Basic Bible Course 3

Through natural birth, every person receives the natural life, which we can call created life. This life not only has a beginning in every person, but also in mankind. Indeed, it started with Adam. Because of sin, it is characterized by a spiritually dead state before God. For each person, it ceases when they die; and for mankind, when judgment takes place. The soul of the unbeliever, however, continues to live (or better: exist) after this first death, so that after resurrection it can persist with the body in the second death, which is the lake of fire.

During the new birth, the believer receives a new life, the eternal life. This life has a beginning in the believer, but not in Christ. It is characterized by its ability to perceive the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ (John 17:3). Hence, there is a living relationship with God. This life will never end. While our bodies are still mortal, after the resurrection (or when Christ returns), we will receive a glorified body, where we will "live" (meaning more than "continue to exist") - forever with God.

In the previous lesson, we saw that believers already here and now possess eternal life.

Some believe that we can lose this life again if we distance ourselves from the Lord. But "eternal life" is not an appendage, a kind of detachable supplement that we can lose. No, it is our eternal existence before and for God.

If one could lose eternal life again, then it would be just like the natural life, which is subject to death and tainted by sin,

Eternal Life is also considered in the Bible as the future glorious existence with God.

The Apostle John highlights this future aspect.

In this context, the Lord Jesus speaks of "inheriting" life eternal,