The indestructible life is a life that has passed through death (Rev. 1:18). Death is powerful. When it comes, no one can resist it. In the whole universe there is only one thing that is more powerful than death—the divine life. The life in reality, the real life, not the life in shadow, is more powerful than death. Which is more powerful—darkness or light? Light is more powerful than darkness because whenever it shines it overcomes darkness. Which is more powerful—life or death? Praise the Lord that life is more powerful than death. This is the reason that life was able to pass through death. This life did not just scarcely pass through death; it passed through death like a tourist on a sightseeing tour. After the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He went to take a tour of the region of death. After visiting the region of death and having a good sightseeing tour, the Lord simply walked away from death. Death could do nothing with Him. This should not merely be a doctrinal understanding to us. We must see that the very life that has passed through death is ours today; it is in us right now.
The indestructible life is a life which death cannot hold (Acts 2:24). When Christ was in Hades, taking a sightseeing tour of the region of death, death energized all of its power in an attempt to hold Him, but death could not do anything. Although death tried its best to hold Him, it could not do it because life is more powerful than death.
We all have both death and life within us. Even your losing your temper or feeling unhappy with the brothers and sisters is death. Your inability to praise, pray, or function in the meetings also is death. Life never says, “I can’t.” In life’s dictionary there are no such words as “I can’t.” Life always says, “I can. I can do everything: I can function, I can pray, I can shout, I can say amen, and I can praise.” Whenever you say, “I can,” that is life. Whenever you say, “I can’t,” that is death. In the church life from now on we must avoid saying, “I can’t.” If you are asked to give a word, you must reply, “Hallelujah, I can do it. There’s no problem.” Whenever a brother or sister says, “I can’t,” we should remind them that that is death. Death says, “I can’t,” but life says, “I can.” There is no impossibility with life. Life can do anything. Life can enable the brothers and sisters in the local churches to love one another to the uttermost, to perfection. In Isaiah 6:8 the Lord said, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Isaiah, the prophet, responded, “Here am I; send me.” When we hear the Lord asking us, “Whom shall I send?” we should not say, “No, Lord, not me”; we should say, “Lord, here I am—send me.” If all the local churches will get into life, the church life will be higher than the heavens. I hope that soon the churches will be like this. May all the churches be in life!
The indestructible life is the resurrection life (John 11:25). What is the difference between life and resurrection life? Life has not been tested by death; it has never passed through death. Resurrection life is life that has been tested by and has passed through death, proving that death is unable to do anything with it. Our life today is the resurrection life, the life that has passed through death and has proved that death cannot hold it down.
The indestructible life is the life of which the Spirit is (Rom. 8:2). Romans 8:2 speaks of the Spirit of life. Where life is, there the Spirit is because the Spirit is the essential reality, actuality, and practicality, of this life. When you have life, you have the Spirit, and when you have the Spirit, you have life. Life and the Spirit can never, never be separated.
The indestructible life is the saving life of Christ (Rom. 5:10). As such a saving life, it is able to save us to the uttermost. Romans 5:10 says that we have been reconciled through the death of Christ and shall be saved by the saving life of Christ.
This life is also the reigning life (Rom. 5:17). We are not only being saved in life, but we are also reigning in life. We have a life that enthrones us, that puts us on the throne as a king. This is the reigning life.
The indestructible life is the life of the tree of life (Gen. 2:9; Rev. 2:7; 22:2, 14). The tree of life was the life at the beginning, for in the beginning of the Bible there was the tree of life. This tree of life will also be the life in eternity. In Genesis 2 we have the life at the beginning, and in Revelation 22 we have the life that is for eternity. This life, the eternal life without beginning or ending, is the life of the tree of life.
The indestructible life is a life that is without corruption but is always with incorruption (2 Tim. 1:10). Where this life is, there is no corruption. Corruption is a by-product of death, but the divine priesthood, being constituted with the indestructible life, diminishes all corruption.
The indestructible life is indissoluble (Heb. 7:16). It can never be dissolved. Certain chemical compounds can be dissolved by placing them in a particular liquid, but nothing can dissolve this indestructible life. It will remain the same forever. This is the kind of life that we have within us and that we may enjoy today. This life is called the indestructible life because nothing can destroy or dissolve it. If you burn it or pour water on it, it still remains. If you kill it, it lives all the more. If you put this life into the grave, the grave will burst, and if you place it into Hades, Hades will be powerless to hold it down. Since we have this wonderful life in us, we should stop groaning and looking at our weaknesses. The life that we have received is an indestructible life, and nothing on earth, in heaven, or in hell can deal with it. This is the life that constitutes the divine priesthood. The divine priesthood of Christ is constituted with such a wonderful life. This is the reason why the divine priesthood is able to save us to the uttermost, saving us from all the by-products of death into Christ’s complete perfection—glorification.