When we die physically and are resurrected we no longer shall be "man" in the adamic, flesh and blood sense. We shall be as the angels, our personality being animated spiritually, but unlike the angels we shall possess flesh and bones.

The believers of our day must understand that eternal life is not a legally assigned state. Eternal life is the Life of God that comes to us through Christ. It is easy, especially when we are first saved, for material possessions to crowd out the eternal life of our new man and slay what has been begun in us.

It may be true in the wealthy nations of our day that most Christians either have lost their eternal life, or else have such a meager portion of eternal spiritual life they are unable to overcome Satan.

Eternal life is born in us but, like biologic life, it must be fed. Man, being a dual being, cannot live by bread alone. If he neglects prayer, the study of the Scriptures, gathering together with fervent saints, he will die spiritually. The believer who lives solely in the flesh, in biologic life, who neglects the cultivation of the eternal life that has been born in him, will die spiritually.

Of the seven aspects of redemption, the only one handed to us is forgiveness. The remaining six are not assigned legally. They are experienced. They are not legal states that exist in the mind of God. They are changes in our personality.

Such is the case with eternal life. Eternal life is not imputed (ascribed) to us, or preserved in us by grace, or given us when we die, or given us in Heaven, or given us when the Lord comes.

Eternal life is born in us when we receive Christ as our Lord and Savior. From that point forward we must sow to eternal life, nourishing it carefully with the aspects of grace that come to us from Heaven.

If we do not do this, choosing instead to sow to our flesh, trusting God will raise us in that day by his grace, we will experience very great remorse, if not destruction, in the Day of the Lord. It is not doctrine or grace that will raise us in the Day of Christ, it is eternal life that will raise us in the Day of the Lord.

Eternal life is Divine Substance, not endless spiritual existence ascribed to us because of our profession of faith.

But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [make alive] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. (Romans 8:11)

The Lord Jesus Christ has come so we may have eternal resurrection life and that we may have it in abundance. He who is wise will devote the prime attention and energies of his life to the task of attaining the fullness of eternal life—the first resurrection from among the dead (Philippians 3:11).

To be continued.