Eternal Life
Sign
of the Times - January 15,1859.
“This
is the true God, and eternal life.”
1 John 5:20
That this testimony is given by the inspired apostle concerning our Lord Jesus
Christ, we presume but few if any will dispute, since there is no other
character or being found in heaven or earth to whom we can apply these titles
without involving the sin of blasphemy. The whole theme of John in this epistle,
as well as in all his writings, was to bear record or testimony of him, and to
show by the most indisputable testimony that he is as here declared, the true
God, and eternal life. It is highly important that the children of God should be
instructed in regard to his being, his attributes, his fullness, and of the
relationship subsisting between him and them; and to meet this necessity the
Holy Ghost inspired John to write unto the scattered family of God that they may
have fellowship with each other, and that their joy may be full, (1 John 1:1-4).
As the doctrine declared in our text involves the fellowship of the saints one
with another, and their fellowship also with the Father, and with his Son Jesus
Christ, how very important it is that we in striving to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bonds of peace, should search diligently these Scriptures which
testify of him.
Two important points are established by the declarations of our text. First,
that Jesus Christ is the true God, and secondly, that he is the eternal life. On
these two points we will offer a few remarks for the prayerful consideration of
our readers.
First. He is the true God. It is not said that he is a true God, as though there
were a plurality of true gods: for the Scriptures proclaim but One living and
true God, and he himself has said, “I am God, and beside me there is no other.”
Hence the definite article is used to signify that Jesus Christ is the same God
of whom Moses testified unto
He is the true God; all others who claim that honor, or who are revered as such,
are false, delusive idols, whether they be of gold or silver, or any material
substance, or existing only in the vain imagination of their worshipers. But
when we claim that Jesus Christ is the only true and living God, we hold that
all the fullness of the eternal Godhead dwells in him. The eternal Father is in
him, and he is in the Father, and he and his Father are one. The Holy Spirit of
the Lord God, in all his infinity is given to him without measure or limitation;
it dwells in him, and is one with him. All that constitutes the Godhead, with
all the attributes and perfections belong to him, and are essential to his
nature, so that in the absence of any of them, if it were possible that any of
them could be absent from him, he would be disqualified to be a Savior, or to be
worshiped. God has declared that he is God and beside him there is no Savior,
and he has forbidden his creatures to worship any but himself, therefore in
worshiping Christ, we worship none other than the true God. The Father, the Word
and the Holy Ghost, notwithstanding these personal distinctions by which they
are severally set forth in the record of truth, are but the one only living and
true God, for these three are one. In his eternal Godhead we hold therefore, in
distinction from the views advanced by those who lately assailed our faith on
this subject, that Christ, in his Godhead, is self-existent, independent and
eternal. That his Godhead is unbegotten and underived, it is the Godhead of the
Father, and of the Holy Ghost, and we would as soon think of applying derivation
to the Father or Spirit as to that fullness of the Godhead which is embodied in
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Although he is the true God, equally and identically with the Father and the
Holy Ghost he also sustains and gloriously fills a mediatorial identity, in
which he is as fully identified as one with the church as in his Godhead he is
one with his Father. Hence our apostle not only declares him to be the true God,
but also proclaims him as the eternal life. He himself declares, “I am the way,
the truth, and the life.” “I am the Resurrection and the life.” The scriptural
record of this Eternal Life, as given by the apostle John, and by all inspired
writers finds its origin in the eternal Father; and hence its eternity, “That
which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of
life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and
shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested
unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also
may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and
with his Son Jesus Christ.,” (1 John 1:1-3). The manifestation of this eternal
life which was with the Father, is represented as a begetting, a bringing forth,
a setting up, and a Sonship, while its incarnation extended the manifestation to
the saints on earth, so that they could see with their eyes, and handle the Word
of life. Let us not forget that this Life is eternal, the manifestation is not
the origination of it; for before it was manifested, it was with the Father. The
begetting, or birth, is not the origination of that life which is made manifest
by a birth. This eternal Life, is the Life which our Lord Jesus Christ is unto
his body the church, which is the fullness of him that filleth all in all. “For
me to live is Christ.” “When he who is our life shall appear, we shall appear
with him in glory.” When this eternal life was manifested, of course it
appeared, and in it all the saints were and are manifested in glory, even in
that glory which the divine Mediator had with the Father before the world was.
This is what we understand to be the eternal vitality, or immortality of the
These views, if correct involve what is called the doctrine of Eternal Vital
Union. That in the life of all the saints of God is one life, it is Christ, and
Christ is eternal, as the Immortality of his body. The manifestation of this
eternal life involves a spiritual generation, proceeding from God the Father, in
manifestation of the eternal life which was with him, and all this eternal life
with all spiritual blessings, was given us in Christ Jesus, according as he hath
chosen us in him before the foundation of the world. Hence, in the Sonship of
Christ is found all our vital relationship to God. This is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life, and the life is in his Son, so completely
identified with the Sonship of Christ that he that hath the Son of God hath
life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life. For he only hath immortality
dwelling in the light. The children of God having spiritual, eternal life given
them in Christ before the world began, are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; they are a seed that shall serve
him, and be counted to the Lord for a generation.
This is the doctrine of the Bible on the subject of the true God, and Eternal
Life, and a prominent and fundamental doctrine of the apostolic Baptists in all
ages, and in all parts of the world. It sets forth Eternal, Unconditional
Election, and life given to the chosen or elected people of God, before the
world began. Yet there are those now, as probably there have been in past ages,
who would confuse the minds of the saints, in order to rob them of the comfort
which an understanding of this subject inspires. John says, These things write
we unto you, that your joy may be full. Satan and his legions oppose the
doctrine, traduce, misrepresent and persecute those who hold, and proclaim this
doctrine. Not because Satan has any hope of being able with all his allies on
earth, in or out of the Christian profession, to overturn or destroy it, but the
joy of the saints cannot be full without the consolation of this doctrine, the
object of the powers of darkness to prevent the fullness of joy which the
subject inspires.
May the Lord lead our minds by his Spirit into this and all truth, and deliver
us from all error and delusions, for Jesus’ sake, and then we can well afford to
bear all the reproach which may be heaped on us for the truth’s sake.
“Then let the loudest storm arise,
Let tempests mingle earth and skies,
No
fatal shipwreck shall we fear,
For Christ, our life, is always near.”
