One of our problems, as we have noted before, is that we view salvation as being only that which we experienced when we first accepted Christ. In actuality salvation occurs at a specific point in the past, is a continuing experience, and will climax with the coming of the Lord.

It is true we receive eternal life when we first come to Christ. But it is a deposit on that which is to come. One of our primary tasks as a Christian is to sow to that life, to lay hold on it, to allow it to lead us to complete victory over sin.

We will receive the fullness of life when the Lord returns and makes alive our mortal body.

It also is true that we can kill that which we have been given. We can lose our resurrection life. This is what Paul means when he teaches that if we through the Spirit put to death the deeds of our body we will live. But if we choose to live in the appetites of the flesh we will die.

This is what Paul means when he states the wages of sin is death. He is speaking to Christians.

This is what Paul means when he says, she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.

We Christians have been taught in America we will not surely die even if we do not put away our sin. We have been taught a lie. We will surely die spiritually if we choose to live in the flesh and soul.

We must eat of the tree of life continually. Each day a portion of evil and a portion of Divine good is set before us. (I know I have said this several times previously and may keep on saying it. We need to understand what we are doing with our life.)

We can choose to yield to the evil. If we do we will start to die spiritually. We can choose to use the Divine help to overcome the evil. If we do we will be given to eat of the tree of life. Every time we overcome sin we are given to eat of the tree of life.

God wants us to be filled, filled, filled with eternal life. Straight is the gate and narrow the way that leads to life and few find it.

When we sow to our flesh we reap corruption. When we sow to the Spirit of God we reap eternal life.

You want to see three-dimensional eternal life? Watch some Christian in your assembling who is praying, forgiving, serving, and getting the victory over sin each day.

You want to see three-dimensional corruption? Watch some believer in your assembling who is partying, gossiping, criticizing, stabbing others in the back, promoting division, slandering, seeking preeminence.

We don't have to wait until we die. We can see eternal life, and corruption and death, played out before us each day.

Are you bitter? You are living in spiritual death. Are you seeking the Lord for every decision, forgiving those who seek to harm you, trusting God continually? You are living in eternal life.

There are believers who are doctrinally sound, positive they have eternal life. But they hate their brother. They have no eternal life. No murderer has eternal life.

Eternal life is not a legal state God attributes to us because we believe in Christ. Eternal life is the Divine, incorruptible Life of God in Jesus Christ in the person who is doing God's will.

He who does the will of God abides forever.

To be continued.