Rev 7:9 10/28/82
A. Definition of Eternal Life.
1. Jn 3:36, “He that believes on the Son has eternal life, but he who does not believe on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
a. Attitude toward Christ determines whether we have eternal life or not.
b. The Greek word PISTEUO in the present tense means you have eternal life the moment you believe and continue to have it.
2. A person has eternal life the moment he believes in the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.
3. Eternal life is imputed to the human spirit, which is created for you by God the Holy Spirit at regeneration.
B. Three Categories of Eternal Life.
1. For the believer who dies in time prior to resurrection, there are three categories of eternal life.
a. The believer has eternal life while living on the earth, having both earthly and eternal life.
b. The believer has eternal life after death while living in heaven and waiting for his resurrection body. This can be classified as having both interim life and eternal life.
c. The believer has eternal life forever in a resurrection body, which is resurrection life and eternal life.
2. Those believers who in the Rapture generation who do not die physically have two categories of eternal life.
a. Temporal life plus eternal life.
b. Resurrection life plus eternal life.
3. Each category of eternal life reveals a new aspect of God’s perfect integrity and plan.
C. There is a body for each stage of eternal life.
1. Temporal life plus eternal life has the body of corruption with the old sin nature.
2. The interim life plus eternal life has the interim body, which experiences no more pain, tears, sorrow, old sin nature, or sickness.
a. In this interim body, you are recognizable. This is the body you occupy while awaiting your resurrection body, 2 Cor 5:8; Rev 21:4.
b. The interim life and eternal life stage makes no distinction between winners and losers in the Christian life. It provides sublime happiness for every believer.
c. This gives the greatest of comfort to loved ones at a funeral. Losers and winners have it just as good in heaven in an interim body.
3. Resurrection life plus eternal life has the resurrection body.
4. Therefore eternal life exists in two or more categories of life. The person who does not die experiences two categories of eternal life; the person who does die experiences three categories of eternal life.
D. Eternal life is attainable only in time.
1. Eternal life can only be received while a person lives on earth in his temporal life.
2. You cannot get eternal life once you die as an unbeliever.
3. Eternal life begins in time, 2 Cor 6:2. You cannot get eternal life in eternity; you have to get it now.
E. Eternal life belongs only to the believer.
1. The three categories of eternal life do not apply to the unbeliever, who is described by Jn 3:18.
2. Eternal life belongs only to the believer who is never without a body. You always have a body with your eternal life.
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R. B. Thieme, Jr. Bible Ministries 5139 West Alabama, Houston, Texas 77056 (713) 621-3740
© 1999, by R. B. Thieme, Jr. All rights reserved.
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