Eternal Life

From: The Evangelist: Volume 5 (1871) By: Hugh Henry Snell

• 4 min. read • grade level: 3

A. Well, H., I hear that you believe in Jesus.

H. Yes; God has given me power to do so.

A. Then, did you do nothing to be saved?

H. Nothing., I was saved by GRACE. "By grace are ye saved through faith." (Eph. 2:8⁸For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (Ephesians 2:8).)

A. But if you did not work for salvation, you cannot boast about it.

H. It is "not of works, lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:9⁹Not of works, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2:9).) But I can and do praise God for it.

A. Well, I should like to know what you have got by faith in. the Lord Jesus.

H. That is soon told—I have got eternal life—"The GIFT of God is ETERNAL LIFE through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

A. But what is eternal life?

H. Life that lasts forever and ever—life that can never come to an end.

A. Then do you mean to say that you can never die?

H. My body may cease to live, but the life which I have in Christ Jesus will never come to an end.

A. How do you know this?

H. Jesus says, "He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me SHALL NEVER DIE." (John 11:25, 26²⁵Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: ²⁶And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? (John 11:25‑26).) I was dead—dead in. trespasses and sins. (Eph. 2:1¹And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; (Ephesians 2:1).) But God has given me 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).)

A. But cannot you be lost?

H. Yes,' if Christ can be lost.

A. That's a bold way of speaking!

H. It may be, but it is God who has made me bold. Do you think that when He tells me that Christ is my life (Col. 3:4⁴When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. (Colossians 3:4)), and that because He lives, I shall live also (John 14:19¹⁹Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. (John 14:19)), that I can be afraid of ever being lost?

A. Then you can never perish!

H. NEVER! NEVER! Does not Jesus say, "I give unto my sheep (those who hear His voice, whom He knows, who follow Him.) eternal life, and they shall NEVER PERISH (John 10:27, 28²⁷My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: ²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:27‑28)); and does He not also say that" God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that WHOSOEVER believeth in Him should NOT PERISH, but have EVERLASTING LIFE.” (John 3:16¹⁶For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).)

A. You seem very sure on this point. I speak to many who say they have eternal life, but that they may lose it.

H. How can it be eternal life, if it can come to an end? They must think that Jesus, did not know what He was talking about, and that they know better than He does?

A. Well, they say Satan can rob them of it.

H. Then they make him stronger than Jesus, and they don't know or else they don't believe that "through death Jesus destroyed or overcame him that had the power of death, that is the devil." (Heb. 2:14¹⁴Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; (Hebrews 2:14).)

A. Can Satan rob you of what God has given you-eternal life in Christ?

H. No! For Jesus says of His sheep, "neither shall any pluck them out of my hand." (John 10:28²⁸And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (John 10:28).)

A. Stop! Stop! He says any MAN!

H. Ah! that word "man" is put in by man,—it is in different letters from the rest of the verse—Jesus only said "any.”

A. Then, the "man" is put in in the next verse.

H. Yes, it should be "and NONE is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." (John 10:29²⁹My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:29).) And you see in this verse it says, "My Father which gave them me is greater than all, and none is able to pluck out of His hand.”

A. Then you think God is at any rate stronger than the devil?

H. Yes, and Jesus is also. Does it not say in the next verse (verse 30), "I and my Father ARE ONE"?

A. Then if you are to be lost, it is Jesus that must east you out and not Satan!

H. Yes, but Jesus says, "Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out" (John. 6:37.)

A. So you don't agree with those people who say they can be saved today and lost tomorrow?

H. No. For they make God A LIAR!

A. That's strong language.

H. Yes, it's God's language, He says, "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, band this life is in His Son." (1 John 5:10, 11¹⁰He 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. ¹¹And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (1 John 5:10‑11).)

A. Then you believe God has GIVEN you faith in the Lord Jesus?

H. Yes.

A. That He has GIVEN you eternal life?

H. Yes.