Resurrection - Eternal Life

[John Davidson]

Please post verses/thoughts on eternal life and the resurrection.

 

[John Davidson]

John 6:54
Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

[LastSeven]

Might as well get right into the controversial stuff.

John 5:24-25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

The hour that now is, means currently we are in the hour that people are being resurrected by coming into life by believing in Christ. This is the first resurrection. Only the second resurrection is bodily.

 

[John Davidson]

Interesting that a thread on this important of a topic has very little input.

 

[John Davidson]

Might as well get right into the controversial stuff.

John 5:24-25
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.

The hour that now is, means currently we are in the hour that people are being resurrected by coming into life by believing in Christ. This is the first resurrection. Only the second resurrection is bodily.

I agree.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Interesting that a thread on this important of a topic has very little input.

Reminds me of a couple years ago, I wanted to ask for verses on salvation, as in "what must we do to be saved" and it didn't get all that much traction either. I was actively discouraged from pursuing it.

I decided a couple of weeks ago that it's still a project I want to revisit, though I suppose I'll do it on my own.


Or for my own part, I'm barely able to keep up with the threads I'm actively participating in, and just don't have time to pull up verses.

 

[ViaCrucis]

First resurrection:

Second resurrection:

-CryptoLutheran

 

[LastSeven]

Ya, I'm also surprised more people haven't jumped on this. In other threads there are very strong opinions expressed on this very topic.

 

[LastSeven]

I think there are two key things that are commonly believed but confuse the resurrection issue.

1. Many people think we already have an imperishable spirit inside of our physical bodies. If this were true, the second resurrection would be entirely useless since we are already imperishable and immortal. So obviously that can't be true.
2. Many people think that the first resurrection is a physical resurrection because they think the thousand years is still future. This would require two physical resurrections for the righteous, which makes no sense. (Which is yet another reason why a future millennium doesn't make sense, but that's for another topic)

If you believe either of these things then you'll never understand the resurrections.

I used to live in that conundrum myself, and this is how I finally made sense of it all: I realized that the first resurrection was for the righteous only, and that the second resurrection was for both the righteous and the wicked. After mulling that over for a while and considering various explanations for the righteous being resurrected twice, I realized that the only explanation that makes sense, is that the two resurrections are very different.

The first is the new life we receive in Christ when we accept him. The second is the bodily resurrection on the last day. This makes perfect sense.

 

[Bob Crowley]

For my two bob's worth.

In line with Catholic teaching, we're judged immediately after death. That's individual. We go to heaven, hell or purgatory immediately (although I think we get a chance beforehand to see a few people we knew who predeceased us eg. relatives, friends etc.)

The Final Judgment is a bit different in the sense it will be universal, and all will see how their words and actions (or inactions) contributed to or damaged the eternal course of events, and supported or resisted God's will and plan.

Then we'll all go our separate ways - either heaven or hell.

Those who are condemned will not receive a new body - they'll stay in a spiritual form only - and will become quite hideous if my understanding is correct. If they're going to end up in the lake of fire with the devil and his demons, who are purely spiritual beings, then the lake of fire must be a spiritual lake, and those who are tossed into it must be spiritual beings.

Those who go to heaven will receive a new body. We didn't give ourselves our current body, and just as it was a gift, so the new body will be a gift. What it will be like, and what sort of powers we might have I have no idea, and I have no interest in speculating on these powers. I know this much though - there will be an emphasis on community in heaven.

In one sense we're all eternal. The difference is where we'll spend that eternity.

As far as Purgatory goes, anyone in Purgatory gets to heaven eventually. But nothing - nothing and nobody - gets into heaven until they're perfect.

 

[~Anastasia~]

Ya, I'm also surprised more people haven't jumped on this. In other threads there are very strong opinions expressed on this very topic.

My first impulse was that opinions were not asked for, only Scripture, but that was my mistake is misreading the OP. In that case you are right, so maybe now that that has been corrected, we will see more posts.

 

[All4Christ]

I'd love to participate but am stretched on time right now. I'll try to write something soon

 

[~Anastasia~]

I'd love to participate but am stretched on time right now. I'll try to write something soon

That's my problem too. I get half a sentence typed, get called in, later finish the sentence. It's taken me all day to get a few short posts. I wouldn't be able to put together anything well thought-out. Just this post has taken three times coming in and typing.

 

[ewq1938]

Please post verses/thoughts on eternal life and the resurrection.

The bodily resurrection completes the immortality process. It begins in a spiritual sense but is not completed until the whole person, body soul and spirit are immortal. Some avoid resurrection simply because they are alive at the second coming so instead of a resurrection to immortality they "change" from mortal to immortal.

 

[John Davidson]

Good article on the resurrection: https://www.cru.org/how-to-know-god/did-jesus-christ-really-rise-from-the-dead.html

 

[Geralt]

already have it, cant wait for the grand finale !

 

[Archie the Preacher]

Please post verses/thoughts on eternal life and the resurrection.

Brother John, most of the New Testament is written on the subject. I am overwhelmed with the number of verses apropos to the question.

My first thought is the third chapter of the Gospel of John. (I prefer to deal in whole thoughts, not just bits and pieces plucked out of a whole passage.) One learns salvation - the action whereby a person is forgiven of his or her sin, adopted into God's family, guaranteed a life make-over to purge the ungodly and impure parts of one's life and finally eternity with God in Heaven upon death - (no wonder we shorten it to 'salvation'!) is a personal and individual matter. It is accomplished - at least from the individual's standpoint - by application; that is, by personal request and agreement of the individual.

From the foregoing, it should be clear this is a process. Not a process in that an individual begins as a sinner and is wholly condemned, then becomes partially forgiven and finally becomes truly and totally forgiven, but the redemption from sin and Hell precedes being changed into the likeness of Christ which precedes - usually - being taken to Eternity in Heaven.

Obviously, the thief on the cross next to Jesus received an "abbreviated" version. No doubt there have been others as well. I know of men and women who lived long lives - as men count years - while undergoing the process of transforming from sinner to saint. All that shows the process is an individual affair.

There is more, of course. Just not now.

 

[John Davidson]

The reason I made this thread is because I struggle with fear of death.

So I thought that this thread may encourage me and bring me peace.

I am still hoping for some more replies.

 

[John Davidson]

John 3:36
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

 

[Archie the Preacher]

The reason I made this thread is because I struggle with fear of death.

Sorry to hear that.

Allow me a question: Are you fearful of death and the aftermath, or of the process of dying? I do not fear being before Eternal God as my judge, but I'm a little uneasy about some potential means of dying - like slow cancer or green rot or something.

So I thought that this thread may encourage me and bring me peace.

Quite reasonable. I can only repeat what Paul was told by God about the 'thorn in [his] side'. “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

An old preacher friend of mine once observed God does not provide Grace on a non-Grace day. I concur, God gives us what we need, when we need it.

I am still hoping for some more replies.

I hope you get them and I will be praying for you.