Today, I will turn my attention to Eternal Life as formed or reprogrammed into the soul and spirit of redeemed man. It is this that carries the title of Salvation in a broad respect of teaching by the worldly churches of our day. Because they deny GOD's respective as being a narrow way in fact they do not accept the teaching of Christ's essence being within you and me. By so ding they frustrate the Grace of GOD as seen in Galatians 2:20-21 which states this, "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ Who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself for me. I do not nullify the Grace of GOD, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose." Over the past few days Pastor Hoekstra has been revealing this Truth found in the last verse here stated. Speaking of Pastor Hoekstra and his teaching on Grace I will again use it here and then look into Eternal Life with the use of the ESV translation. And as always if the LORD gives a word I will add it there and then.
"The New Covenant Promise of a New Heart"
"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)
"To live in obedience to the Will of God, His plan and purposes, man needs more than his own best efforts and intentions. The history of Israel emphatically demonstrates this. GOD gave His law through Moses. His requirements for Israel's safety and security from disease and mans sin nature. He commanded them, saying, "Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them" (Ezekiel 20:19). Israel had promised to obey. "All that the LORD has said we will do, and be obedient" (Exodus 24:7). Nevertheless, they failed miserably. "Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me; they did not walk in My statutes, and were not careful to observe My judgments" (Ezekiel 20:21).
In order to live obedient lives, people need a New life from GOD, followed by understanding in how to develop that new life. Here, we see a promise from GOD to supply this New Life. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you." These promises are related to the New Covenant of Grace that the prophets proclaimed for Israel some day. "Behold, the days are coming . . . when I Will make a new covenant with the house of Israel . . . not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt" (Jeremiah 31:31-32). The book of Hebrews elaborates on this New Covenant of Grace and applies it to the true Church today: "Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a New and living Way which He consecrated for us" (Hebrews 10:19-20).
When anyone embraces the Grace of GOD offered in Jesus Christ (the mediator, the great High Priest of the New Covenant), that person is born again by the Spirit of GOD. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit" (John 3:6). This is a necessity. "Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of GOD" (John 3:3). Human "flesh-birth" brings with it a hard spiritual heart (a dead spirit). Spiritual new birth from GOD replaces this hard heart (this dead, non-responsive spirit in the circumcision of our heart). "I will give you a New Heart and put a new spirit within you." Our heart is restored as mans was as found in Genesis 2.
Think of our desperate need for this work of GOD that brings us a new heart, a newness of life. Those not born again are described as living "in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of GOD . . . because of the hardening of their heart" (Ephesians 4:17-18). Yet, whoever relies upon the Grace of GOD offered in Jesus Christ becomes a newborn child of GOD. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2Corinthians 5:17).
General references to Spiritual Life:
Daniel 12:1-4 "At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase."
Matthew 25:41-46 (Jesus is speaking) "Then HE will say to those on His left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome Me, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.' Then they also will answer, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?' Then HE will answer them, saying, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.' These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into Eternal Life."
John 6:25-34 "When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, "Rabbi, when did You come here?" Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man Will give to you. For on Him God the Father has set His seal." Then they said to Him, "What must we do, to be doing the works of God?" Jesus answered them, "This is the work of GOD, that you believe Him Whom HE has sent." So they said to Him, "Then what sign do You do, that we may see and believe You? What work do you perform? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'" Jesus then said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of GOD is He Who comes down from heaven and gives Life to the world." They said to Him, "Sir, give us this bread always."
John 10:22-30 "At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the Temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. So the Jews (the elitists) gathered around Him and said to Him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly." Jesus answered them, "I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in My Father's name bear witness about Me, but you do not believe because you are not among My sheep. My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they (are they) follow (become as) Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, Who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. I and the Father are One."
Romans 2:1-11 "Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of GOD rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of GOD? Or do you presume on the riches of His kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that GOD's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when GOD's righteous judgment will be revealed. He Will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, HE Will give Eternal Life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the Truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For GOD shows no partiality."
Romans 6:20-23 "When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of GOD, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, Eternal Life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of GOD is Eternal Life in (through) Christ Jesus our LORD."
1Timothy 6:17-19 "As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on GOD, Who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life."
Titus 1:1-3 "Paul, a servant of GOD and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of GOD's elect and their knowledge of the Truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of Eternal Life, which GOD, Who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in His word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of GOD our Savior."
1John 2:18-25, 26-27, 28-29 "Children, it is the last hour, and as you have heard that antichrist is coming, so now many antichrists have come. Therefore we know that it is the last hour. They went out from us, for they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. For you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. I write to you, not because you do not know the Truth, but because you know it, and because no lie is of the Truth. Who is the liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, he who denies the Father and the Son. No one who denies the Son has the Father. Whoever confesses the Son has the Father also. Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father. This is the promise that HE made to us—Eternal Life.
I write these things to you about those who are trying to deceive you. But the anointing that you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as His anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as HE taught you, abide in Him.
Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears we may have confidence and not shrink from Him in shame at His coming. If you know that He is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who practices righteousness has been born of Him."
Jude 17-23 "You must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of GOD, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to Eternal Life. Have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh."
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