A quick question that came to my mind. One of the big themes in the Gospel of John is "whoever believes in the Son has eternal life." We have often interpreted that as "whoever believes in the Son will live an eternal life" or "whoever believes in the Son currently lives a life that will last eternally." However, I have pondered a different interpretation: "whoever believes in the Son has the source/means of eternal life." In this understanding, having eternal life is essentially referring to the acceptance of Jesus as the Son of God, who is the life. Believe and possessing ("has") are parallel and Jesus and eternal life are parallel. (I lack the verbage to truly describe what I am getting at, so my apologies).
If this is correct, this would mean that when we believe in Jesus as the Son of God, we have everything we need to obtain to eternal life. Eternal life is in Jesus, in His death and resurrection, in His teachings, and in His example. Our belief in Jesus means that we have our eyes in the right place to possibly receive eternal life. By uniting ourselves with His death and resurrection (see Romans 6:1-6), by obeying His teachings, and by following His example we will live forever.
Believing in Jesus gives us the chance to obey Him. Disobedience to Jesus means we will not see eternal life (John 3:36). However, belief in Jesus does not dictate obedience, but the chance for obedience. And if we do not believe in Jesus, we are guaranteed not to obey Him and hence such people are already condemned (John 3:18). Whereas those who believe are not condemned presently, but this does not mean they will not be condemned at the final judgment, where those who do good will have a resurrection of life but those who do evil will have a resurrection of condemnation (John 5:29).
I am not dogmatically holding this, but something I am thinking about. What say ye? Any arguments for or against this, of the exegetical type?
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6 comments:
It's not an issue of debate. The Bible is clear, very clear. Once we agree with God's report regarding his son, Jesus Christ and his death, burial and resurrection, we pass from death until life. This transition is instaneous, not a lifelong process. Put another way, the suffering endured by Jesus Christ, while on the cross was sufficient to satisfy God the Fathers demand for justice regarding the penalty of all human sin. End of story. Upon believing or agreeing with the work of Christ, an issue of faith, not validated by its fervor, but the object it beholds, we are pardoned. No longer condemned. Once we are "born again", our new status of judicial righteousness remains forever. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Remember this, the penalty of all human sin was imputed to Jesus Christ. Sin no long carries with it a penalty. That is to the extent of spiritual death. Sin causes problems, no doubt, but God can no longer impute the penalty to any of us once we pass from death until life.
Greetings kp
"It's not an issue of debate. The Bible is clear, very clear. Once we agree with God's report regarding his son, Jesus Christ and his death, burial and resurrection, we pass from death until life. This transition is instaneous, not a lifelong process."
First off, while I think the Bible does support one comes to "life" instantaneously in one way, it is also a process and eternal life isn't guaranteed in this life until we endure to the end. But that doesn't hit at what I was getting at. My point is essentially to say "belief in Jesus" does not automatically give person eternal life as verses like John 3:16 are often quoted to support. Rather, it is a statement that believe in Him allows us to have obtain eternal life by following what He says.
"Put another way, the suffering endured by Jesus
Christ, while on the cross was sufficient to satisfy God the Fathers demand for justice regarding the penalty of all human sin. End of story. Upon believing or agreeing with the work of Christ, an issue of faith, not validated by its fervor, but the object it beholds, we are pardoned. No longer condemned. Once we are "born again", our new status of judicial righteousness remains forever. Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Remember this, the penalty of all human sin was imputed to Jesus Christ. Sin no long carries with it a penalty. That is to the extent of spiritual death. Sin causes problems, no doubt, but God can no longer impute the penalty to any of us once we pass from death until life."
I can not find that the Bible in fact speaks of a penal aspect in the atonement. I find the penal substitution being something that requires certain philosophical assumptions that the person then reads into the Bible, but it ignores a lot of the other aspects of how the Bible speaks of atonement.
No where in the Bible does God require of us "philosophical assumptions". He loves us. Love demands reality, sanity and absolutes. The book of Romans is filled with passages of absolutes regarding "redemption". Paul speaks of receiving the atonement", the gift of judicial righteousness and of having peace and joy as a result of being reconciled to the Father. God demands perfection. If you fail the law in just one point your just as guilty as someone who failed the entire law. Never in my life have I heard of anyone saying atonement did not resolve the penalty of sin. If it didn't then indeed the death of Jesus Christ was in vain. The gospel is null and void and we are without hope. I'm sorry to say but "philosophical assumptions" don't cut with God. Likewise, the theology of Cain, a system of self-righteousness is of no use to the Father. You are either righteous or your not. Paul was confident in his righteousness he received as a gift from God. The key is to understand God's demand for perfection. It's perfection or nothing. Thank God, it's a gift.
Mr. Owen Weddle, your quite a gentleman. Thank you for allowing me in. I'm confident in what I believe and have certainty that my destiny is sealed forever. Indeed, all of us have free will and I believe with certainty that we are responsible to God for our choices. And, in God and his son, Jesus Christ, I put my trust.
Have a very merry Christmas!
KP
Owen,
You are quite "Methodist" in your understanding of grace and freedom. Thank you for your thoughts as I ponder one of the texts for next Sunday from John 6. I am planning to preach on eternal life. Your comments will stimulate my thinking as I prepare.
A fellow Methodist minister.
FEL
As I have taught and preached over the last 48 years, That upon receiving the Holy Spirit we receive eternal life. I believe this is what Jesus is talking about in the 14 chapter of John. We produce fruit, the fruit of love when we live in the presence of God, the Holy Spirit. This John Wesley taught and preached primarily. I have often despaired that our seminaries are becoming Calvin in their approach to theology. I have retired again after teaching and preaching in England for the last four years. And this is what I taught.
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