The last few articles and Facebook posting have been about this question of do we or do we not have eternal life right this minute? The answer has boiled down to how this matter is qualified in context. Actually understanding the answer requires first understanding the context and the context is that the life of Jesus and our lives in turn are being tested. I remember the very afternoon that this reality of life and living became crystal clear. It was as I read a particular passage from Job, chapter 4.
12 “Now a word was brought to me stealthily;
my ear received the whisper of it.
13 Amid thoughts from visions of the night,
when deep sleep falls on men,
14 dread came upon me, and trembling,
which made all my bones shake.
15 A spirit glided past my face;
the hair of my flesh stood up.
16 It stood still,
but I could not discern its appearance.
A form was before my eyes;
there was silence, then I heard a voice:
17 ‘Can mortal man be in the right before God?
Can a man be pure before his Maker?
18 Even in his servants he puts no trust,
and his angels he charges with error;
19 how much more those who dwell in houses of clay,
whose foundation is in the dust,
who are crushed like the moth.
20 Between morning and evening they are beaten to pieces;
they perish forever without anyone regarding it.
21 Is not their tent-cord plucked up within them,
do they not die, and that without wisdom?’
Eliphaz, the "friend" of Job, is having what we call a night-terror. In this vision, he encounters a demon who begins to relate the utter distrust of God. The demons basic point is: How can you expect God to trust human beings and see them as being righteous? He doesn't even trust his heavenly created elohim beings, the sons of God.
When I read this passage and digested it, the matter became instantly clear: This life is a loyalty test!
Every created free-willed creature whom God has created has the potentiality for failure in being loyal to God. What presents itself as a friend of God can quickly change it mind and become a treacherous enemy. Therefore, to have the forever company and relationship with any of his created beings, each one must be put to the test to prove and demonstrate either their loyalty to God or their disloyalty, thereby making them an enemy that must be ultimately destroyed completely.
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God doesn't trust any of us!
Yes, yes, yes—God loves you. Jesus loves you. The Father, Son, and Spirit loves you—BUT—read my words carefully: THEY DO NOT TRUST YOU!
The ancient rebellion of the sons of God, the resulting demons, the resulting fallen human beings, the violence, the damage to creation—all of it was a massive demonstration and vindication of God's lack of trust in his created free-willed beings, including you and I.
Look—follow me on this: Outside of Jesus, the first Adam was out best shot at being loyal to God. The streak of propensity that was in Adam for failed loyalty is what we were born with and in to. Without Christ, we were born into the same propensity where we were easily led and tempted into rebellion and disloyalty. Jesus was the only fully-man person to ever not succumb easily and instantly into rebellion and joining loyalties with fallen angelic beings and their demons.
It is this notion of lacking trust and proving loyalty that we have a deep trouble with. The news of God not trusting us is jarring, shocking, and almost beyond our ability to take in the reality of the truth of it regarding ourselves. We want to think that we can be trusted. We want desperately to believe that we are loyal. This was the ultimate issue with with Peter and the other disciples:
Peter replied, 'Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.' 'Truly I tell you,' Jesus answered, 'this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.' But Peter declared, 'Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.' And all the other disciples said the same.
To a man, they all swore their allegiance to Jesus no matter what, even if it meant dying for him. And to a man, they all shrunk away in fear when the moment arrived. What we don't want to hear is that we too would slink away in fear and shame. We are not the brave souls, but the cowards who ultimately fail to stand when the moments arrive. This is what this life is all about.
God is proving the loyalty or treachery of each free-willed creature—be they angelic beings or human beings; be they me or be they you. And that digs into our craw and its a feeling we hate and want to run from. So, what do we do? We invent theologies that allow us to think we escape the test or pass the test without having to suffer the test.
Meanwhile: Back at the question ...
Therefore, we want to invent a theology—backed up by cherry-picked scripture—that supports our cowardice and innately understood weakness (we know we're weak). We want a theology that gives us an escape-hatch that lets us off the hook of being actually tested. We know we're going to fail. We know we won't stand up on our own. We don't want to have to demonstrate our loyalty to Christ in a meaningful way that might include us suffering and even dying a martyrs death.
We want the two-year old Kindergarten version of living for God. The one that says we don't have to try very hard (or at all) and yet we still get the big adult payoff of salvation and eternal life. We don't want to run the adult race. We want the elementary school version of the field day where everyone gets a blue ribbon for participation without actually suffering through the matter of winners and losers. Why? Because we are deeply fearful of being one of the losers! As such, there are scriptures we will not cherry-pick in our made-up theology:
Revelation 21:8 - "But as for the cowardly, the faithless [disloyal], the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
Luke 12:4-5 - “I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that have nothing more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him!
2 Timothy 1:7 - For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.
Matthew 10:28 - And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Romans 8:15 - For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Revelation 2:10 - Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful [loyal] unto death, and I will give you the crown of [eternal] life.
Mark 4:40 - He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith [trust in my loyalty to you]?”
Note: It should be noted that "cowardice" as understood in biblical terms often implies an absence or failure of faith, rather than simply a fear of danger. Therefore, some of these verses are more specifically about faith and fear rather than "cowardice" in a modern sense. However, they provide a comprehensive look at the New Testament's teaching on the matter.
Above—Revelation 2:10 and 21:8 ought to seal the deal on the question, especially 2:10, where Jesus is talking to Christians at his church body in Smyrna. He is not talking to unbelievers. He is talking to disciples; people like you and I. Notice first that he specifically tells them that this thing is a test of their loyalty to him. And notice what he says happens if they are successful in passing the test: For those who hold their loyalty even to death (martyrdom), he will give them the crown of [eternal] life!
Wrapping it up
Let me be very clear: If you cannot see now that salvation and eternal life are given to those whose loyalty is tested—even in suffering and perhaps a martyrs death—then you are willfully blind. You don't want to see it. Instead, you want to keep to and hold to your made-up concocted Kindergarten theology whose demonically inspired aim is to shield you from being tested and pretend that Jesus doesn't care. Moreover, that Jesus, as God incarnate and King, doesn't care about your loyalty to him. You would rather believe a made-up lie that you have Jesus-provided golden parachute into heaven, salvation, and eternal life that doesn't include your loyalty being tested.
Each of those disciples who initially failed their loyalty test as the Lord was passing his all the way to suffering and a Roman cross and grave—each disciple eventually passed their own personal loyalty test where they had failed before. What was the difference? After Jesus was resurrected, the gift of the Father, the Spirit of God, was given to them. Why?
Because—for each of us to be able to pass this loyalty test that we are undergoing, we cannot do it of our own power and means. We need a new spirit in us (Cross of Christ) and we need the Power of God in us to facilitate our free-will choice. Only one question remains: Will we use our reborn spirit coupled with the very Power of God in us like Jesus to overcome? Will be be the brave loyal followers of Christ, proving to God we can be trusted—OR—will we shrink back from Jesus, taking words and actions that disavow him, and return our loyalties to gods, demons, and dark kingdoms where we will be destroyed with them forever because we chose flesh over Spirit?
All other arguments from here—as far as I am concerned—are moot, pointless, worthless, and not to be given time to. The matter is clear. The message of scripture is quite clear.
Stand, therefore!