Day 48: What Are the Two Options for Eternity?
When we began this study we said that it was important to realize that every human being who has existed will exist forever. We are now getting to some of the “meat” truths of the Bible and some things that are difficult for us to think about, but we must.
Just as their are only two types of people, spiritually speaking—those who are “alive in Christ” and those who are still “dead in Adam”—so also there are only two eternal options for everyone: either live in the presence of God (eternal life) forever or away from His presence (eternal death).
Those who are “in Christ” have eternal life now and forever.
Romans 8:1
Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus,…
In this session and in the next session we are considering what it means to place our faith and confidence in Christ as our Savior and King. In the context of standing before the judgment seat of Christ, the verse above should be one of great comfort. There is NOW no condemnation for those who are in Christ. We are going to talk more about being “in Christ” next week, for now just know that this means giving your life over to Him and being completely identified with Him because of your confidence in Him. When we do stand before Jesus to be judged., evaluated by Him, we will not be condemned.
Jesus himself assures us with these words:
John 5:24-27
“I assure you: Anyone who hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life. 5:25 “I assure you: An hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. 5:26 For just as the Father has life in Himself, so also He has granted to the Son to have life in Himself. 5:27 And He has granted Him the right to pass judgment, because He is the Son of Man.
Jesus tells us plainly that anyone who hears Him and believes, trusts the Father has eternal life, now, and will not be condemned. This truly is the “good news,” maybe even the best news that we hear in the Gospel. Notice also, that as we believe, we have crossed out of death and into life. This comes to us now, in the here and now and not just in the hereafter.
It is important for you to understand that eternal life is not just “never ending existence” (quantity), it also speaks about a quality of life, and life that is satisfied by the deep personal relationship with Christ the Son and the Father:
John 17:1-3
… “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son so that the Son may glorify You, 17:2 for You gave Him authority over all flesh; so He may give eternal life to all You have given Him. 17:3 This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and the One You have sent—Jesus Christ.
Our lives, our identities are defined by our relationships. True Eternal life is defined by our relationship with the Only True God and Jesus Christ. If we are in right relationship with the Father through faith, confidence in His Son Jesus we have passed out of condemnation into life!
Another incredible blessing that comes to all those who are “in Christ” is the forgiveness of all our sins. Consider this:
Colossians 2:13–14
And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He [God The Father] made you alive with Him [Christ] and forgave us all our trespasses. 2:14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross.
“In Christ” all of our sins are forgiven! When Jesus went to the Cross, He took our sin-debt upon himself. He paid the price (death, in all its forms) that our sins demanded. What is more He has destroyed our “certificate of debt,” taking it away by nailing it to the Cross. This certificate was the “IOU,” the bill of debt, that our sins had built up. Jesus has destroyed this bill and removed it from us. The result of this is that when we finally stand before Christ, He will never treat us according to any debt that our sins would have required. We have been released from this so that we might experience His grace.
Those who physically die still “dead in Adam” will exist apart from God’s presence in eternity.
In the John 5 passage that we just read, Jesus goes on to say this:
John 5:28-29
“… a time is coming when all who are in the graves will hear His voice 5:29 and come out—those who have done good things, to the resurrection of life, but those who have done wicked things, to the resurrection of judgment.
The resurrection is something that will occur in the last days in which Jesus will raise up the bodies of all those who have died and give them new bodies which are specifically designed to live in eternity. Those who are “in Christ” will truly live forever, but those who died “in Adam” will exist in a state of condemnation called the “Lake of Fire” (Revelation 20:15). This is a terrible truth that we have a hard time thinking about, but we must be soberly aware of this reality. As Paul has said, those who have done what is evil—rejecting the truth, goodness, and glory of God—will be assigned to this terrible place. The simple reality is there are only two types of people (spiritually alive or spiritually dead) on earth now, so also there are only two options for eternity.
What is your first reaction to the session today?
How do these truths help you put things in perspective?
*You can find a complete list of all the MilktoMeat readings here.
