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Lay Hold On Eternal Life

January 08, 2006

Our goal is to lay hold on eternal life

1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life (aionios zoe), whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

To a man of God

1 Timothy 6:11 But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

ETERNAL LIFE - AIONIOS ZOE

The English phrase “eternal life” in the New Testament Greek consists of two grammatical parts, a noun, zoe, which means life, and a modifying adjective, aionios. In Greek, the noun, AION, literally means an "age". Therefore, its adjective, AIONIOS, cannot mean anything more or less than its noun. It is used biblically to describe a limited period of time, an age. In other words, an “age” has both a beginning and an end. The Greek noun, AION, never refers to "eternity.” In fact, if “age” is an eternity, then what would “ages” constitute – eternities? Nothing created is eternal, only God, the Creator, the only uncaused being of the universe is eternal – He has no beginning and no end.

The phrase “eternal life,” appears around 41 times in the New Testament. Every single time this phrase appears the adjective eternal (aionios) is in the singular not the plural. Therefore, it is speaking one specific age. The word “life” is a nounwhich the adjective aionios describes. Therefore, the life referred to can better be translated in the English as: “life in the coming age,” “life for the age,” or “age-lasting life.”

The first mention of eternal life

Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may haveeternal life?

Eternal life is by keeping the commandments

Matthew 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Eternal life is to have treasure in heaven

Matthew 19:18-21 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet (to have eternal life)? 21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalthavetreasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

To have treasure in heaven = to enter into the kingdom of God

Matthew 19:22-24 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. 23 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.

At the second coming of Christ

Matthew 19:27-29 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit eternal life.

The two ages

Matthew 12:32 Jesus said, "Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.(NKJ)

This present age is evil

Galatians 1:4 who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father.

The rulers of this age are wicked angels

Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

This age ends at the second coming of Christ

Matthew 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"

Eternal life is in the age to come

Mark 10:30 "who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions and in the age to come, eternal life. (NKJ)

The age to come is one thousand years

Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection (on the last day Jn.11:24) on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign (in the Kingdom) with him a thousand years (the age to come).

Eternal life is to inherit the kingdom

1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, eternal life.

James 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

The age to come is restricted

Luke 20:35 "But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage.

Eternal life is a reward according to works

Romans 2:6-7 He will reward each one according to his works: 7 eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality. (NET)

Eternal life is to be raised up at the last day

John 6:40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son (“born from above,” Jn.3:3; Col.1:13), and believeth on him, may (subjunctive) have eternal life: and I will raise him up (to rule and reign in glory, honor, & incorruption) at the last day (“a thousand years,” Rev.20:4-6).

The hope of God's elect people is eternal life

Titus 1:1-2 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God’s elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness; 2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Ordained to eternal life

Acts 13:48 And when the (saved) Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord: and as many (not all) as were ordained to eternal life believed (the beginning of faith).

Eternal life is revealed to us

1 John 1:1-2That which was from the beginning (of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry), which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word [or message] of [the] life; 2 For the life was manifested [revealed or made known], and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested [revealed or made known] unto us.

The words of eternal life are for His elect

John 6:66-71 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68 But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 "Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 70 Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

Beware: You can lose eternal life

John 12:25 "He who loves his life (now in this age) will lose it (in the age to come, eternal life), and he who hates his life in this world will keep it (his life in the future) for eternal life.

Age-lasting punishment or eternal life

Matthew 25:46 "And these (the unrighteous) will go away into ~~everlasting~~ age-lasting punishment [restraint, confine, cut-off, or correction] but the righteous into eternal life."

Sowing and Reaping: corruption or eternal life

Galatians 6:7-9 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption (this means to perish from inheriting the kingdom Gal.5:19-21); but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.

Lay hold on eternal life

1 Timothy 6:19 Laying up in store for themselves [acquiring treasure, Mt.6:19-20] a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life.

Some interesting quotes on the word "eternal"

"Let me say to Bible students that we must be very careful how we use the word 'eternity.' We have fallen into great error in our constant usage of that word. There is no word in the whole Book of God corresponding with our 'eternal,' which as commonly used among us, means absolutely without end."

Dr. G. Campbell Morgan, God's Methods with Men , sometimes called the "prince of expositors"

"The adjective aionios in like manner carries the idea of time. Neither the noun nor the adjective in themselves carries the sense of "endless" or "everlasting." Aionios means enduring through or pertaining to a period of time. Out of the 150 instances in the LXX (Septuagint), four-fifths imply limited duration."

Dr. Marvin Vincent, in his Word Studies of the New Testament (vol. IV, p. 59)

"The NT unfolds an economy of times and seasons; many ages head up in the one great age, within which the manifold purpose of God, in relation to earth, shall be fulfilled. Here, these words eon, age are applicable, and are used."

Sir Robert Anderson, Biblical eschatologist