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Scripture Reading: 1 John 1:1-2; 2:25; 3:15; 5:11-13, 20; John 1:4; 3:15-16, 36; 5:24; 6:47, 63; 8:12; 10:10, 28; 11:25; 14:6; Acts 11:18; Rom. 5:10, 17, 21; 6:23; Eph. 4:18; Col. 3:4; 1 Tim. 6:12, 19; 2 Tim. 1:10; Titus 1:2; Heb. 7:16; 2 Pet. 1:3; Rev. 2:7; 22:1-2, 14, 17, 19; Matt. 19:16, 29
First John 1:2 says, “And the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us.” In this verse “life” is a synonym for “the Word of life” in the preceding verse. Both life and the Word of life denote the divine Person of Christ, who was with the Father in eternity and was manifested in time through incarnation, and whom the apostles have seen and testify and report to the believers.
In 1:2 John says that the life was manifested. This manifestation of the eternal life was through Christ’s incarnation, which John stressed strongly in his Gospel (John 1:14) as an antidote to inoculate the believers against the heresy which said that Christ did not come in the flesh. Such a manifestation, corresponding to the Word of life being touchable (1:1), indicates again the substantial nature of the Lord’s humanity, which is the manifestation of the divine life in the New Testament economy.
The life that was manifested is the eternal life. The word “eternal” denotes not only the duration of time, which is everlasting, without end, but also the quality, which is absolutely perfect and complete, without any shortage or defect. Such an expression emphasizes the eternal nature of the divine life, the life of the eternal God. The apostles saw this eternal life and testified and reported it to people. Their experience was not of any doctrine, but of Christ the Son of God as the eternal life, and their testimony and preaching were not of theology or biblical knowledge, but of such a solid life.
We have pointed out that the eternal life is eternal not only with respect to time, but also with respect to quality. This life is also eternal with respect to its sphere. Therefore, the word eternal denotes three things: time, space, and quality. As to the element of time, this life will last forever. As to space, to sphere, this life is vast, unlimited. As to quality, eternal life is perfect and complete, without defect or shortage. The sphere or field of eternal life encompasses the whole universe. Eternal life is so vast that it covers the entire field of life. Whatever is in the field of life is encompassed by this eternal life. Our human life, however, is very different. Our life is not only temporary, but it is also limited. But eternal life is neither temporary nor limited; rather it is everlasting with respect to time and unlimited with respect to space. Furthermore, our life has many defects and shortages. However, the divine life, the eternal life, has no defects and no shortages.
The eternal life is an indestructible life (Heb. 7:16). Nothing can destroy or dissolve this life. It is an endless life, being the eternal, divine, uncreated life, and the resurrection life which has passed through the test of death and Hades (Acts 2:24; Rev. 1:18). Satan and his followers thought that they had terminated this life by crucifying it. The religious leaders had a similar concept. However, crucifixion gave this life the best opportunity to be multiplied, to be propagated. Because this life is unlimited, it can never be conquered, subdued, or destroyed.
Eternal life is the life of God (Eph. 4:18; 2 Pet. 1:3). We may say that this life is actually God Himself with the contents of divine love and divine light. And this life is of the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:2), especially when it becomes our life for our enjoyment.
Eternal life is also the Son of God. This life is not simply a matter or a thing; this life is a Person. The divine life is God Himself expressed in His Son. First John 5:12 says, “He who has the Son has the life.” In our experience we know that eternal life is the Son of God Himself.
First John 1:2 says that eternal life was with the Father. The Greek word rendered “with” is pros (used with the Greek accusative case). It is a preposition of motion, implying living, acting, in union and communion with. The eternal life which is the Son was not only with the Father, but was living and acting in union and communion with the Father in eternity. This word corresponds to John 1:1-2.
The Father is the source of the eternal life, from whom and with whom the Son was manifested as the expression of the eternal life for those the Father has chosen to partake of and enjoy this life.
Instead of trying to analyze these aspects of eternal life, we should enjoy them as “courses” of a spiritual meal. Eternal life is the life of God, it is the Son of God, and it was with the Father in eternity. Here we have at least four courses for our enjoyment: God, the Son of God, the Father, and eternity.
Some may wonder how to enjoy all these marvelous courses. According to my experience, the best way to enjoy them is to pray-read the Word. For example, pray-read the words “the life of God” found in Ephesians 4:18. As you pray-read, you may say, “Oh, the life of God! Amen! Right now, I enjoy God, and I enjoy Him as my life. Hallelujah for God! Hallelujah for life! Hallelujah for the life of God! Hallelujah for the enjoyment of the life of God and for the enjoyment of God as life!”
John says that the life which was with the Father was manifested to the apostles. The manifestation of eternal life includes revelation and impartation of life to men, with a view to bringing man into the eternal life, into its union and communion with the Father.
What was once hidden has been manifested to the apostles. John, one of the apostles, now opens to us the divine mysteries. If we eat the Word through pray-reading, we shall receive the benefit of the manifestation of eternal life.
The apostles saw eternal life, the life that was manifested, and then testified and reported this life to the believers. What they reported was not some theology or doctrine which they had heard and concerning which they had been taught, but the divine life, which they had seen and testified by their practical experiences. This divine life is a Person, the Son of God as the very embodiment of the Triune God to be our life.
The eternal life was promised by God. First John 2:25 says, “And this is the promise which He promised us, the eternal life.” In the Gospel of John eternal life is promised in such verses as 3:15; 4:14; and 10:10. In Titus 1:2 Paul speaks of “the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal.” This promise of eternal life must be the promise made by the Father to the Son in eternity. It must have been that in eternity past the Father promised the Son that He would give His eternal life to His believers.
Eternal life was not only promised and manifested; it was also released through Christ’s death (John 3:14-15). The divine life was concealed, confined, in Christ. But through His death this divine life was released from within Him.
The eternal life that was released from within Christ through His death has been imparted into the believers through His resurrection. Concerning this, 1 Peter 1:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from among the dead.”
The eternal life that has been released through Christ’s death and imparted through His resurrection has been received by the believers through their believing in the Son. According to John 3:15-16 and 36, everyone who believes in the Son has eternal life.
After the believers receive eternal life, this life becomes their life (Col. 3:4). This is the purpose of God’s salvation, that is, to make His life our life so that we may become His children, partaking of His divine nature to enjoy all that He is and to live a life that expresses Him.
In Romans 5:10 Paul says, “For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved in His life.” Reconciliation to God through Christ has been accomplished already, but being saved in His life from so many negative things is still a daily matter. Day by day we may be saved in the eternal life.
In Romans 5:17 Paul goes on to say, “For if by the offense of the one death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.” Having the divine life within us, we may be saved by this life and also reign in it. We can be kings ruling in the divine life over all negative things. For example, it may be difficult for us to rule our temper. Many of us would say, “Instead of ruling like a king over my temper, my temper has been ruling me.” The reason many saints cannot rule their temper is that they do not enjoy eternal life. Do not make up your mind and strongly decide that from now on you will never lose your temper. That way does not work. Instead, forget about your temper and feast on this life. I would encourage you to mingle the calling on the name of the Lord with the pray-reading of the Word. If you do this, you will enjoy the Lord. As you enjoy Him, He will be the One reigning over all the negative things. Then as He reigns within you, you will reign in His reigning. This is the proper way to reign in life over your temper.
You cannot reign over your temper simply by learning the doctrines and teachings of the Bible. When some hear this, they may say, “You ignore Bible doctrine and uplift calling on the Lord and eating the Word. According to you, we can be overcomers by this calling and eating.” I would reply by asking these ones how much they have been helped by doctrines and teachings to overcome their temper. Many of those who know the doctrines of the Bible still lose their temper again and again.
I would ask you to consider the situation among many of today’s Christians. They may not be short of doctrine or Bible knowledge, but they are short of the calling on the name of the Lord and of the eating of the Word. We can testify that we are saved by calling on the Lord’s name, and we are nourished by eating the Word.
When you are tempted to lose your temper, call on the name of the Lord. Say to Him, “O Lord Jesus, save me from losing my temper!” It is even better to call on the Lord and pray-read the Word before you are tempted to lose your temper. If you are nourished through pray-reading the Word, the eternal life in you will reign as a king over negative things. In many cases this will even keep your temper from being stirred up. When you experience the reigning of the eternal life within you, your temper is put to death.
As believers, we should lay hold on eternal life. In 1 Timothy 6:12 Paul charges us to “lay hold on the eternal life to which you were called.” In 1 Timothy 6:19 he urges us to “lay hold on that which is really life.” This life is the eternal life. To lay hold on eternal life means that in everything — in our daily life, in our ministry, and in our jobs — we need to attach ourselves to the divine life and to apply the divine life to every situation, not trusting in our human life.
In Matthew 19:29 the Lord Jesus speaks of inheriting eternal life. To inherit eternal life is to be rewarded in the coming age with the enjoyment of the divine life in the manifestation of the kingdom of the heavens. Certain believers who have received eternal life enjoy it to some extent; however, they do not enjoy it to the proper extent. As a result, when the Lord Jesus comes back at the time of the manifestation of the kingdom, they will miss the enjoyment of the millennial kingdom. To miss the enjoyment of the divine life in the coming kingdom is to miss the enjoyment of eternal life during that dispensation.
In eternity all believers will fully enjoy eternal life. According to Revelation 22:1 and 2, in the New Jerusalem all the believers will enjoy the divine life as the flowing river and as the growing tree. Both the river and the tree are for our eternal enjoyment. For eternity, we shall enjoy this divine life (Rev. 22:14, 17, 19).
Eternal life is related to the present age, to the coming age of the kingdom, and to the eternal age. In the present age we receive the divine life and live the divine life. If we live this life according to the Lord’s desire, we shall also enjoy the divine life in the coming age of the kingdom. Eventually, all believers will enjoy eternal life to the uttermost in the eternal age. However, if those who receive eternal life in this age do not live it properly but instead neglect it, then in the coming age, the age of the kingdom, they will miss the enjoyment of the divine life. By missing the enjoyment of eternal life in the kingdom age, they will learn certain lessons and be trained. Eventually they will be restored to the enjoyment of the eternal life. Then ultimately, in the eternal age, all believers will have the full enjoyment of the divine life.
