"I Believe in the Life Everlasting."

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 6
IF, dear reader, you have not this day said these words, as in the presence of Almighty God, yet as you profess the Christian Faith, none the less do you own that they form part of your belief. No heathen philosopher ever taught the life everlasting. This the living God has made known. And since, as professors of the Christian faith, we are privileged to say individually, “I believe in the life everlasting,” let us each add, “and I do so believe because God by His Word teaches me so to do. And thus, as the old Church Council which framed the creed wherein these words occur built its ‘I believe’ upon the Scriptures, so do I.”
Let us then take the Scriptures in our hands, and search in them for answers to some questions on the life everlasting.
1. How does God bestow the life everlasting? God bestows it on man, not as a reward, but as a free gift. “The wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life” (Rom. 5:23). And our Lord Himself declares “I give . . . eternal life” (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)).
2. Upon whom is this gift bestowed?
Upon such as believe God the Father and God the Son. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)). Also our Lord says, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth My word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life” (ch. 4:24).
3. Can any one know in this lifetime that he has the life everlasting?
He can, for the Apostle John, writing by the Holy Spirit, says, “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 5:1313These 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, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)).
4. Does God tell us that it is a very great sin to disbelieve what He says about the life everlasting?
He does, for 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, and this life is in His Son” (ch. 5:10, 11)
Our Lord declares,
ALL WHO. . . “Verily, verily, I say unto you,
BELIEVE . . . He that believeth on Me
HAVE. . . Hath everlasting life”
Do you from your heart believe the Father and the Son?
Do you know that you have the life everlasting?
Have you thanked God for the gift of everlasting life?
Thus saith Holy Scripture:
“He that hath the Son hath life: he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:1212He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (1 John 5:12)).
H. F. W.