The Bible shows us that the matter of having the eternal life and enjoying the blessing of the eternal life is divided into three different periods—having eternal life in the present age, having eternal life in the coming age, and enjoying eternal life in the eternal age. In this lesson we shall cover only the matter of having eternal life in the present age.
We receive eternal life in the present age at the time of our believing. When we believe into Christ, we receive eternal life in this age; we do not have to wait until the coming age or the eternal age.
The eternal life is the life of God. The Greek word for this life is zoe, denoting the divine spiritual life; it is not psuche, denoting the human soulish life, nor bios, denoting the physical life. In the Bible, the word “eternal” denotes not only duration of time, which is everlasting, without beginning or end, but also the quality, which is absolutely perfect and complete, without any shortage or defect. In the whole universe, besides the life of God, there is no other life that has this nature. God is eternal, without beginning or end, and He is absolutely perfect and complete. Therefore, His life is also eternal, without beginning or end, and it is absolutely perfect and complete. This life of God, which is without beginning or end and which is also absolutely perfect and complete, is the eternal life.
The eternal life is the life which was from the beginning (1 John 1:1). It was already there at the beginning of creation; that is, it preceded the universe and time. This indicates that this life is uncreated, without beginning or end, self-existing, ever-existing, and never changing. In the universe, God alone is uncreated; He is from everlasting to everlasting (Psa. 90:2), without beginning or end, self-existing and ever-existing (Exo. 3:14), and never changing (Psa. 102:27). Since God Himself is such, the life which is God Himself must also be such. Therefore, the divine life is the eternal life, and the eternal life is the divine life, the life which was from the beginning.
The eternal life is the life which was with the Father (1 John 1:2). The phrase “with the Father” in 1 John 1:2 indicates that the Father is the source of the eternal life and that the eternal life and the Father are one.
The eternal life is the life which was manifested to the apostles (1 John 1:2). This life which was manifested to the apostles is the Son who was with the Father and who was manifested with the Father as the expression of the eternal life. The apostles saw this life and then testified and reported this life to the believers. What they reported was not some theology or doctrine but the divine, eternal life, which they saw and testified by their practical experiences. The manifestation of the eternal life is for the purpose of revealing and imparting life to men, so that those whom the Father has chosen may partake of and enjoy this life and may be brought into the union and communion of this life with the Father.
Eternal life is the life which is in the Son of God (John 1:4). The Son of God is the expression of God, and God Himself is hidden in His Son. Hence, the life of God is in His Son. This life which is in the Son of God is the eternal life. Therefore, he who has the Son of God has the life, and he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life (1 John 5:11-12). When we receive the Son of God, we have the eternal life, which is in Him.
Eternal life is the free gift of God in Christ. Romans 6:23 says that “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” First John 5:11 also says that “God gave to us eternal life.” These two verses clearly indicate that God has given to us His life, the eternal life, as a free gift in Christ. There is no need for us to pay any price for it; we simply need to receive it and we have it.
Man receives eternal life by faith. Because God loved us, He put His life, the eternal life, in His Son and gave His life to us that we might receive it. The way to receive this life is to believe in His Son. When we receive the Son by believing in Him, we shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). Since God has put His life, the eternal life, in His Son and has given it to us as a gift, when we receive the Son by believing in Him, spontaneously we have the eternal life which is in the Son (John 3:36; 6:47).
Therefore, as soon as we hear the gospel and believe into Christ, we have eternal life (John 5:24). Many people think that after we believe in the Lord today, we must wait until the future to have eternal life. The fact is that there is no space of time between “believing” and “having.” When we believe in the Lord, immediately we have eternal life (1 John 5:12); we do not need to wait even for one moment, much less until the future.