The Daily Word of Righteousness

The Development of Eternal Life, #6

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) (I John 1:1,2)

The second area of development of eternal life in our personality has to do with what we are in substance, in nature. It is the re-creation of what we are in essence. Such re-creation of ourselves is the formation of Christ in us. The re-creation of ourselves causes us to do the will of God, and so the first two areas are related.

The forming of Christ in us requires constant contact with the living Christ Himself. The Life of God is in Christ who is the very Word of God.

Every person born into the world is dead. In the day that Adam and Eve sinned they died, according to the Word of the Lord.

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)

What do the Scriptures mean by death? Adam lived physically for over 900 years, yet he died on the day he sinned. Romans 8:10 informs us that our physical body is "dead because of sin." Yet, we are breathing, eating, moving, speaking, thinking.

It seems that our concept of death and the scriptural concept of death are not the same.

Death, from the scriptural point of view, is the absence of the Life of Christ, of the Presence of God. Eternal life is the Substance, the Being, the Spirit of Christ.

At one time the touch of Christ, the Word of God, was on Adam and Eve. But the moment they sinned, Christ left the garden of Eden. The processes of their bodies continued to operate but the life was gone from them.

In him was life; and the life was the light of men. (John 1:4)

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)

We gain eternal life by receiving and obeying the Word of God. We walk in the light of God's will and come to know Him and be accepted by Him.

Now we discover we must also take into ourselves the very Substance, the Being, the Life of Christ. Christ is the Tree of Life. He is the Resurrection. He is the Life.

If we do not receive Him into our heart and mind we have no life in us. "Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:54). There is a double thought in these words. If we eat His flesh and drink His blood we have in ourselves eternal life now. Also, if we receive the eternal life now we will be raised up into eternal life at the last day—the Day of Christ.

To be continued.