Eternal Life

Owen D. Olbricht

Jesus’ teaching concerning "eternal" or "everlasting" (both translated from Greek aionios) life is most prominent in the gospel of John, appearing 17 times. In the other three gospels Jesus used "everlasting life" one time (Matt. 19:29; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:3 repeat Jesus statement) and one other time (Matt. 25:46), and of everlasting dwellings (Luke 18:9).

Aionios is also used by Jesus of eternal "fire" (Matt. 18:8; 26:41), "punishment" (Matt. 26:46) "damnation" or "sin" (Mark 3:29). Elsewhere in the New Testament it is used of "destruction" (2 Thess. 1:9) "judgment" (krina, or "condemnation" (Heb. 6:2), and "fire" (Jude 7).

All Life Forever?

The wicked will live forever, but that will be a living death in a lake of fire (Rev. 20:14), a continual torment with the devil and his angels (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10). Being dead and alive is possible. The widow who lives in sinful pleasure "is dead even while she lives" (1 Tim. 5:6).

"Everlasting life," as used by Jesus, is a never ending life that is life indeed. It is not just an unending life, but an abundant life (John 10:10), life at its best and fullest. We might say "living high on the hog." It will be better and different than this life, for in heaven there will be "no longer be any death; there shall be no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain, for the first things are past away" (Rev. 21:4).

A Present Possession

At present we can know that we have eternal life, for if we are in Jesus, we have eternal life (1 John 5:11, 12). It is ours because of our relationship with Jesus which we enter by faith in Jesus, repentance (Acts 2:38), confession (Rom. 10:10) and baptism, which puts us into Christ (Rom. 6:3, 4; Gal. 3:26, 27). After we are baptized we can "know that we are in Him" if we continue to keep His word (1 John 2:3-5).

Can We Lose Eternal Life?

We have eternal life only as long as we are in Jesus. As a branch has life from a vine only as long as it is in the vine, so we also have eternal life as long as we are in Jesus. If a branch becomes severed from a vine it will no longer have life from the vine. In like manner, if we become severed from Jesus, we will lose the eternal life that is in Him.

Jesus concluded His parable concerning the vine and branches, "If anyone does not abide in Me, he will be thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned" (John 15:6).

Eternal life is ours in this present life only if we are abiding in Jesus, for without Him we do not have life; He is the source of eternal life. If we are no longer in Him, we will no longer have the eternal life that is in Him.