The Daily Word of Righteousness

Laying Hold on Eternal Life, continued

Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25,26—NIV)

The eternal Life of Christ is stronger than sin and death. As each day we walk according to the Life of Christ that is in us we are able to overcome the power of sin and death. We keep on growing in Christ's Life until we are in His moral image. If we continue to do this, in the day of resurrection our mortal body will be raised and clothed with incorruptible, resurrection life. This is the crown of righteousness and life promised to those who overcome through Christ the world, the lusts of their flesh, and their self-will and self-love.

The indwelling of the Father and the Son through the Holy Spirit—untroubled rest in the Father through the Son.

Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. (John 14:23)

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. (John 17:21)

And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. (Ephesians 3:19)

When Jesus spoke of mansions and of going to prepare a place for us He was referring to our abiding in God through Himself, that is, through Christ. To go to God and dwell in the bosom of God is to go home.

Perhaps the most important aspect of eternal life is to be at home in God.

It is God's will that each of His creatures dwell in untroubled rest in Himself. The Lord Jesus came to earth that He might prepare a place for us in God. Jesus is the Door to the Presence of God.

When through Christ we have overcome the tumult in our personality caused by indwelling sin, then we are able to enter God's rest. To live in God's rest is to abide in God's love, always performing His perfect will.

The highest, best position any human being can attain is to arrive at the place where his most fervent desires are the same as God's most fervent desires for him. This is God's rest through Christ.

As long as the world or the lusts of our flesh or our self-will are actively pulling us we cannot find rest in God. We are confused. We are in indecision. We are torn between eternal life and eternal death. We are the only one who can decide the issue. Will we choose death or life? We cannot remain forever in the valley of decision. God exhorts us to choose His way and thus live in His Presence.

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19)

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:15)

To live in God through Christ is to live in eternal Life.

To be continued.