The adjective eternal, as it is used in eternal life, is not, according to scriptural usage, defined primarily in terms of chronological time. Every creature of God exists forever. The fallen angels will exist forever but they do not have eternal life. The demons will be conscious forever but they do not possess eternal life (the Life and Virtue of God).

The spirit and soul of man never "sleep." They never lose consciousness or function. They are not subject to decay. Therefore eternal life or death in the soul and the spirit are not referring to consciousness or function or the loss of them but to the "knowledge" of God and Christ—knowledge in the sense of life, virtue, presence, fellowship, abiding acceptance. "I never knew you," Jesus says to the lawless, meaning He never has received the lawless to Himself.

However, since the material body is subject to loss of consciousness and function, eternal life in the body has two meanings: one, eternal consciousness and function; and two, possession of the Life and Presence of God. Apart from the possession of the Life and Presence of God the resurrection of the body would result only in eternal existence—and a dreadful existence at that!

If Christ is in us, in our inner man, our spiritual nature is alive but our physical body remains dead. It is cut off from the Life and Presence of God and Christ because of the sin dwelling in it.

It will be of benefit to the reader, particularly in understanding the release of the material creation, if he will carefully go over and implant firmly in his mind the above definitions. We are using these definitions consistently in our discussion of the release of the creation. While the Scriptures do not always define life, death, and resurrection with the same degree of consistency we are employing, we believe the reader will find our definitions are not inconsistent with any passage. They merely reflect a common usage by the Scriptures.

Every physical body, both of the wicked and the righteous, will be raised in the last day and will have perpetual consciousness and function restored to it. But the physical body of the wicked will never receive eternal life and glory in the sense of access to the Presence of God. Also, the physical body of the nonovercomer will not receive the fullness of the likeness of the body of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Before we can understand the release of the material creation or the rewards to the overcomer, we must have a grasp on the nature of eternal life and how eternal life is worked out in our spirit, soul, and body.

The goal of the Christian redemption is to acquire eternal life in our spirit, our soul, and our body.

In our Christian tradition, going to Heaven after we die is considered to be the goal of the Christian salvation. This point of view has little scriptural basis. To be on firm scriptural ground we must accept the fact that the goal of the Christian redemption is to gain eternal life.

To be continued.