In Christ, I, including all those in Christ who have experienced or will experience a natural death, will never actually die. Our bodies may pass away but the real person, the real me, is eternal. Death is simply a transition; it is a shift into a new and glorified state.
God’s word says, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’” (1 Cor. 15:54)
The life that I will have in Heaven will endure forever because it will embody a permanent and unshakeable fellowship with God. There will be no interval in it, there will be no end to it and its quality will be changeless. There I will be immortally vital, utterly functional and able to participate fully in the activities of God’s presence and glory.
Meanwhile, while there remains a future state wherein all who have received Christ as their personal saviour will live, the eternal life, the kingdom life, is now actually present and in full effect here and in my world. My governance, the real, true and eternal governance, which will exist in and be sustained by the person of Jesus Christ forever, is also my present governance. The kingdom to which I will belong to, the real, true and eternal kingdom that will be ruled by almighty God forever, is also my present kingdom.
God’s word tells me this: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” (1 John 5:11)
This verse tells me that the life I have in Christ is eternal. It is a life that did not begin when I accepted Christ as my saviour, although its effect on me was not fully activated until I did, and it will not end when I die. It is a life that always was, because it is a life that is “in his Son,” (1 John 5:11) who is eternal. Its existence, substance and eternity consist in the existence, substance and eternity of Jesus Christ. Here I will note three things.
1. Since he existed in eternity past, this life also existed in eternity past. It had no beginning because he had no beginning; he always was. The life I now have in Christ is the same life that existed forever in the past.
2. Since he exists in eternity present, this life also exists in eternity present. It has full relevance today because he is fully alive today. The life I now have in Christ is the same life that is now present and at work in my world.
3. Since he will exist in eternity future, this life will also exist in eternity future. It has no end because he has no end. The life I now have in Christ is the same life that will exist forever in the future.
The essence of the eternal life I have in Christ does not change because he does not change.
– its quality does not change because he, who is excellent in quality, does not change.
– its power does not change because he, who is all-powerful, does not change.
– its permanence does not change because he, who endures forever, does not change.
The life I now have is the same eternal life that I will have in the life to come, because the life I now have is the life that is in him. The evidence of this comes in different forms, each one equally supernatural and each one proving that I have eternal life now, on Earth just as it is in heaven.
Natural healing
When I cut my finger, as long as I keep the cut clean and bandaged, it will heal itself. When I experienced open heart surgery, the surgeon patched me up and in five days I was home. Within a few months and with a good diet and some exercise, I was whole again. Natural healing is actually supernatural healing, and it is a quality of eternal life.
Practical grace
Whenever I administer loving and life-giving counsel to someone, whenever I can resist being wounded by the insults or injuries that are sometimes fired at me, whenever I bring humor and vitality to a family gathering, or whenever I exert a strong positive influence on anyone in any way, eternal life is powerfully present. The practical grace given in each of these occasions is a quality of eternal life.
Supernatural healing
When my brother had gotten sick to the point that all vital signs of life had left his body, Mom and Dad held on in prayer, and he was restored to life again. When my doctor, who had become exasperated with an enduring pain in his shoulder, cried out to God while taking a walk one day, he was healed. The supernatural healing that comes in so many forms is a quality of eternal life.
Salvation
My life was miraculously altered, and its infinite destiny was re-ordered the day that I received Christ as my saviour. When my friend John came to know Christ as his personal saviour, it was a three-hour encounter with God wherein he literally became a brand-new man! The salvation that is given to everyone who believes is a quality of eternal life.
These events, and there are many more, show me that God is present as King in his kingdom on Earth, just as he is in heaven, and he has brought eternal life to me on Earth, just as it is in heaven. It is a reality that exists now and it is a reality that is having an increasingly powerful effect in my world now. It is a reality that makes me want to sing with David, the Psalmist, “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103:2-5)