05.15. ETERNAL LIFE

ETERNAL LIFE THE REWARD
OF THE RIGHTEOUS

Some one has said, perhaps rightly so, that many people who long for eternal life, do not know what to do with themselves on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Jesus at the beginning of his personal ministry, when faced with the questions of anxious concern to man, "What shall we eat?" or "What shall we drink?" or "Wherewithal shall we be clothed?" gave answer concerning the true value of life. Hear him!

"After these things do the Gentiles seek. . . . But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness’ and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:32-33). His answer should awaken the hearts of men to the vital need of preparation for eternal life and quicken an inward desire, to seek the reward which awaits the righteous.

Men today are surfeited with sensual appetites, and long for material gain. Man’s greed rather than his need is demonstrated in every active field of life. Daily, business and industrial reports bear evidence of this. Remember, brother, if in your seeking God’s kingdom is given first place, your needs for life’s sustenance are fully insured. The doctrine of Eternal Survival is wide-spread, though not universal. To the question: "What becomes of the soul after death?" countless answers have been given. Varied dogma have been presented since the dawn of creation. Recorded conceptions of the Assyrians, Egyptians, Persians, Hindus, Phoenicians, Chinese and others, afford interesting challenges for vigorous and individualistic thinkers.

A. brief summary from the Chinese Buddhist Scripture

"Man never dies. The soul inhabits the body for a time, and leaves it again. The soul is myself; the body is only my dwelling place. Birth is not birth: there is a soul already existent when the body comes to it Death is not death: the soul merely departs and the body falls. It is because men see only their bodies that they love life and hate death."

While there is much reasoning in the foregoing, it is well to contrast it with the Christian’s belief, and some Scriptures from the Old and New Testaments, that you may possess a fuller knowledge of Divine authority. The Christian’s belief is that heaven is the upper and nobler region of God’s universe, the dwelling place of Jehovah, Christ, the Holy Angels, and the spirits of just men made perfect. It will be there that the faithful will receive the "Eternal and spiritual" rewards.

Life here is but a prelude to eternity. To the past we are creatures of yesterday; but to the future we are children of eternity. Like bells of hope eternal assurance rings through the Bible. It is the core and center of the doctrine of a "Future Life." It teaches that our existence continues without a mortal body; that death is the result of a separation of the spirit and body; that the real man is alive, and conscious between death of the body and the resurrection. God will "render" (pay) to the righteous "Eternal life"—eternal spiritual joys, and to the wicked he will "render" "Eternal punishment"—"indignation, wrath, tribulation." The nature of the punishment and reward is plainly stated. The wicked will be miserable, the righteous happy. In each instance the duration will be eternal—the same. Earthly life and happiness are measurable, continue but for a time and are gone—are passing—fleeting. How often we experience sunshine, and shadows; but neither is permanent. Such is not the tearless unending happiness to be experienced in the home of the righteous. Could we, through trials and failures, maintain our integrity, find life deepened, character enrichened, and outlook widened we would then successfully live with a sense of God, and do the most with life for His Glory. If this is our status in life, when the leaves of the Judgment Book unfold, God’s goodness to us will be eternal spiritual rewards.

Job, a God fearing, prosperous patriarch, was an outstanding character, who wore his learning well. Though he was cast from the heights of affluence to the depths of misery, diseased, deserted by his wife and reproached by his professed friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar, in spite of these reverses, he was not satisfied with the dictum, "Nobody Cares." Through submissive patience he appealed unto God, who blessed him, and restored him to prosperity, two times greater than he had before. In the midst of his troubles he revealed the essentials of life in its greatness, and set forth the frailties of man. When brought face to face with the question, "If a man die shall he live again?" His response:

"All the days of my warfare would I wait, Till my release should come, Thou wouldest call, and I would answer thee. Thou wouldest have a desire to the work of thy hands." (Job 14:14-15).

"But as for me I know that my Redeemer liveth, And at the last day shall stand upon the earth: And after my skin, even this body, is destroyed, Then without my flesh shall I see God; Whom I, even I shall see upon my side, And mine eyes shall behold, and not as a stranger."(Job 19:25-27).

True friends are always the last to blame, and the first to forgive. Not so with Job’s comforters. With their icy smiles they incurred Jehovah’s wrath against themselves speaking things which were not right.

Job 4:17, records his statement speaking of mortal man. Old Eliphaz was not inspired by Jehovah to make such a statement. Read the report of his dream. (Job 14:4-7; Job 14:13). Ye are forgers of lies, physicians of no value, speaking wickedly and deceitfully, etc. Job clearly teaches that death is only the birthday into the eternal world. Magnetic personalities are not always deserving of friendship. We must of necessity discriminate even in our friendships. The Psalmist David declares that Jehovah is his portion in life and his deliverer in death, "for thou wilt not leave my soul to Sheol; neither wilt thou suffer thy holy one to see corruption.

"Thou wilt show me the path of life: In thy presence is the fulness of joy: In thy right hand are there pleasures evermore."(Psalms 16:10-11). To those who trust in riches, he warns:

"They are appointed as a flock for Sheol;

Death shall be their shepherd: And die upright shall have dominion over them in the morning: And their beauty shall be for Sheol to consume, That there be no habitation for it. But Cod will redeem my soul from the power of Shed; For he will receive me." (Psalms 49:14-15).

Daniel, a righteous man, was grieved in his spirit in the midst of his body. (Daniel 7:15).

Man, saint or sinner, has a spirit—is a spirit, and is also the offspring of God. (Acts 17:28). The father of flesh and spirit are contrasted in Hebrews 12:9.

"And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to everlasting shame and contempt." (Daniel 12:2). The body after death returns to dust, seeing corruption. The spirit never dies, nor does it sleep; it is immortal, and will return to God who gave it. The spirit of the wicked will be cast into hell.

Coming down through the ages of the Christian era, Paul summarizes the gospel and vindicates the resurrection. The most illuminating Scripture in this connection is:

"But some will say, How are the dead raised? and with what manner of body do they come? Thou foolish one, that which thou (thyself) soweth is not quickened, except it die; and that which thou soweth, thou soweth not that body which shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat or some other grain. Bat God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and each seed a body of its own. All flesh is not the same flesh; but there is one flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, and another flesh of birds, and another of fishes. There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial; but the glory of the celestial is one, and his glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon and another glory of the stars; for one star differeth from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power: It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. And so it is written. The first Adam was made a living soul; die last Adam was made a quickening spirit. Howbeit, that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural and afterwards that which is spiritual. The first man is of the earth, earthy, the second is the Lord from heaven. As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall bear the image of the heavenly. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, neither doth corruption inherit in-corruption. Behold, I shew you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised in­corruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption and this mortal shall have put on immortality then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

O death, where is thy sting?

O grave, where is thy victory!"

(1 Corinthians 15:35-55).

Since the creation of the world, the unseen truth about God, His everlasting (eternal) power and divinity are to be seen by being reasoned out by means of his works, so that man has no excuse.

"For the invisible things of Him since the creation of the world are clearly seen, being perceived through the things that are made, even his everlasting power and divinity; that they may be without excuse." (Romans 1:20). The grain of wheat must die otherwise it will not germinate. As life springs in the plant after death of the grain, just so when death comes to one’s body, the soul lives on and returns to God who gave it. To each seed God gave a body of its own. Notice the changes which the tree makes. In winter time it is lifeless; but its identity is known. We readily recognize each tree, be it lifeless in winter, or resurrected in all its beauty in the Spring time, bursting forth with blossoms; or in harvest season laden with ripened fruits; or wreathed with multicolored leaves. With each season comes the recognizable changes; but not for once during the changes is the identity of the tree lost.

Man is the crowning glory of God’s handiwork, the zenith of his creation. "Behold the birds of the heaven. Consider the lilies of the field. Not one sparrow shall fall upon the ground without your Father’s care. Are ye not of much more value than they all?"

God’s arm has not been shortened. The preservation of man’s identity has not been overlooked. Can one echo a vital vibrant faith in a living God and fail to believe that he by his almighty power will preserve one’s identity? Would we but intelligently study God’s word, and make the applications taught, the dark mysteries would surely be replaced by knowledge, wisdom and understanding.

Perhaps the most enlightening Scriptures in this connection are enumerated in 1 Corinthians 15:42-43.

"Sown in corruption; raised in incorruption;

Sown in dishonor; raised in glory;

Sown in weakness; raised in power;

Sown a natural body; raised a spiritual body." The raised Spiritual bodies will be free from sorrows and death, and will be glorified bodies fashioned (after) like unto Christ’s glorious body and will live eternally. (Php 3:20-21).

Concerning the Christian dead Paul says:

"But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 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 Thessalonians 4:13-17.) John speaking of the final judgment says:

"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. (Revelation 20:11-12).

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." (Revelation 21:3-4).

Biblically speaking life means union with God. Man is alive to things with which he is united and is dead to things from which he is separated. No human being with a compromising loyalty has ever found the splendor of life. "He that is dead is freed from sin." (Romans 6:7). "Dead to sin but alive to God." (Romans 6:11).

Man is not capacitated for an unending stay on the earth, hence he does not hope for unending eternal union with friends here in this life. Death is the consequences of Adam’s sin and is the common lot of all. We plan, work and live today but soon death comes and ends our earthly existence. The body returns to dust and the spirit to God who gave it. (Ecclesiastes 12:7). At the resurrection God proposes to present immortal—incorruptible bodies for our spirits to dwell in eternally. The gospel of Christ presents and promises all that our hearts can ask for—strength for our weakness, riches for our poverty, immortality (incorruption) for our mortality (corruption). These are attributes for our bodies. The spirit by nature is immortal. No need of provision for the spirit It is true in the death-decay-of the seed, the germ springs forth in the plant which comes therefrom. Christ’s teaching on this very point is:

"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." (John 12:24).

Paul says: "That which thou sowest is not quickened except it die." (1 Corinthians 15:36). The teaching of Christ and Paul is that the grain must die or it will produce no fruit, so man must die for there to be a resurrection. In 2 Corinthians 12:2-3, Paul plainly teaches that a man can be out of, separate from, the body —the house of clay.

"Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." (John 2:19).

"I lay down my life that I might take it again, No man taketh it from me, but I lay * down of myself. I have power to lay it down and, I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." (John 10:17-18).

Christ said he had power to lay down his life; but of greater import, he said he had power to take it up again.

"Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead." (1 Corinthians 15:21).

"Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and the living." (Romans 14:9).

"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord." (Revelation 14:13).

"The wicked are driven away in his wickedness; but the righteous have hope in death." (Proverbs 14:32).

"If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable." (1 Corinthians 15:19).

"But there is a spirit in man." (Job 32:8).

"I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the vision of my head troubled me." (Daniel 7:15).

"Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of Spirits and live?" (Hebrews 12:9).

"We are the offspring of God." (Acts 17:29). "The Lord forms the spirit of man within him." (Zechariah 12:1).

"The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it Is soon cut off and we fly away. (Psalms 90:10).

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the Spirit shall return to God who gave it." (Proverbs 12:7).

"I am in a straight betwixt two, having a desire to depart and to be with Christ." (Php 1:23).

"We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord." (2 Corinthians 5:8).

While Stephen was being stoned he cried:

"Lord Jesus receive my spirit." (Acts 7:59).

"Your heart shall live forever." (Psalms 22:26). The heart, mind and spirit are the same; and David says the heart shall live forever.— (eternally). In the Greek it is "eis aiona aionos"— forever and forever. The heart—spirit—mind is to live forever and forever.

"In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof there is no death." (Proverbs 12:28). That there is death for one who serves the Lord we all know, so far as death of the body is concerned; but the statement is very plain that there is no death for the one that is in the "Pathway" of righteousness. The body dies but the Spirit does not. The spirit returns to God with its life and conscious* ness. The spirit came from God, and .is the knowing part of man, the intellectual part, that which God inspired, the vital principle, animating the body, the incorporeal part of man. In short, the spirit is the real ego, the man when separated from the body which is for the limited time on earth the house in which it abides.

"He that raised up Christ shall quicken your mortal bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you." (Romans 8:1]).

There can be no resurrection of the spirit of man, for it never dies, but returns to God at death. The body (dust) goes to the grave, and will be resurrected. The question with import to man should be, How well 1 live, rather than how long, for as death finds one, so does the judgment. Death for the Christian, brings immortality, Eternal life and makes us like unto the glorious body of Christ. (Php 3:20-21).

RIGHTEOUS REWARDS

God’s promise to Abraham. (Genesis 15:1). "Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield and exceeding great reward."

"Moreover by keeping them is they servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward. (Psalms 19:11).

"The wicked earneth deceitful wages, but he that soweth righteousness hath a sure reward." (Proverbs 11:18).

"He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward."(Matthew 10:41).

"But love your enemies, and do (them) good, and lend, hoping for nothing again (never despairing) and great shall be your reward, (Luke 6:35).

"Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward, according to his own labor. (1 Corinthians 3:8).

"But without faith it is impossible to please God: for he that cometh to him must believe that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Hebrews 11:6).

"Whatsoever you do, do it heartily as unto the Lord and not to men, knowing from the Lord ye shall receive the reward of inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ." (Colossians 3:23-24).

"And behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give (render) to every man according as his work shall be." (Revelation 22:12). The righteous only can receive the righteous man’s reward. We become righteous through faith working by love, giving wholly of self, sowing righteousness and laboring, working unto the Lord. One cannot surrender to his own conviction, but must believe God and do His commandments.

REWARDS—HOW OBTAINED? The apostle Paul in his epistle to the Philippians, exhorts them to beware of evil workers of concision; beware of false teachers to forsake flesh confidence, and to continue to worship by the Spirit of God and gain Christ and his righteousness through glorying through Jesus Christ. (Php 3:1-21).

1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. He exhorts them to sorrow moderately for the dead, and gives a brief description of the resurrection, second coming of Christ and judgment.

"An inheritance that fadeth not away reserved in heaven for you." (1 Peter 1:4).

"They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for he that hath mercy on them will lead them" (Isaiah 49:10).

RIGHTEOUS REWARDS—WHO MAY OBTAIN?

Matthew describes the last judgment.

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the worldThe wicked shall go away into eternal, everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal." (Matthew 25:31-46).

"Eternal punishment"—the greatest curse ever pronounced upon mankind. "Eternal life"—the greatest blessing which can be bestowed upon man.

Everlasting punishment is the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the "Second Death." Not that people die there. No, no! We would do no violence to say that penal institutions are places of death, in that each person-sentenced to serve a term in such institutions is DEAD — dead so far as citizenship is concerned. He is a disfranchised man, divested of any rights in the affairs of his government—no voice, no vote, no part in any civic enterprise. Even though he serves his term and is released from the penal institution, he remains dead, as touching government affairs. Unless his citizenship is restored, he is dead. Just so with those in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is called the second death. (Revelation 21:8). Some one inquires, "Do not the wicked die in hell, or the lake of fire and brimstone?" No, they are cast alive into the lake. (Revelation 19:20).

"And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death." (Revelation 20:14). The lake of fire, which is the second death; not that the wicked die in that place; but the place is called the second death. (See Revelation 21:8).

"In my father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you. I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also." (John 14:2-3).

"And if children, then heirs; heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ: if so be that we "suffer with him, that we may be also glorified with him." (Romans 8:17).

"For ye know that if our earthly house of this taber­nacle were dissolved we have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." (2 Corinthians 5:1).

"For he looked for a city which hath foundations whose builder and maker is God." (Hebrews 11:10).

"To the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in heaven, and to God the judge of all, and the spirits of just men made perfect." (Hebrews 12:23).

"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me,

"Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord, from henceforth, yea: saith the spirit, that they do rest from their labors; and their works do follow them." (Revelation 14:13).

Christ comforted his disciples with the hope of heaven and the assurance of his return to receive them unto himself. If we are children of God, we are free from condemnation, heirs with God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. If we live as new creatures in Christ we have the assured hope of immortal glory. Through faith we look for the heavenly city. Those who die in the Lord are blessed and their works do follow them. The innumerable company, the general assembly, will live in the eternal city through the ages.

Jesus refers to death as a sleep, but all know that life does not cease when one sleeps. Just as there is to be a resurrection of the body, the spirit lives on, separate from the body after the body dies. Jesus has power over death.

"I will ransom thee from the power of Sheol; I will redeem them from death. O death, where is thy plagues? O grave, where is thy destruction?" (Hosea 13:14).

"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that Have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." (John 5:28-29). The wicked will suffer everlasting punishment. If they suffer they will be conscious—they will be alive. The wicked will be alive through eternity, as will Satan, but neither will have "eternal life." Eternal life carries a fuller meaning than being alive—everlasting. Were this not true the wicked would have eternal life also, for they will be alive through eternity.

"But thanks be to Cod who giveth us the victory through Jesus Christ our Lord." (1 Corinthians 15:57). Should your faith grow dim; or there is need again to strengthen your faith in a future life, immortality, read again the story of the resurrection of Christ, Bethlehem, and Golgotha. In so doing your faith will be increased. Live daily so you will enjoy the promise of eternal spiritual life, as your heavenly reward.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION.

• Give Proof that Jesus taught Eternal Life for mankind.

• What is the Chinese belief regarding eternal life?

• Discuss the Christian’s belief: Eternal Life, death and future life.

• Who was Job? Tell of his afflictions, losses and his friends who came to heal but stayed to hurt.

QUESTIONS.

Material things pass quickly—Spiritual things are eternal.

Faith conquers force.

What has sin done to earth and man?

All calamities come as a result of misuse of freedom.

Sow lust and you will reap judgment.

Delight to do something of service to yourself and others.