May 7, 2009

Eternal Blessings

Eternal Blessings

"Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life" (Jude 21).

This beautiful text contains the last of over 40 New Testament occurrences of the phrase "eternal life," or "everlasting life" (same Greek words). We receive God's promise of life everlasting, of course, only through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ for "he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36).

This is not just eternal existence, however. The Scriptures give many wonderful promises of eternal blessings as well. We shall have an eternal home, "an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens" (II Corinthians 5:1).

We are also joint heirs with Christ, "that by means of death . . . they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance" (Hebrews 9:15).

God will wipe away all tears, for our heavenly Father "hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace" (II Thessalonians 2:16).

There will even be unending glory for every believer, for He "hath called us unto His eternal glory" (I Peter 5:10).

Therefore, as Paul says, "our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (II Corinthians 4:17).

These eternal blessings are all ours through Jesus Christ, for He is "the author of eternal salvation" and has "obtained eternal redemption for us," all accomplished through His own shed "blood of the everlasting covenant" (Hebrews 5:9; 9:12; 13:20).

We shall, in fact, reign as kings, with Him, in "the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ" (II Peter 1:11), where we "shall reign for ever and ever" (Revelation 22:5). Best of all, however, we shall be with our Saviour throughout the endless ages to come.

Henry Morris

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