The
crux of the matter is, Everlasting life is different from both the eternal
existence of the spirit, and the eternal salvation of the spirit. Everlasting
life is the everlasting existence of the human body, which has a beginning and would
have naturally ended, for it is appointed unto man to die, but it will be made
to live forever. In contrast, eternal life has eternally existed, and will
continue to exist forever. Eternal death is not the cessation of life as with
physical death, but it is separation from God.
Everlasting
life however, is the immortality of the human body which Christ alluded to by
saying: “Most assuredly I say to you, unless one is born of water [flesh] and the
Spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God” (John 3:5).
In
order for anyone to inherit the kingdom of God, the mortal must put on
immortality, and the corruptible must put on incorruption, because Flesh and
blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God: nor does corruption inherit
in-corruption.”
Everlasting
life or immortality is guaranteed only to those who, not only believe in Jesus
Christ as the Beloved Son of God, who became the Son of Man, but who also
believes in Jesus Christ as the Begotten Son of God.
Eternal
life on the other hand is a free gift from God, as we have been duly instructed
saying: "For the
wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our
Lord" (Romans 6:23).
Please
note carefully that, the gift of God is eternal life; one has absolutely
nothing to do to attain it, but to attain everlasting life one must first
become a slave of God or a slave of righteousness which bears the fruit of
holiness, a prior condition without which no one can see the Lord, which
will ultimately result in everlasting
life.
This
was further endorsed by the apostle Paul who warned us saying, "Do not be
deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows
to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life" (Galatians
6:7-8).
Now
in relation to the immortality of the body there are also different levels of
glory. Just as there is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and
another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So
also is the resurrection of the dead. The body 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. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual
body.
Therefore,
the degree of our glory is dependent on our level of belief in Jesus Christ as
the Begotten Son of God and how much we have imitated Him until Hs nature is
formed in us, for we all, with unveiled face, are beholding as in a mirror the
glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to
glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (Galatians 4:19; 2Cornthans 3:18).
So
the more the nature and character of Jesus Christ is formed in us the more
glorified will our immortal body be. Our aim therefore should be to imitate the life of Jesus Christ and according
to the apostle Paul; “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until
Christ is formed in you” (Galatians
4:19).
So
while eternal life is a gift from God, something received without our input, however, everlasting
life on the other hand is something we earn from the act of righteousness which
produces holiness and the end result is everlasting life or the immortality of
the human body in various degrees of glory.
God has overlooked these times of ignorance and has commanded all men everywhere to repent.
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To be continued
With brotherly love
Lucius Joseph
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