Is eternal life a reward?

[JM]

What do you think?

 

[Blue-Lightning]

Eternal life is a given. We'll live some where infinitely.

BL

 

[Judy]

JM you asked it eternal life was a reward? No! A reward is something earned. But the verses below show that it is a gift.

Romans 6:23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Acts 13:48. Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

1 John 2:25. And this is the promise that He has promised us eternal life.

1John 5:11. And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.

 

[Gary]

Eternal life

Interesting question....

I could quote you many verses, but I will spare you that

Eternal life is many things:

1.) Eternal life is the believer's hope (Acts 2:26-27, Rom 8:23-25, Gal 5:5, Gal 6:8, Eph 1:18.. etc)
2.) Eternal life is the believer's inheritance (Matt 19:28-29, Eph 1:13-14, Heb 9:15...)
3.) Eternal life is the believers PRESENT possession (John 3:36, John 5:21, 24, John 10:27-29, John 11:25, John 17:2)
4.) Eternal life is Christ (1 John 1:2-3, 1 John 5:11-12, 1 John 5:20)
5.) Eternal life is a gift from God (Psalm 133:3, Rom 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord")
6.) Eternal life is granted through Christ (Rom 5:21, Rom 6: 23)
7.) Eternal life is the mercy of Christ (Jude 21)
8.) Eternal life is promised by God (1 Tim 4:8, 2 Tim 1:1, Heb 9:15, 2 Pet 1:4, 1 John 2:24)

Those last ones are the closest I see to a "reward". However, I must admit I like #5: Eternal life is a gift from God.

John has many "IF you believe... THEN you have eternal life". Examples are John 3:15, 3:36, 6:40, 6:47. I guess that is a kind of reward. If you believe, THEN your reward is eternal life.

 

[JM]

If sin=death, why does the sinner get eternal life to live in hell? I thought it was a gift...

 

[Blue-Lightning]

The term "eternal life" is a bit misleading and can be quite the semantical mishap. In the Bible it is used to refer to salvation and life in Heaven, yet the Bible does say that Hell is eternal and nobody will die - sounds an awful lot like eternal life in a bad way doesn't it?

The good thing - you and I are both right. The people in Hell will experience eternal life, but only in the physical sense, because just as they did here on earth, they will continue to exist in a spiritual death: eternal death and eternal life at the same time. Yet in Heaven, both spiritual and physical life will be obtained in a way that has never been experienced here on earth.

I was only referring to the physical aspect of eternity and when I saw the scripture you were referring to later, I realized that you were referring to the spiritual aspect.

BL

 

[evanman]

Eternal Life in hell? I think not.

Eternal existence in hell maybe, but it can hardly be "Life"!

And yes it is a gift!

Ro 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Ro 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
Ro 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.

 

[Blue-Lightning]

To exist and have consiousness, one must be living. To be living, one must have life.

But if your disagreement is solely on wording, let's just skip it?

BL

 

[Gary]

Eternal life or Eternal punishment

I think the difference is that eternal life is a gift while the wages (i.e. "reward") of sin is death and eternal punishment.

• Rom 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
  
  Matt 25:46 - And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

So there is the GIFT of eternal life or WAGES/REWARD of eternal punishment.

 

[jsasaki06]

It is a reward for those who choose to follow Christ.

 

[Vic C.]

A cursory reading of the NT shows us a reward is the payment of a debt owed. The Bible also shows us rewards are given in Heaven; it is not Heaven itself.

There is a debt we can never pay; its called sin. That debt was already paid for us, in Blood. He paid the debt. We, whether we chose or were chosen to follow Him, are His reward!

Luke 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.
Luke 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.
Luke 18:12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luke 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.
Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

8-)

 

[Catholic Crusader]

What do you think?

We all have eternal life. But spending it in heaven, that is a reward.

 

[Vic C.]

Question...

Mat 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?

Verses later, a similar question is asked:

Mat 19:25 When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?

The answer is profound:

Mat 19:26 But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

A bit later on, Jesus explains who receives eternal life.

Mat 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

This is repeated throughout the Gospels.

It's so important, that Jesus said it back to back.

John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

I'll even go out on my reformed limb and quote:

John 6:53 Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

More from John:

John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
John 10:29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.

John 17
1 ¶ Jesus spoke these things and lifted up His eyes to Heaven, and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son may also glorify You,
2 as You gave to Him authority over all flesh, so that to all which You gave to Him, He may give to them everlasting life.
3 And this is everlasting life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.
4 I have glorified You on the earth. I finished the work that You gave Me to do.
5 And now Father, glorify Me with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the existence of the world.
6 ¶ I revealed Your name to the men whom You gave to Me out of the world. They were Yours, and You gave them to Me; and they have kept Your Word.
7 Now they have known that all things, whatever You gave to Me, are from You. (LITV}

So, who is given eternal life? Who received the reward? Eternal life was a gift to the ones chosen as righteous. The reward was us, given to Jesus. The Father gave US to Jesus! That's not a reward on our part, that's an honor and privilege. :angel:

All are NOT given eternal life. All throughout scripture, it is revealed that a select few privileged ones (the righteous) are given eternal life. The unrighteous do not get eternal life. We can tweak the words to mean what we want, but the Bible is clear; eternal life is reserves for the righteous chosen ones.

Side-note, we pay so much attention to "The Lord's Prayer" that we often neglect the prayer of Jesus to The Father, here in John 17. It's intro has become my permanent signature. I "love" the way Jesus speaks in third person throughout this prayer.

 

[guibox]

Yes, Vic, and here is where the doctrine of eternal torment falls.

The wicked are NOT given eternal life as all the verses you showed us point out. Eternal life, immortality, is given only to the righteous.

"For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life"

The fact that the wicked are not given eternal life means that they are still mortal and must suffer the wages of sin.

 

[Catholic Crusader]

The eternal nature of hell is stressed in the New Testament. For example, in Mark 9:47–48 Jesus warns us, "It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, where the worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched." And in Revelation 14:11, we read: "And the smoke of their torment goes up for ever and ever; and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." Hell is not just a theoretical possibility. Jesus warns us that real people go there. He says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard, that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matt. 7:13–14).

And in case you're interested: The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: "The teaching of the Church affirms the existence of hell and its eternity. Immediately after death the souls of those who die in a state of mortal sin descend into hell, where they suffer the punishments of hell, ‘eternal fire.’ The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs" (CCC 1035).

 

[manichunter]

it is a gift we have to be forced to accept, because no one naturally wants it because our carnal first believes that the cost is to high. Then some discover that someone paid the cost for them and offers the gift of salvation that they did not deserve. It was strictly love........love..love that gave us eternal life. Now eternal damnation is a whole different matter. Just do nothing and earn that.

 

[guibox]

Catholic Crusader,

In light of the bible texts that Vic has presented that clearly show that eternal life is for the righteous, I would like you to answer me these questions:

1) If the wicked are not immortal, how can they be tormented for all eternity?

2) If punishment is given immediately at our physical death, why does Jesus say 'Behold I come quickly and my reward is given to every man according as his work shall be' (revelation 22:12) and 'the hour is coming in the which that all who are in their graves shall come forth. Some to everlasting life, and others to everlasting damnation' (John 5:28-29)

3) In light of the above two, if I could show you that the language used in Mark 9 and Revelation 14 are metaphorical and used in temporary terms of annihilation elsewhere in the bible, would you be willing to reconsider your views?

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Your spirit is immortal. It will never die. If it isnt in heaven, it will be in hell: Eternally.

 

[guibox]

Catholic Crusader,

Can you provide support for:

1) That the 'spirit' of both the wicked and righteous go to hell and heaven at death

2) That the 'spirit' is the 'soul' (is it the soul or spirit that goes to heaven or hell? It can't be both)

I'll await your answer with scripture.

 

[Catholic Crusader]

Catholic Crusader,
Can you provide support for:
1) That the 'spirit' of both the wicked and righteous go to hell and heaven at death
2) That the 'spirit' is the 'soul' (is it the soul or spirit that goes to heaven or hell? It can't be both)
I'll await your answer with scripture.

First let me deal with the question of "spirit" and "soul". Please indulge me: I know you probably don't want to read the Catechism, but trust me, it explains it much better than I can:

II. "BODY AND SOUL BUT TRULY ONE"

362 The human person, created in the image of God, is a being at once corporeal and spiritual. The biblical account expresses this reality in symbolic language when it affirms that "then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."229 Man, whole and entire, is therefore willed by God.

363 In Sacred Scripture the term "soul" often refers to human life or the entire human person.230 But "soul" also refers to the innermost aspect of man, that which is of greatest value in him,231 that by which he is most especially in God's image: "soul" signifies the spiritual principle in man.

364 The human body shares in the dignity of "the image of God": it is a human body precisely because it is animated by a spiritual soul, and it is the whole human person that is intended to become, in the body of Christ, a temple of the Spirit:232


Man, though made of body and soul, is a unity. Through his very bodily condition he sums up in himself the elements of the material world. Through him they are thus brought to their highest perfection and can raise their voice in praise freely given to the Creator. For this reason man may not despise his bodily life. Rather he is obliged to regard his body as good and to hold it in honor since God has created it and will raise it up on the last day. 233
365 The unity of soul and body is so profound that one has to consider the soul to be the "form" of the body:234 i.e., it is because of its spiritual soul that the body made of matter becomes a living, human body; spirit and matter, in man, are not two natures united, but rather their union forms a single nature.

366 The Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it is not "produced" by the parents - and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death, and it will be reunited with the body at the final Resurrection.235

367 Sometimes the soul is distinguished from the spirit: St. Paul for instance prays that God may sanctify his people "wholly", with "spirit and soul and body" kept sound and blameless at the Lord's coming.236 The Church teaches that this distinction does not introduce a duality into the soul.237 "Spirit" signifies that from creation man is ordered to a supernatural end and that his soul can gratuitously be raised beyond all it deserves to communion with God.238

368 The spiritual tradition of the Church also emphasizes the heart, in the biblical sense of the depths of one's being, where the person decides for or against God.239


229 Gen 2:7.
230 Cf. Mt 16:25-26; Jn 15:13; Acts 2:41.
231 Cf. Mt 10:28; 26:38; Jn 12:27; 2 Macc 6 30.
232 Cf. I Cor 6:19-20; 15:44-45.
233 GS 14 # 1; cf. Dan 3:57-80.
234 Cf. Council of Vienne (1312): DS 902.
235 Cf. Pius XII, Humani generis: DS 3896; Paul VI, CPC # 8; Lateran Council V (1513): DS 1440.
236 1 Th 5:23.
237 Cf. Council of Constantinople IV (870): DS 657.
238 Cf. Vatican Council I, Dei Filius: DS 3005; GS 22 # 5; Humani generis: DS 3891.
239 Cf. Jer 31:33; Dt 6:5; 29:3; Is 29:13; Ezek 36:26; Mt 6:21; Lk 8:15; Rom 5:5.