First the Question: In the Gospel of John, and the First Epistle of John, we find the word BELIEVE over 100 times, the word LOVE over 100 times, and the word LIFE more than 75 times. True or False?
Please take a moment to respond at the LLM Question of the Day
And now the answer to the LLM Question of 10-29-2011
Question: All who have life in Christ Jesus are, RIGHT NOW, alive from the dead. Romans 6:13. True or False?
Answer: TRUE! All who have life in Christ Jesus are, right now, “alive from the dead” (Romans 6:13). They have been made alive together with Christ. Then when Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, they shall appear with Him in glory. In the meantime they are seated with Him in the heavenlies and are to seek those things which are above. (Colossians 3:1-4, Ephesians 2:5-6). Now, out of the 712 responses we received to this question, again, 100% of you got it right! Praise God! Therefore,
Today let us consider, THE GOSPEL OF JOHN....THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST, pt. 26 of 30
THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH
We are told in Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, and Hebrews 10:38, that the just shall live by faith. In Romans 5:18 we read that by the righteousness of Christ justification of life was provided for the human race. “The free gift of God is eternal life.” (Romans 6:23). But this is through Jesus Christ our LORD. Christ said, “I am the life.” (John 14:6).
The Bible is the story of death and life. Adam and Eve chose death in preference to life. They sinned. Death passed upon all men. (Romans 5:12). The law of sin and death is still in full force. In Deuteronomy 30:19 the living God spoke these words, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you: I have set before you life and death, chose life that ye may live.” God sent His only Begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. (1 John 4:9). Therefore to choose life means to choose Christ. To become religious without receiving eternal life means to be twice dead, plucked up by the roots. (Jude 12).
Note the great contrast between life and death, wages and free gift, in Romans 6:23, “The wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23).
We read in Hebrews 2:14 that Satan had the power of death. We read in Hebrews 7:16 that Christ is made after the power of an endless or deathless life. We read in Acts 1:3, that, Christ after His death showed Himself alive by many infallible proofs. By His death and resurrection Christ destroyed Satan’s death power. But Christ had to die that the children of Adam might live. Those who choose to live receive Christ and by the law of the Spirit of life in Him they are freed from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:2). When the Gentiles received the LORD’s message through Peter and believed, “God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:18). Later on we are told that the Gentiles, who had been dead in sins, far off from God, having no hope in the world (Ephesians 2:1 to Ephesians 5: 11-12), were made alive together with Christ and made to sit down in the heavenlies in Christ. (Ephesians 2:5-6). They were raised from the dead, to walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4, and Romans 6:13). They were begotten into, or unto, a living hope by the resurrection of Christ from the dead, unto an incorruptible, heavenly inheritance. (1 Peter 1:3-5). The Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:3 of Christians working with him, “whose names are in the Book of Life.” In Revelation ‘the Book of Life’ is mentioned seven times. In the New Testament Scriptures God is called sixteen times ‘The Living God’. In Mark 12:27 and Luke 20:38 God is called ‘the God of the Living’. Again we read in 2 Timothy 1:1 that God’s promise of life is in Christ Jesus. “He that hath not the Son hath not life.” (1 John 5:12).
In 1 Timothy 4:8 we are reminded of the life that now is and that which is to come. In Ephesians 1:21, we are told of the world that now is, and that which is to come. The LORD Jesus, in Mark 10:30 told of the blessing on earth of being His disciple, and then added, “and in the world to come eternal life.”
As we think of all that is said in the Bible about death and life, and read God’s solemn warning, in Hebrews 9:27, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this judgment,” let us think of some words from the LORD in the Old Testament Scriptures and in the New, “why will ye die, O house of Israel: for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the LORD God, wherefore turn and live ye.” (Ezekiel 18:31-32). And then 2 Peter 3:9 we read that God “is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (1 Timothy 2:4-7). Christ could continuously say to sinners to day what He said in John 5:40, “ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life.” “And this life is in His Son.” (1 John 5:11). “He that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36).
God is still giving to self righteous religious church members, who are trusting for eternal life, in God AND their good works, the truth of Galatians 3:21, “if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.” The Apostle Paul had been under the law; but after receiving Christ as Savior, Paul was crucified to the law: but he added, “Nevertheless I live. I live by The Faith of the Son of God Who loved me and gave Himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).
All who have life in Christ Jesus are, right now, “alive from the dead” (Romans 6:13). They have been made alive together with Christ. Then when Christ, Who is our life, shall appear, they shall appear with Him in glory. In the meantime they are seated with Him in the heavenlies and are to seek those things which are above. (Colossians 3:1-4, Ephesians 2:5-6). In 1 Corinthians 15:22, with reference to the resurrection of the body, we are told that those who are Christ’s will be made alive at His coming.
The words LIFE, LIVE, ALIVE, QUICKEN, LIVETH, LIVING, referring to spiritual and eternal life, are found in the New Testament Scriptures about 200 times. They are found in John’s Writings about 105 times. In Revelation we read of The Book of Life, The Tree of Life, The Water of Life, The Spirit of Life, The Crown of Life.
When we see that the word LIFE in different forms is used in John’s Gospel about 60 times, and as we read in John 5:26 and John 17:2 that the LORD Jesus had life in Himself and power to give eternal life, and learn in John 20:31, that John’s Record was handed down to us, that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, and that we might have life through believing in His name, we see why we may call John’s Gospel, “The Book of Life.”
“Believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” Acts 16:31, while there is still time!
So There You Have it!
Spread this message to everyone you know, far and wide. The time is short
Grace be to you and peace, from God: our Father, and The LORD Jesus Christ.
In The LORD Jesus Christ,
The Lion and Lamb Ministry
Pastor David Picos, D.D.
Minister and Ambassador for Christ in the Ministry of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-20)
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