Eternal Life

ROMANS 6:23 NKJ

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Eternal life, or everlasting life, is more than living forever.
Eternal life is the life of God, the Eternal One.

The Greek word "aionios" is usually translated as eternal or
everlasting in the New Testament. (From this word we get our
English word "eon.")

"Zoe" is one of several Greek words that are translated life.
According to Vine's Dictionary, zoe means "life as a principle,
life in the absolute sense, life as God has it. . . . Eternal
life is the present actual possession of the believer because
of his relationship with Christ. . . ."

A note in the Translator's New Testament says, "In the New
Testament eternal life is that kind of life which is given to
all true believers in Christ. The word `eternal' draws
attention to the quality of that life, not to its duration in a
temporal sense. Thus eternal life can be experienced by
believers even while subject to the temporal conditions of
earthly life. Translators should be careful to avoid
expressions which mean no more than a timeless continuation of
life after death."

More than three times as many scriptures refer to eternal life
as a present possession, than as a future possession.

JOHN 5:24 NKJ

24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and
believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not
come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

There is only one way to get eternal life. When a person is
born again by receiving Jesus Christ, eternal life is imparted
to that person's spirit -- making them new inwardly.

1 JOHN 3:14-15 NKJ

14 We know that we have passed from death to life, because we
love the brethren. He who does not love his brother abides in
death.
15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that
no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.

From this passage, we see that eternal life is a present-tense
possession which changes the nature of a person: turning them
into someone who cares for others. Eternal life enables people
to overcome selfishness.

Just as something with fish life in it could do what a fish
does, so someone with God's life in them can do what God does
-- which is walk in love.

SAY THIS: God has given me a new kind of life through Jesus
Christ -- His life.