Living for Eternity
Week 1: Eternal Life

(John 3:16) “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

A Matter of Life and Death

(Genesis 2:17) …but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

• Natural death—the cessation of the body’s vital functions (heartbeat, breathing, brain activity)
• Spiritual death—separation and alienation from God, the source of life.
• Eternal death—spiritual death that that has become permanent and irrevocable.

Natural Life, Natural Death

√  My body is not “me;” it is merely the I live in.

(2 Corinthians 4:7) But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

√  My body will die, but I will .

(2 Corinthians 5:8 NLT) Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these earthly bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord.(MULTILINE)

Spiritual Death, Spiritual Life

√  Physical death is the separation of the soul from the , but spiritual     death is the separation of the soul from .

(Ephesians 2:12 ) Remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

√  We were all born spiritually .

(1 Corinthians 15:22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

(Romans 5:18–19) Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men,

(Psalm 51:5) For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

√  The spiritually dead live under the domain of the of this world.

(Ephesians 2:1–3) And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

√  This is why you “must be .”

Consider Jesus’ statements leading up to John 3:16

(John 3:3, 6-7, 14-15) 3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.

(John 3:16 ESV)  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.(MULTILINE)

Eternal Death

√  At the natural death of a person not born again, spiritual death becomes and .

(Luke 16:22–23) The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

(Matthew 25:41, 46) “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

(Revelation 14:11) And the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name.”

(Mark 9:43)..to go into hell, where the fire never goes out(MULTILINE)

Eternal Life

(John 6:40) For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

(John 11:23–26) Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.  Do you believe this?”

The most important question ever considered-

“Do you believe this?”(MULTILINE)

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