Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Thursday, August 18,

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

New Memory Verse New Memory Verse John 17:4, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.”

John 17 The Great High Priestly Prayer of our Lord!

John 17:2 Doctrine of Eternal Life! Part 4

John 3:36, “He that believes on the Son has eternal life, but he who does not believe on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

B. Distinction between human life and eternal life.

1. A sharp distinction must be made between human existence which by its nature continues forever, and the gift of God which is eternal life. Rom 6:20-23

2. Humanity is not wholly conformed to time. Every human being will be living on forever, even after it has been decreed that time will be no more.

3. Each human being has a beginning. In this he is unlike God.

4. Each human being, however, has no end of his existence. In this respect he is to some extent like God.

5. On those who receive God’s gift of eternal life the very life of God is bestowed. That life is a partaking of the Divine nature. Col 1:27, “Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

6. In 1 Cor 13:12, the believer’s finite mind will be superseded with the mind of God. Even now the believer has the mind of Christ, 1 Cor 2:16.

This is in contrast to the unbeliever who does not have eternal life but will live forever in torment. Rev 20:13-15; Mat 25:46; Jude 1:7

C. Three categories of eternal life for believers only.

1. For the believer who dies in time prior to resurrection, there are three categories of eternal life.

a. The believer has eternal life while living on the earth, having both earthly and eternal life.

b. The believer has eternal life after death while living in heaven and waiting for his resurrection body. He has both interim life and eternal life. 2 Cor 5:1-5

c. The believer has eternal life forever in a resurrection body, which is resurrection life and eternal life. 1 Cor 15:20-21, 35-57; 1 Thes 4:13-18; 5:9-10

2. Those believers who in the rapture generation do not die physically have two categories of eternal life.

a. Temporal life plus eternal life. b. Resurrection life plus eternal life.

D. There is a body for each stage of eternal life, so that we are not “unclothed.”

1. Temporal life plus eternal life has the body of corruption with the Old Sin Nature. Rom 8:21ff; Gal 6:8

2. The interim life plus eternal life has the interim body, 1 Cor 13:12, which experiences no more pain, tears, sorrow, old sin nature, or sickness, Rev 21:4.

a. In this interim body, you are recognizable Luke 16:23ff. This is the body you occupy while awaiting your resurrection body. 2 Cor 5:8

b. The interim life and eternal life stage makes no distinction between winners and losers in the Christian life.

c. This gives the greatest of comfort to loved ones at a funeral. 1 Thes 4:18

3. Resurrection life plus eternal life has the resurrection body. 1 Cor 15:35-53

There is distinction in this body between winner and loser believers. 1 Cor 15:41-42a

Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, August 18, 2011 Tape # Doctrine of Eternal Life Great High Priestly Prayer, Part 9 John 17:2; Rom 6:20-23; 1 Cor 2:16; 13:12; 15:20-57 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2011