8th March 2024

8th March 2024


Pray (ACts)


Read - (1 John 5:13)


Message (Alan Burke)


The wonder of the gospel is that as we believe in the name of the Son of God that we live in the knowledge that death is not the end that we will have eternal life. This is the hope to which we look, the hope that we have in the gospel. For when Christ returns those who have died, which the scriptures call, falling asleep in the Lord, will rise and for those who have not then they will be changed in a flash, in the in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (1 Co 15:51–52.)


We struggle to get our heads around the concept of eternal, the Greek word that is used here which is translated as eternal is the opposite of that which is temporary, it is used to speak of God as he is without beginning and without end, he is eternal, he is everlasting. We are used to the temporal nature of this life, from our clothes to our hair styles or even lack of hair styles in some cases. Yet what is being conveyed in what lies ahead is the opposite of the temporal, the opposite of what we have been used to. The eternal life is for all who believe in the name of the Son of God.


There is a sense in which that eternal life has already begun for the believer. Yes we are not yet in glory, we are not in our new resurrected bodies, but it has begun. We have eternal life now for through faith as we have believed in Jesus, we have already been granted that eternal life, it is now because it has been granted to us in the Son and it cannot be lost. It means that because we have trusted in Jesus Christ that we will be more more than conquerors (Ro 8:28–29), we already experience the love of God in Christ Jesus and although we will not experience it fully to the age to come it enables us to live with hope in the midst of this sin cursed world. 


What does this eternal life look like, the book of Revelation gives us a wonderful glimpse of what lies ahead in the life everlasting. Like that of the streets, paved with goal, along with gates of pearl (Rev 21:21). Analogies, images, word pictures that convey to us a thousand words but still fall short because of our own limited and finite understanding of that eternal reality. 


It will be where God dwells with his people, Rev 21:3. Our future, what awaits us in the eternal life is not some disembodied existence. In that embodied existence, there will be no more tears v4, no more death mourning, crying, pain because the old order of things has passed away. And it will be for all eternity. For ever, I don’t know about you but I struggle to get my head round that concept, when I was a child eternity to me seemed like having to wait for more than a minute, and after a few days of rain on my summer holidays I was bored because I wanted to be outside. Eternal life will not be like my six year old self would have thought eternity as some kind of punishment, having to wait, it will not be boring instead it will be one of infinite joy. It will be an existence in which this world will be fully restored, cleansed from all sin and misery, and purified in Christ (2 Pet. 3:9-14), we will be fully healed of all sins and transgressions and able to live in perfect bliss in the enjoyment of God! And with hope we say together: “...and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17b).


While this world may be far from how we would want it or desire it to be, we may have had our hopes dashed, disappointed, we may have experienced trial, suffering, strife but this world, this life and the worst that we experience now will one day be but a distant memory, it in a sense is the only hell that we will ever experience. And for the unbeliever this life is the only heaven they will enjoy. 


Pray (acTS)


Sing


WSC
Q88 What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to usthe benefits of redemption?
The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation. (Matt. 28:19–20, Acts 2:42,46–47)
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