(Continued from the 3^rd part…)

4)            John 11:25 “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:” and I make bold, with my firm understanding of this scripture, to asseverate that this is the beingness serving as the centrepiece of soteriological kerygma. The loss of human life, being rejuvenated, to the glory of His creative acumen, is presented as a gift to anyone who believes in the finished work of the cross! What is ‘resurrection’? It is the Greek anastasis (an-as’-tas-is) ‘1. a standing up again 2. (literally) a resurrection from death 3. (individual, genitive case or by implication) its author 4. (figuratively) a recovery or moral recovery of spiritual truth.’ The applied definite article ‘the’ makes Jesus the sole Author of anastasis! Zoe is the Greek for the noun ‘life.’ And to make it clear the true kind of life He meant, Jesus went on in the next verse: “And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this” [John 11:26]?

                The lucidity of this verse is a perfect guarantee of Divinity: that salvation of a born-again person is incontrovertibly eternal. One word that proves this fact is the adverb, ‘never’ which has the definitions of ou me (ou may’), eis (eis) and aion (ai-own’); where ou me (ou may’) is ‘a double negative strengthening the denial, “not at all”;’ eis (eis), a preposition, means: ‘1. to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time 2. (figuratively) to or into a purpose (result, etc.) {also in adverbial phrases; Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively)};’ and the third aion (ai-own’), a noun, ‘1. (properly) an age 2. (by extension) perpetuity (also past) 3. (by implication) the world 4. (specially, Jewish) a Messianic period (present or future).’ Put together, ou me eis aion means ‘not at all into perpetuity.’ Once saved is eternally saved.

The Lamb is the Saviour that taketh away the sins of the world. 

                Philippians 4:3 “And I intreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women which laboured with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellowlabourers, whose names are in the book of life.” Of a truth, it is not just enough to call yourself a Christian, you must, as a matter of fact, be more than a ‘yokefellow,’ the Greek of which is suzugos (sood’-zoo-gos) ‘1. yoked together, co-yoked 2. (figuratively, as noun) a colleague 3. (a proper name) Syzygus, a Christian;’ you must be a ‘true’ suzugos (which comes from –sun ‘with or together’ & zeugos (dzyoo`-gos) ’a couple’); –put together you have– suzeugnumi (sood-zyoog’-noo-mee) ‘1. to yoke together 2. (figuratively) conjoin (in marriage)’ Christian. The word ‘true’ is gnesios (gnay’-see-os) ‘legitimate (of birth), i.e. genuine.’ This is the reason why I have always asseverated that a true born again is eternally saved. No sin can reverse his new birth: it is from above, maintained from above forever. Amen!

Jesus, very God of very God. Amen.

                Jesus made a categorical statement in Revelation 3:5 “He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.” God, by His omniscience faculty, knows those who will be in the Book of life as stated in Revelation 13:8 “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” From the book of life comes the judgment; “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works” [Rev. 20:12].

Hell: a phenomenal realism!

                “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” [Rev 20:15]. Revelation 21:27, “And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life;” is a clear indication that the grand Author of anastasis –Resurrection– is also the Owner of the Book of life. “And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” [Rev 22:19].    

               Get born again by saying this simple prayer.

“Dear heavenly Father, I come to You now in the name of Jesus Christ. I believe in my heart that Jesus is the Son of God. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sin. I believe that You raised Him from the dead. I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and I receive Him now as my Lord and my Saviour. I give God all the glory. Amen!”

(…to be continued…)

You can read the previous 3rd part here

Click here to read part 5

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