 |
"He that loveth his life shall lose it; |
Let us consider a passage from the Scriptures.
1.
Two men contrasted
Please
observe that two men are being contrasted in the passage.
a.
In their different manner of life:
-
One man loves his life in this world.
-
The other man hates his life in this world.
- Common
sense requires that the two men belong to the same category; both are God's children.
b.
In the outcome of their different manner of life
i. The man who loves his life in this world shall LOSE his life, i.e. he shall NOT
KEEP his life unto life eternal. Many understand this as failure to obtain eternal life, i.e. this person shall
perish eternally in the lake of fire. They believe that eternal life is
obtained by the way a man lives his life, i,e by man's effort. They don't
believe that eternal life is a free gift of God, bestowed to a man when he was
spiritually dead in sins and trespasses.
ii. The man who hates his life in this world shall SAVE his life, i.e. he shall
KEEP his life unto life eternal. Very many understand this as gaining eternal
life because the man lived well enough, he gained eternal life.
2.
Two worlds are spoken of
a.
Please note that two worlds are spoken of before we proceed further.
-
The present one here is 'in this world.'
-
The next one is indicated by 'UNTO life eternal' after this world.
b.
There is an obvious contrast between IN THIS WORLD and that which follows,
i.e the NEXT WORLD indicated by the term 'life eternal.'
-
'unto life eternal' speaks of the world that follows after this present world at death. The man who loves his life in this world shall not keep his life unto the world
indicated by 'life eternal.'.
-
But the man who hates his life in this present world shall keep his life unto
the world to come, i.e unto life eternal. It is inaccurate to translate 'eis
zōēn aiōnion' as 'for eternal life' as in NKJV and NIV. The KJ translators knew better.
-
It conveys the false impression that loving or hating one's life in this world
is the way a man gains or loses one's eternal life.
c.
'Life eternal' in this passage cannot possibly be the same as the eternal life
that a man regenerated by the Spirit of God already possesses.
-
Eternal life is bestowed upon an elect of God in THIS WORLD as the result of
the sovereign and immediate divine act of the Spirit of God in regenerating him
when he was dead in trespasses and sin.
-
Eternal life is a present possession of God's children in this world.
"Whosoever believeth... HAVE eternal life." Temporal life is lived
out in the life temporal, i.e. present world. Eternal life shall be lived out
in the life eternal, i.e. the world to come, after death and before resurrection to glory.
- "Unto life eternal" speaks of paradise in the intermediate state. The other side of the intermediate state is hell (this is distinct from the lake of fire).
Here is an example of the two sides in the intermediate state: "And
these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life
eternal." Mat 25:46
3.
The life that is loved or hated in this world
a.
Next, please take careful note that the life that is loved or hated in this
world is NOT eternal life.
-
It is the present life that Christ has redeemed from sins. Apostle Paul said,
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
-
The life that a child of God now lives in the body in this world is the present
temporal life which has been redeemed by Christ. This is the life spoken of.
-
Similarly, please take note that the life that is lost or kept unto life
eternal is not the eternal life that was freely begotten at regeneration.
b.
It is a popular notion that eternal life is spoken of in the passage. But it is
so plain and obvious that it is not the eternal life that is loved or hated; it
is not the eternal life that shall be lost or shall be kept. Please read the
text again SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY: what shall be lost and what shall be kept?
- Is
it the present LIFE here on earth that has been redeemed by Christ, or the
ETERNAL LIFE that was given at regeneration?
The passage is so often misunderstood as teaching men how to obtain and keep eternal life. Such is quite ignorant of the free grace of God in the eternal salvation of sinners who are dead in trespasses and sins.
The life spoken of cannot possibly be eternal life for one simple reason - 'eternal life' is most assuredly a free and sovereign GIFT of God to an elect who is dead in trespasses and sins. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Eternal life can never be gained by what a man does. It is by God's free grace - a man without it, being dead in trespasses and sin, could hardly do anything in order to gain eternal life. It is by God's free grace - a man to whom it has been freely given will never lose it by what he shall do or fail to do. His eternal life is kept and preserved in him and for him by the infinite, eternal and unchangeable power of God alone, 1Pet 1:3-5; John 6:39. "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance" Ro 11:29. God does not take back His free gift either.
Wouldn't it be so terribly frightening if the keeping or losing of your eternal life depends on your own effort of hating your life in this world? Would you ever hate your life in this world well enough and consistently enough to qualify to keep the eternal life that was freely given to you? Yet, so many Christians' have been deceived to believe such a fable - even the popular "perseverance of the saints", a life of faith and holiness to the end of life
IV.
Working out your own salvation
From
the text, it is quite clear that BOTH men are set on their way to life eternal.
They are both on their way to life eternal by the SAME free grace of God; they
were effectually called to grace and eternal salvation when they were in the
SAME state of sin and death. They are both justified, regenerated, adopted
and given the Spirit of God to dwell in them by the SAME free grace of God.
They are both called and exhorted by their SAME Lord to biblical discipleship
as they walk through this world to their eternal home. The text is giving instruction
to God's children on how they should walk in this world, and are plainly warned of
the consequences of the way one chooses to walk in this world. It is not a
passage teaching men how to obtain eternal life and how to keep it.
'Salvation
by God's free grace alone' has its necessary implications. However 'salvation
by God's free grace alone' is just an empty shibboleth in many people's mouths -
because in essence they still believe that eternal salvation is by some acts of
man - represented as 'loving his life' or 'hating his life' in this world. They
still believe that the eternal destiny of a man is determined by his own
actions. The Scriptures declare in no uncertain terms that eternal
salvation is entirely according to the divine and sovereign purpose of
election.
"For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be
conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many
brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he
called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.”
EVERYTHING HERE IS MONERGISTIC - SOLELY AND COMPLETELY by free and sovereign
divine grace - of pure and unadulterated divine grace in our eternal salvation.
Also, all the divine actions here embrace and apply to every single elect in
Christ.
V.
There is a precious life to be kept...
The
present life that Christ has redeemed from sin and death may be saved or lost depending on how one lives his redeemed life in this world - whether
he loves his life in this world, or he hates his life in this world. To hate
his life in this world is to live the redeemed life by faith in Christ and in
obedience to God; it is to daily enter the strait gate and walk the narrow way
(Mt 7:13-14); it is to live soberly, godly and righteously (Tit 2:12). To love
his life in this world is to live his redeemed life for self; it is to daily
enter the wide gate and walk the broad road; it is not denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts. A redeemed life that is lived for self - however successful and
glamorous in the present world - is a lost life, it is a life that shall not be
kept unto life eternal. It is a redeemed life wasted and squandered in this
world - such will not enter unto life eternal in the intermediate state.
What
is lost is not eternal life, but a redeemed life that is wasted and
squandered away. And what a wasted life so many believers are living - they
love their life in this world... just like those who are perishing do theirs.
They give their life to pursue the same things that the worldlings pursue and
enjoy. They reside in Sodom and partake of the good things and pleasures that
Sodom provides. Lot's was a wasted-and-squandered life. He loved his life in
this world and pampers it with what the world offers. He failed to keep his
life unto life eternal. He lost it! For the love of his life in this world, he
suffered much destruction in this world... to be mocked by the sons-in-law,
with a wife that turned into a pillar of salt, having perverse daughters that
deliberately commit incest with him - these were no small destructions he
suffered in this world. By God's free grace alone, Lot will be found in heaven after his resurrection to glory.
- His
eternal salvation was by God's free grace. He did nothing to receive it. His
foolish messing up his life did not forfeit his eternal salvation. But oh, he
lost his redeemed life, he did not keep it unto life eternal. And what a big
loss that was! He was saved as through fire - His life's work was burned, he
suffered loss: but he himself was saved; yet so as by fire. His life was a life
of laying treasure on earth; "lay not up for yourselves treasures upon
earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and
steal." He did not save his life to life eternal.
Eternal salvation is by God's free and sovereign grace alone. By His grace working in them, God's children must work out their own salvation in this life... by hating their life in this world, separating it from ungodliness and worldliness... by seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, by laying up treasures in heaven, by daily entering the strait gate and walking the narrow way. This way he shall keep his life unto life eternal. Though eternal salvation may be by God's free grace, a child of God who loves his life in this world - shall be attended with many just and evil consequences of sins in this life and after death in the intermediate state - represented by nothing less than 'shall lose his life,' i.e. shall not keep it unto life eternal. This should deter any child of God from loving his life in this world and wasting it away.
There
is a better and wiser and honourable way to enter the intermediate state - the period between death and the general resurrection. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have
kept the faith."
May God help each one of us to hate our redeemed life in this
world in these perilous times so that we may save it unto life eternal. For a child
of God to live his life loving this world is to receive the grace of God in vain. To
receive the grace of God in vain is a fearful reality among children of God,
2Cor 6:1.
"For
whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life
for my sake shall find it" - i.e. he who loves his redeemed life in this world
shall lose it, and he who hates his redeemed life in this world for Christ's sake shall
keep in unto life eternal - paradise during the intermediate state! Amen.
