asked the question, "Doth not even nature itself teach you?" (1 Cor. 11:1414Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him? (1 Corinthians 11:14)).
Suppose in spring time we take a fresh green leaf between our finger and thumb, taking care not to separate it from the tree. Its beautiful greenness, the delicate tracery of veins clearly marked on it, all declare that the leaf is the possessor of life. But mark 1 it does not possess
life in itself. It has not life independent of the tree. With one breath we might declare that the leaf is the possessor of life. With another breath we might declare that the life of the leaf is in the tree, and both remarks would be correct.
If the leaf had life in itself, then we could detach it from the tree, and it would continue fresh and green. But we know that would not be the case. The leaf has not independent life; its life is in the tree. Detached from the tree it would wither and die.
So believers are the possessors of eternal life, but not independent of the great Source of that life, even our Lord Jesus Christ. Instead of weakening the truth that the believer is the possessor of eternal life, the truth, that we have it in God's Son, only strengthens and confirms immeasurably this knowledge. Believers are told, "Your life is hid with Christ in God." (Col. 3:33For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:3)).
There is safety for you. What thief can break through and steal? What atomic bomb can shatter that security?
In regard to our illustration it is true that when autumn comes, and the sap in the trees ceases to be sent to its furthest limits, the leaves will put on their autumn tints, only to drop off the tree, withered, brown, and dead. The leaves die because the source of their life is withheld from them. But this cannot be so in the case of our blessed Lord, the Source of eternal life in connection, with the believer. He sustains life. He fails not. Life eternal flows to the believer without cessation or break. The fact that our life is in God's Son confirms the believer more than ever that he is the possessor of eternal life.
What further light have we on this subject? It is found in some words our Lord addressed to His Father in prayer just before He left this world. Our Lord was leaving the " large upper room furnished " where He had just inaugurated the Lord's Supper, and was wending His way to Gethsemane and Calvary with all that that was to mean, when He poured out His heart in prayer to His Father. What a wonderful privilege to have this sacred prayer recorded for our reverent meditation. In it our Lord placed His disciples in the place of testimony, which He Himself had in this world. We read, "As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world." (John 17:1818As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. (John 17:18)).
Well endowed were these disciples, for our Lord tells of four things as His gift to them:-
1. Eternal life, the possession of every believer on the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. The words, which the Father gave Him to communicate, making them wise as to spiritual blessings and relationships.
3. The word His Father gave Him, the testimony of which led to His rejection. The disciples
would taste the same rejection in their turn.
4. The glory the Father gave to the Son, surely glory acquired by Him as Son of Man, to be shared with His own, and for the display of which we long and wait.
Speaking of the gift of eternal life our Lord said of Himself, "As Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him." (John 17:22As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. (John 17:2)).
In this we get a great contrast to Adam. Power over all flesh was given to our first parent. (Gen. 1:2828And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. (Genesis 1:28)). At the best Adam could only describe life, for he gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field, but he could not communicate life. Alas! how soon he failed in his trust, sinned, fell, carrying with him in his fall the creation over which he had been placed.
Our Lord, on the contrary, not only possessed power over all flesh, but was able to communicate life, so we read He was empowered to give eternal life to as many as the Father gave Him. So we read: "The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." (1 Cor. 15:4545And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. (1 Corinthians 15:45)).
Our Lord then proceeded to throw immense light upon the subject of eternal life. He breathed these wonderful words into the ear of His Father, and recorded by the Holy Spirit of God for our learning, "And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom Thou hast sent." (John 17:33And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. (John 17:3)).
Two wonderful things are stated here as marking eternal life:
1. The knowledge of the Father.
2. The knowledge of the Lord Jesus as the sent One of the Father.
Scripture speaks of the entrance of the Son of God into this world as a new beginning. The following Scripture clearly shows how these two things—the knowledge of the Father, and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus as the sent One of the Father—came to pass. We read: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." (1 John 1:1-41That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; 2(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) 3That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. (1 John 1:1‑4)).
What a wonderful education these Galilean fishermen had when they companied with the Lord of glory during His three-and-a-half years of public ministry on this earth. They saw His perfect life. They heard His words. They beheld the power of His word, as He went about doing good, healing the sick, the blind, the deaf, the lame, the leper, raising by His word the dead to life again, preaching the gospel to the poor. Wonder of wonders there was manifested before their eyes the Eternal Life, which was with the Father in ages past.
In this, they saw One who was in closest communion with His Father in heaven. This was emphasized by the Apostle John when he wrote: "The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth." (John 1:1414And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (John 1:14))
How all this opened up a new world to the disciples, standing in vivid contrast and diametrically opposed to the spirit of the age. All this little by little formed their minds as to who He was, till He became the Object of adoring worship. In turn He revealed the Father to them, who seeketh worshippers, who shall worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:2323But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. (John 4:23)).
Thus was formed true Christian fellowship, consist ing of a common and powerful attraction to the Person of the Lord Jesus, and of the knowledge of the Father, passed on by the apostles to ourselves, a fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. No wonder our joy may be full. In proportion as we are drawn to the Lord Jesus and to the Father, so we shall be drawn to each other.
But in making the Father known a good deal is plainly implied. In that wonderful prayer of our Lord, recorded in John 17, we find Him definitely addressing His Father. When He expressed the desire for His own that they might know "THEE, the only true God," we find the words, "the only true God" are added to show in a world of heathen gods who the THEE is, that is addressed. The THEE is the Father. Now who knows the Father?
A simple illustration may help at this point. A man has four children. Doubtless he knows scores of children as he moves about among his friends, but ONLY four children in the world know him as father. Why? Because they are his children, and share his nature and by reason of this are entitled to know him as father.
The Apostle John speaks a good deal of the family relationship. "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons [children, N. Trans.] of God; therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we the sons [children, N. Trans.] of God." (1 John 3:1, 21Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (1 John 3:1‑2)).
The Apostle John never uses the word, sons, for believers, but always the word, children. The Revised Version and Darby's New Translation bear this out. The term, "children," sets forth relationship, origin, sharing the same nature as the Father. The term, "sons" sets forth dignity, association, intelligence. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." (Rom. 8:1414For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. (Romans 8:14)).
The Apostle Paul stresses the dignity of sonship, as the Apostle John stresses the relationship of children. In both cases it is on the ground of the possession of eternal life, for children are sons, and sons are children.
It is clear that the two words, eternal life, do not in themselves indicate what our Lord unfolded in His prayer to His Father; that eternal life is characterized by the knowledge of the Father, and of Jesus Christ, the Sent One of the Father. This we could only know by revelation.
If any of us happened to be heir of some wealthy relative, that would be considered a great matter. But what can we say when we are told that we are heirs of God? It is passing wonderful! Do we know in any way what our portion will be? Assuredly, for we are told that we are "joint heirs with Christ." This means that every glory our Lord has gained as Man, His people will share with Him, short of partaking of Deity.
The Father's house is the home of eternal life. New Creation is the sphere of eternal life. The body of glory will be the tabernacle of eternal life. Relationship with God as Father, astounding blessing as surely it is, is wrapped up in eternal life. Blessed with "all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ" (Eph. 1:33Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (Ephesians 1:3)) is the heritage of eternal life. Fellowship with the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, the fruit of eternal life, will be seen in all its fullness in the coming day of glory. Then shall be seen the triumph of Christ's building, against which the gates of hacks shall not prevail. What an answer to all the breakdown and failure of the responsible church of God on earth! There is no failure with eternal life. May we realize the breadth and length and depth and height of divine love, and that with all saints, and wait for that moment when the flesh shall be left behind, and we shall be in the scene where there shall be no crying, tears, pain or death.
But now for a last and very practical word. Eternal life is a life to be lived. It is not sufficient to know that as believers we have eternal life, and to be content with the bare statement, as if it had no practical bearing. The practical aspect of eternal life is seen in the Apostle's writings. He writes to Timothy, his son in the faith, exhorting him to: "Fight the good fight of faith, LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE." (1 Tim. 6:1212Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. (1 Timothy 6:12)).
Lower down in the same Chapter he instructs Timothy to exhort rich brethren, who have a goodly portion of this world's goods. We read: "Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, THAT THEY MAY LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE" [or, what is really life]. (1 Tim. 6:17-1917Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. (1 Timothy 6:17‑19)).
And surely if the exhortation is addressed to rich brethren, it comes to everyone of us; that, as believers, we should act in the spirit of this exhortation, each according to his or her ability. Are we not encouraged, that whilst the rich of their abundance cast into the Temple treasury, it was the widow with her two mites, that was singled out for special praise?
Nor is the Apostle John behindhand in urging practice in consonance with his teaching as to eternal life. We ought to love our brethren. If needs be, we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. If we see our brother in need, and shut up our bowels of compassion, how dwelleth the love of God in us? Loving in word and tongue does not suffice. We must love in deed and in truth. That is the proof that we are in the truth. We should love God and keep His commandments.
Scripture throughout is practical. 1 Cor. 13, that great love Chapter of the Bible, tells us what love DOES. Hebrews it, that great faith Chapter, tells us what faith DOES. And the Scriptures we have been examining tell us how eternal life manifests itself.
Two men might each possess a garden. One neglects his, paying little heed to it, allowing it to be over-run with weeds, making the garden as worthless, as if he did not possess it. Is this not like a carnal Christian, a worldly Christian, who is not exercised about refusing the flesh, and living in the energy of the eternal life he possesses?
The other man is diligent in caring for his garden, pays great attention to it in every way, and is rewarded as he partakes of the fruit of his toil. Is this not like the Christian who puts first things first, and seeks to LAY HOLD ON ETERNAL LIFE, on that which is life indeed. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also WALK IN THE SPIRIT." (Gal. 5:2525If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25)).
We need to possess our possessions.
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