PLEASE READ: Before reading this article, please do the Bible study/questionaire portion. It won't take you very long to do! Then, as you read this article, compare your answers to what is demonstrated here. You just might be surprised!

The phrase "eternal life" is synonymous the "salvation" spoken of in Scripture - a "salvation" that embraces the whole person. This "salvation" can be spoken of in all tenses : we have been "saved" the instant we believed (regeneration & justification), we are being "saved" now as we progress in Christ (sanctification), and we will be saved when this corruption/mortality is changed into incorruption/immortality in the resurrection at "the last trump" (glorification). [1] Biblical "salvation" comprises all of these and is not complete until all of these take place. The Roman-Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox are often closer to Scripture on this point (i.e., viewing "salvation" in its entirity). We evangelicals tend to view "salvation" as justification only -- this is not Biblical.

It is common among evangelicals to hear that "eternal life" is a present possession of the believer. Of course such is Biblical. Whoever believes the Gospel "has" eternal life - John 3:36; 5:24. Such a one will "never see death" - John 8:51; 11:26. The believer will "never perish" - John 10:28. Christians "have passed" from death to life, the implication being that we have eternal life "abiding in" us - 1 John 3:14-15. Evangelicals have shouted it loud and long; believers can know here and now that they have eternal life. Such assurance is entirely Biblical - 1 John 5:13.

So then, what is the problem? Very simple. There is another batch of Scripture passages that make it crystal clear that "eternal life" is not the actual possession of the believer until the Second Coming! It is amazing how many never seem to notice what these passages really teach. I remember reading where the late Walter Martin ignored such passages in his arguments with Adventists over "soul sleep." Martin's argument went like this: believers must continue a concious existence after death because Jesus taught that we "have" (present tense) eternal life; if the whole man dies then Jesus lied, because his "perpetual" life has been interrupted! Sadly, many others have continued to use this line of reasoning -- and it is thoroughly unbiblical!

One of the basic inferences from the doctrine of Scripture's infallibility is that Scripture never contradicts Scripture. What follows from this is one of the most basic principles of proper hermaneutics: Scripture must always be compared with Scripture. We must take all applicable passages into account. With these basic ideas in mind, I offer the following thirty Scriptural proofs that we receive "eternal life" at the end (Second Coming/resurrection/Judgment):

1. MATTHEW 25:46 - It is only after the final Judgment that "the righteous" go "into life eternal."

2. MARK 10:30 - "eternal life" is received not "now in this time" as is houses, family and lands, but rather "in the world to come" (see Luke 18:30). This is the time spoken of in Rev. 21 ... only then will there be "no more death" (Rev. 21:4).

3. JOHN 5:28-29 - Jesus speaks here of that which precedes the scene of Matthew 25 - the resurrection. Note that the resurrection of believers is described as "coming forth ... unto the resurrection of life."

4. JOHN 11:25 - Note that there are two groups of believers in view here. One group has died, but "will live" - i.e., be resurrected at that day. The other group is still alive in that day and thus, "shall never die." These are the same two groups referred to by Paul in 1 Cor. 15:1 and 1 Thes. 4:13-17.

5. JOHN 12:25 - There are two things to notice here. First, life "in this world" is clearly distinguished from "life eternal" - i.e., we are not dealing with one long "perpetual life" here. As stated above, such an argument fails when we examine all of the relevant passages. Rather, death "in this world" must precede "eternal life" as taught in verse 24 (the same point that Paul makes in 1 Cor. 15). Second, the "life eternal" is yet future.

6. JOHN 14:19-20 - We "shall live" because He lives - but when? Only "at that day" when we "know" - i.e., have the full revelation of God and of Christ (referred to by Paul in 1 Cor. 13:12). The intimate union spoken of by Christ as finally being "known" at that day (Jn. 14:20) is the equivilent of Paul's statement in 1 Cor. 13:12: "then ('at that day') will I know even as I am known ('I am in my Father, and you in Me, and I in you')."

7. ROMANS 2:5-7 - On what "day" will God give His people "eternal life"? The answer is found in verse 5: "the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God."

8. ROMANS 5:10 - There are two tenses here : "being (having been) reconciled to God" is past tense and, thus, is a present reality - we have, in the words of verse 11, "now received the atonement (or, 'reconciliation')." However, there is also a future reality, though it is guaranteed - "we shall be saved by His life." Note that this a reference to Christ's resurrection - see Paul's argument in 1 Cor. 15:12-20. The phrase "shall be saved" has reference to our resurrection and glorification. Christ own resurrection guarantees this because He is the "firstfruits."

9. ROMANS 6:22 - Here our salvation is presented in all three tenses: (1) "but now being made free from sin", we are "servants of God" (past); (2) having "fruit unto holiness" (present = sanctification); (3) but there is also "the end" - "everlasting life." So then, "eternal life" is received at "the end."

10. ROMANS 8:18-19 - Our salvation is referred to as "the glory which shall be (yet future, but guaranteed) revealed in us" - we "wait" for "the manifestation of the sons of God." Also, here we have a perfect example of scripture calling us "sons of God" in the present (see verse 14), but the actualization of that reality being yet future (verses 18-19). The timing here is further proven by verses 21-23, considered next ...

11. ROMANS 8:21-23 - Verse 21 reveals the same truth that Paul elaborates in 1 Cor. 15, while verse 23 makes it very clear that our redemption is by no means complete yet - but we await the final phase - "the redemption of our body."

12. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:20-26 - See verse 20 -- Christ is the "firstfruits." Verses 21 and 22 reveal that "the resurrection of the dead" (v. 21) is the equivilent of being "made alive" (v. 22). Verse 23 - "every man" will be resurrected - i.e., 'made alive' - "in his own order." Christ was the "firstfruits" - "our turn" comes when? "at His coming." Verse 24- "then comes the end ..." with death being the "last" enemy destroyed (v. 26). Thus, believers are "made alive" at the Second Coming of Christ by being resurrected; only then is death destroyed.

13. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:42-57 - Again, our "immortality" occurs at our resurrection "at the last trump" (verse 52 - cf. John 5:25; 1 Thes. 4:16) This is the "seventh trump" of Revelation. It is only then that we actually receive "eternal life," called here "immortality" (STRONG'S #110 - Grk. 'athanasia' = 'deathlessness'). And it is only after this that death is defeated.

14. 2 CORINTHIANS 5:4 - Although we presently have a 'down-payment' in the Spirit (verse 5 - see below), the trading of "mortality" for "life" is something we must wait for - it is yet future.

15. GALATIANS 6:8-9 - Note the future tense: "in due season we shall reap" (verse 9). Reap what? Verse 8: "life everlasting."

16. EPHESIANS 1:14 - The Holy Spirit is our 'down-payment' until "the redemption of the purchased possession" ( = the resurrection, as made clear in above passages). Sort of a Divine 'layaway plan.'

17. COLOSSIANS 3:2-4 - Our "life" is presently "hid with Christ in God" (i.e., assured by God's sovereign plan and secured by the work of Christ) - it will not be made actual until the Second Coming. Only then will Christ, "Who is our life", appear and bring to pass our glorification - thus, we shall "appear with Him in glory" ( = our resurrection).

18. 1 THESSALONIANS 4:16-17 - The scene here is the resurrection at the "last trump." Only at this time is it said, "and so (at this time & in this manner) shall we ever be with the Lord ( = 'eternal life')." Also, note that this is to be our message of comfort (v. 18).

19. 1 TIMOTHY 4:8 - Again, there are two categories here: "the life which now is" (in which we die) and "that which is to come (future tense)" (in which we are not subject to 'the second death'). The idea that 'eternal life' means that the believer just lives one continuous life is not Biblical. As both Jesus and Paul clearly taught (see above), the believer must die corrupt and mortal so that he/she can be resurrected incorrupt and immortal.

20. 1 TIMOTHY 6:12,19 - Paul could encourage us to "lay hold on" eternal life -- as something not yet possessed.

21. HEBREWS 9:27-28 - Although we all have our appointment with death, Christ will come "the second time" - and note this - "unto salvation."

22. JAMES 1:12 - The "crown of life," though "promised," is yet future.

23. 1 PETER 1:3 - God has "begotten us again" unto a "lively hope" - God's promise of "eternal life/immortality/resurrection" is often referred to as our "hope." Why? Because it is yet future.

24. 1 PETER 1:7-9 - When? "at the appearing of Jesus Christ" (v. 7). What? "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls (i.e. - the whole person)" (v. 9). See 2 Cor. 5:8-10.

25. 2 PETER 3:10-15 - Again, "salvation" (v. 15) is bestowed at the Second Coming (verses 10-14).

26. 1 JOHN 3:2-3 - Again, our "hope" (v. 3) is in our resurrection at His Second Coming (v. 2). John's point here is (paraphrasing), "Yes, we are saved now but it ain't over yet ... there's more to our salvation." This of course echos both Jesus (John 5) and Paul (Rom. 8 and 1 Cor. 13).

27. JUDE 21 - we are told here to "look for" ( = future) His mercy "unto eternal life." Clearly a reference to the Second Coming - our "blessed hope." The "mercy" that Jude refers to is our resurrection.

28. REVELATION 2:7,10 - Both the "tree of life" and the "crown of life" are apocalyptic symbols for the "eternal life/immortality" promised to us. Note that both are given and received after this life ( = yet future). See the above #22 on James 1:12.

29. REVELATION 21:6 - As with #28 above, "the fountain of the water of life" is given to believers to drink ... but when? Read verses 1 and 2 - at the Second Coming.

30. REVELATION 22:14 - Again, "the tree of life" is our's by right only after the Second Coming.

So then, in light of the thirty passages explained above, in what sense is "eternal life" our's in the here and now? The answer, when all passages are considered, is that "eternal life" is our's presently in the sense that it is guaranteed by the work of Christ (John 4:14; Romans 5:10; 2 Tim. 1:1,10; Titus 1:1-2; 3:7; 1 John 2:25; 5:11-13 - also expressed in the description of believers at His second coming in Rev. 17:14). Believers are the "heirs," eternal life being the "inheritance" (see Matt. 19:29; Ephesians 1:14; Titus 3:7; 1 Peter 3:7). God has given us His Holy Spirit as the "earnest" (Strong's #728 - Grk. 'arrhabon' = 'down-payment') of our "eternal life" (see 2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5; Ephesians 1:13-14) - this is what it means to be "sealed with the Spirit."

Our "eternal life" is attributed to us in the present tense in the same way as our glorification (Romans 8:30) and even our resurrection (Ephesians 2:4-5) are. As we are told in Romans 4:17 - God "calls those things that be not as though they were ..." Make no mistake - this is a reality. When it is God offering the guarantee, it is as real as anything that ever was. But when all relevant passages are accounted for, we must also recognize that Scripture clearly teaches that our salvation, our immortality, our eternal life is something yet to be actualized. It encompasses the whole man, and thus will not be complete until our Lord returns.

1. See my article "An Exposition of 1 Corinthians 15:12-57" <BACK TO TEXT>