From existence to life
SALVATION gives us eternal life, that is, life existing forever. As the living Spirit of God is imparted upon our spirit, we are quickened to newness of life.
We are saved from death to life. In other words we are pulled out of nothingness to joint sitting on high with and in Christ on the right hand of God the Father. The life of the believer is the life of the resurrected Christ.
Put more aptly, Christ lives His life in the believer. Our mortal bodies are made instruments or carriers of the ever-abiding life of Christ.
This is Apostle Paul’s presentation in 1 Corinthians 15:53-54: “(53) For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
“(54) 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.”
Salvation reconciled us to God through the life of Christ, thereby destroying death. Outside His life, it is mere existence.
2 Corinthians 5:19, AMP, points: “It was God (personally present) in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favour with Himself, not counting up and holding against (men) their trespasses (but cancelling them), and committing to us the message of reconciliation (of the restoration to favour).”
Religiously people talk of someone giving her/his life to Christ. Truly speaking, it’s not possible because before salvation, one is dead and cannot give Christ any life.
You can’t give what you don’t have. It is Christ who gives us His life. Born again believers derive their being from this high level of life.
The revelation of this truth produces excellence and high precision in execution of divine assignment and purpose in life.
When the Gospel of Christ is preached to the unsaved, those who choose to yield receive the life of Christ.
They are moved from death to eternal life. The Amplified Bible in Ephesians 2:1 puts it thus: “And you (He made alive), when you were dead (slain) by (your) trespasses and sins”.
Sin nature is death
So the entrance of Jesus in us makes us alive not by our own life but by His life.
In the substitutionary work of Jesus Christ, it was us who were nailed to death to rise up in the new birth. That is the love of God the Father.
This is new birth or new creation. From one of the most quoted and memorised verses, we know that this life is everlasting.
John 3:16 states: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
This life is everlasting and not perishable
The eternal life is certain. Eternal life isn’t affected by the decease of the physical body.
It’s in the integrity and faithfulness of God in Christ Jesus.
This life is not an it but a Him. 1 John 5:11 sums up: “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
It’s quite evident that this life is not looked after or kept by believers, but it is Christ Jesus Himself, who is that life.
Eternal life, therefore, is Jesus Christ. 1 John 5:12 takes it further: “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
The Bible, here, is blunt enough. It’s quite clear what life is. Jesus Christ is the life. Exclusion of Him is death.
Apostle Paul had a greatly to be cherished revelation of Jesus Christ. He writes in Galatians 2:20-21: “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life, which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”
So persuaded was he that he couldn’t see himself as himself, but Christ in him. Anything and everything to talk about himself was nailed to the cross at conversion and everything after that is Christ.
He couldn’t fathom defining himself outside Christ. His life was the faith of Christ and he dared not frustrate this grace.
We are thankful to God the Father of our Lord Jesus, who made this life available to us all, including you and me. Titus 2:11 points: “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men.”
The grace of God is the man Christ Jesus. He is our salvation and has appeared to us all.
Jesus is the Messiah, our Saviour. It’s an open invitation to salvation and life.
This is a twinkling of an eye departure from existence to life. It’s in your heart and mouth.
Romans 10:9 teaches: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Just believe and confess and you will have the life if you are not yet saved. Jesus came that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Grace and peace be multiplied to you through knowledge.
⬤All Bible quotations are from the King James Version unless otherwise stated.