In Part 1, we looked at four eternal things that are described for us many times in the Bible; An infinite God, the revealed Word of God, Salvation from sin and death, and Eternal life. There are several other eternal topics in the Bible. Let’s look at a few more.
Eternal Inheritance – The Saint’s Possession
Because of the gift of eternal life, and becoming free from death as the penalty for sin (Romans 6:23), there is a need for an Inheritance, a home to last for eternity. Unlike the earthly inheritance given to Israel after they were freed from Egypt, God and his Son have prepared an eternal home for all the faithful. Peter wrote of the inheritance this way. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you“ (1 Peter 1:3-4). The Hebrew writer pointed out the greatness of the new covenant, compared to the old covenant, and said of Christ, “He is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:15). Jesus Christ made it possible for the saints of all ages to enjoy the eternal inheritance in heaven.
Eternal Glory – The Christian’s Hope
John describes the vision of heaven, which he saw, and had this to say about glory. “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Revelation 21:22-23). The word glory is found 359 times in the NASB and refers to the majestic nature of God, the glow that surrounded His presence at Mount Sinai, the face of Moses after he had been with God, and the presence of God in the angel that led Israel through the wilderness. Men, on rare occasions, demonstrate characteristics of glory, but God and everything that is His is always glorious. When Jesus prayed just before His arrest, He asked the Father, “Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was” (John 17:5). Paul wrote this to the Christians about the second coming of Christ, “When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory“ (Colossians 3:4). Paul further wrote to Timothy, “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory” (2 Timothy 2:10).
Eternal Fire – The Sinner’s Wage
People in Old Testament times were aware of the punishments for disobeying God from Genesis 3 onward. Israel was warned, “If your heart turns away and you will not obey, but are drawn away and worship other gods and serve them, I declare to you today that you shall surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess it” (Deuteronomy 30:17-18). The consequence of breaking the law would be loss of life and loss of the physical inheritance, but there is an eternal punishment also. Isaiah spoke of both the physical destruction and the future eternal punishment in Isaiah 33:14, “Sinners in Zion are terrified; Trembling has seized the godless. Who among us can live with the consuming fire? Who among us can live with continual burning?”
The teachings of the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry influence many today. They teach that “once a person is saved, he cannot lose his salvation.” They disagree with what Jesus said in Mathew 25. To the plea of the unprepared, He said, “Truly I say to you, I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12). To the one that did not work, “Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25:30). To those not demonstrating the Love of God for their brethren and strangers, He said, “Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels”(Matthew 25:41). “These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matthew 25:46)
Are you an obedient servant of the King? Do you love and serve the brethren and strangers in His absence? What will He say to you when He comes again?
Eternity is too long for you to be wrong!
