Hi Arcturus,
I have been thinking on about some of the things that you posted.
Does this show that The Life IS GOD the Source of eonian life? Is eonian life THAT life that is given as a gift through Christ? God has given THE Life to Christ Who has been able to declare that He is THE LIFE because LIFE is inherently in HIM.
All living creatures on earth have life, everything that breathes was given life by God.
Gen 1:30 "And to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has
the breath of life..."
Gen 2:7 then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils
the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.
So all living things are given life and spirit and makes a living soul.
Isa 38:15 What shall I say? He has spoken to me, and He Himself has acted; I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.
Isa 38:16 O Jehovah, by these things men live, and in all these is the life of my spirit; so You will recover me, and make me to live.
It’s interesting that the life is in the blood.
Lev 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…”
But after the resurrection Christ said He was flesh and bones, no mention of blood there.
Luke 24:39 Behold My hands and My feet, that I am He! Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see Me have.
So we know that Life is in Christ, but is it the same 'life' that animals or even carnal humans have? Well, of course not.
2Tim 1:1 "Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of
life which is in Christ Jesus,"
1John 5:11 "And this is the testimony, that God gives us life eonian, and this
life is in the Son."
1John 1:1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, at which we gaze and our hands handle, is concerned with
the Word of Life."
v. 2 And
the Life was manifested, and we have seen and are testifying and reporting to you
the Life eonian which was toward the Father and was manifested to us." (CLV)
So the life that is so often spoken of in the NT that we receive from Christ is a
NEW LIFE, and is the gift of God.
Rom 6:4 We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in
newness of life.
We receive this newness of life, when Christ abides in us. It is not the same as the breath of life given all creatures.
1John 3:24 And he who keeps His commandment dwells in Him, and He in him. And by this we know that He abides in us,
by the Spirit which He gave to us.
1Cor 2:12 Now
we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God.
Now the elect will fully receive this new life in the Spirit. at the first resurrection, now we just have the begettal.
Rom 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also
give lifegive life to your mortal bodies
through His Spirit who dwells in you.
1Co 15:44 It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
This Spirit of life will not come to the rest of humanity until the GWTJ.
John 3:36 He who believes in the Son has
everlasting (eonian) life; and he who does not believe the Son
shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
John 5:28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
v. 29 and come forth--those who have done good, to the
resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
I believe that eventually when Christ returns all back to God, the differences will be erased as God becomes all in all rather like our identities will dissolve into the boundless omnipresence and omnipotence and omniscience of God.
We can only speculate on this, but I don’t think we will loose our identities, by dissolving into God, or did I misunderstand what you were saying?
It seems to me at the first resurrection the elect unites with Christ and the Father in the kingdom, and will all be together in perfect harmony and Oneness.
But I was thinking we would all still have our own individuality, as it seems that is the purpose of this life. It just seems like He gave us these great variety of life experiences, to create in us uniqueness and individual character traits for a purpose.
And isn't the whole universe waiting for the perfecting of the human race.
If you think about it, God does not make anything in vain, there must be something He has in mind for all these planets. The human race that is being created into HIs image have such a variety of personalities and interest and even abilities, what a great way to put that all into use. Christ is our example and look at what He did at creation.
Rom 8:19 For the earnest expectation of the creation waits for the manifestation of the sons of God.
v. 20 For the creation was not willingly subjected to vanity, but because of Him who subjected it on hope v. 21 that the creation itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
This is just my mind wonderings, but it gives you a lot to think about
Mercy, peace, and love
Kat