Based on 1 John 5:11-13, Is eternal life a present possession or is it attained in the future?

Question

11And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

13These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

KJV

If you have eternal life now, does that mean that you will have it forever? Is that what the word "eternal" means?

Answer 1

Kidd,

This is one of those questions that christians seem to debate forever. Also, it's one of those questions that has an easy answer.

I'm starting to suspect that some christians just like to "debate" (argue?) for the sake of debating itself.

1) There are multitudes of verses that describe the "Eternal Life" of the believer in the PRESENT tense. I dont need to go into them here.

2) The SAME word "Eternal" is often used to describe God as being "Eternal".

Conclusion: If the Life that is given to the Christian at the moment of salvation is NOT forever (cant ever be lost),
THEN God is not Eternal also. And it would be possible for God Himself to cease to be.

The people who say that a person can lose ones salvation can't "have their cake and eat it too".

Now we all know people who once made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. Maybe even seemed to live the life for years. And then they either abandoned it, or it simply doesnt seem to ever be a priority.
Thats what generates these types of questions. The reasoning being; "If THAT person was a christian and obviously lost their eternal life (as evidenced by their lifestyle) then what hope is there for ME?"

Now this is a completely DIFFERENT question. It has NOTHING to do with a christian losing ones salvation,

Until folks get that through their head, they are always going to be confusing the issue.

And people are always going to be posting this question on Y/A. (Present company excluded. I know you well enough to know that YOU know the answer)

Oh, and by the way. Eternal Life is more than just life that "goes on forever". It is a "kind" of life. And a RELATIONSHIP. (John 17:3)

If a person knows the Author of Life, how CAN a person ever die? (or lose that life?)

This whole "losing ones eternal life" is just silly. One either knows Jesus, or one DOES'NT.

You don't know Him one moment, and not know Him in another moment.

Or rather, He doesnt know YOU one moment, and then NOT know you in another.

"I am convinced that neither DEATH,
nor LIFE, nor ANGELS, nor PRINCIPALITIES, nor POWERS, nor things PRESENT, nor things TO COME, neither HEIGHT, nor DEPTH, nor ANY OTHER created thing is able to separate us from the love of God, which IS IN Christ Jesus our Lord"---Romans 8:38-39

NOBODY IS SNATCHING ME OUT OF MY FATHERS HAND.

NOT NOW! NOT EVER!


I wish Christians would just stop with this whole business of basically calling God a liar. Because THAT is what it comes down to.



...theBerean

Answer 2

In a way you have a point, and it could be true in some cases, but why do you suppose that Christianity is not based on reality? Desperate for eternal life and hoping to have it ,you say, I can tell you that I am 100 percent sure that I was given eternal life through my belief in The Lords finished work on the cross and there is no desperation on my part, in fact I am enjoying myself like never before. Here is a bible verse that states that a believer should be assured that they eternal life. 1Jo 5:13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.

Answer 3

Eternal life is a subject that most Christians would like dwell in their religious preaching.

"Believing ye might have life through His name" (John 20:31). "the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). When the sinner believes on Christ, he receives everlasting life (John 3:16). When the Gospel is "put away" by the unbeliever, he judges himself unworthy of everlasting life (Acts 13:46), and abides in death. Although the full manifestation of that life awaits a future delay, its present possession is the portion of all believers. The "babe" and the "father" in Christ alike share it. There may be varied stages of growth, but the life is essentially the same in all. It is eternal life: it cannot be lost: it will not perish. It is received by faith. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life" (John 3:36). It is not communicated through sacraments; neither baptism nor the Lord's Supper have anything whatever to do with the communication of life. They are for the living, not for the dead. The way of life is plain and clear. The Lord Jesus says, "He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life" (John 5:24). "They that hear shall live" (John 5:25). He, and He only, is the Live-giver; He does not delegate this to priest or parson. To Him, therefore, the sinner must go; there is "life" in no other. His Word to the unbeliever is, "Ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life" (John 5:40). Many go, to "Church" and "Sacrament" who have never been to Christ.”

Ref.:
Foundation Truths of the Gospel
Eternal Life
by John Ritchie

http://www.wholesomewords.org/etexts/ritchie/eterlife.html

Answer 4

The Bible teaches that the real us isn't our bodies. The real me is spirit. The body is just the instrument through which my spirit can express itself. And when, through age, the body can no longer fulfill the purposes for which God designed it, when it can't really express me anymore, then God, in His love, is going to release my spirit from this body. I don't want to rot away in some old folk's home, senile and walking around just . . . . I want God to take me long before that. I don't want to rust out. That's why I keep going, I want to wear out!

God has given to us eternal life, but the life is in His Son. Eternal life is much more than quantity or duration of time. It is a quality of life.

Answer 5

From the moment you recieve Christ Jesus as your LORD, and Savior, you have eternal life, ( IJohn 5:13 ).

Yes eternal life is a persent posession, but I do believe that a Christian can loose his/her Salvation by willful sin, and rebellion. That is why in Revelation The LORD admonished some to," Go back and do your first works over..."
Minister

Answer 6

Encouragement to the Hebrews (those under the law).

Hebrews 6:11 And we desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end:

Answer to the sealed believer (Hebrew or otherwise).

Romans 6:22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

We have the end...right now...enough said.

Christ's love,
agapefromnc

Answer 7

Both.
We are given the downpayment of Eternal Life if we stay in the state of grace,but we can evict God from our lives by mortal sin since we have free will and time now.

Answer 8

Along with the 1John passage theres "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24

In fact eternal lfie is a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. "this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." John 17:3

Answer 9

Yes, Eternal life in Heaven if you have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior. Eternal life in Hell if you have not accepted Jesus. Our soul lives forever. You are sealed till the day of redemption. When He takes us home to be with Him. Eternal life begins today you don't have to wait.

Answer 10

Putting faith in Jesus means everlasting life........but you need to keep that faith..........and we know faith without works is dead (James 2:26) Our faith in Jesus's sacrefice is what will lead us to eternal life. Question is.....how strong is that faith?

Faith is, therefore, the basis for hope and the evidence for conviction concerning unseen realities. The entire body of truths delivered by Jesus Christ and his inspired disciples constitutes the true Christian “faith.”

But faith cannot be taken for granted, because lack of faith is ‘the sin that so easily entangles one.’ To maintain a firm faith requires putting up a hard fight for it, resisting men who could plunge one into immorality, combating the works of the flesh, avoiding the snare of materialism, shunning faith-destroying philosophies and traditions of men, and, above all, looking “intently at the Chief Agent and Perfecter of our faith, Jesus.”—Heb 12:1, 2; Jude 3, 4; Ga 5:19-21; 1Ti 6:9, 10; Col 2:8.