Let’s explore the concept of eternal life from the biblical perspective. Christians often associate eternal life with the idea of salvation and the hope of believers after death in a heavenly realm.
George Ladd, a renowned scholar, in his influential work A Theology of the New Testament, The Presence of the Future, and elsewhere explained that eternal life is not just a distant future state but begins upon belief in Christ and is ultimately realized in the age to come. In this blog post, we will explore Ladd’s perspective on eternal life, examining how it relates to the age to come and the transformative power of faith in Jesus Christ.
The Age to Come
Before delving into the concept of eternal life, it is important to understand the notion of the age to come. In the New Testament, Jesus and others talked about the age to come, referring to a future era characterized by God’s reign and the fulfillment of his purposes. The Age to Come is a time when God’s kingdom is fully realized, and all things are restored to their intended perfection.
The age to come is often associated with the second coming of Christ, the final judgment, and the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth. Jesus talked about the Age to Come being in the future, but he also talked about it being the present reality with his presence and activity. The Age to Come was now and also was still future.
Eternal Life as Life in the Age to Come
George Ladd’s work is rooted in scholarly studies of how the Jews in Jesus’ time, early Christians and non-believers in the Greek/Roman world thought about time and eternal life. For Jesus, eternal life is not solely a distant future state that commences after physical death. Instead, eternal life begins upon belief in Jesus Christ.
Believers experience a foretaste of the age to come, a glimpse of the eternal life that will be fully realized in the future.
In other words, eternal life commences the moment we embrace our faith in the person of Jesus Christ. In this radical perspective, eternal life becomes more than a reward on a celestial horizon—it morphs into an experiential reality, a foretaste of the age to come that awaits us in its fullness
This understanding aligns with the teachings of Jesus himself. In John 17:3, Jesus prays, “Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” Here, Jesus presents eternal life not as a future reward but as a present reality intimately connected to a personal relationship with God. It is a life characterized by knowing and experiencing God and His Son, Jesus Christ, in a transformative way.
The Role of Belief in Christ
Belief in Christ plays a pivotal role in thinking about eternal life. It is through faith in Jesus as the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer, that individuals enter into a new relationship with God and become participants in the age to come. This belief involves a surrender of one’s life, acknowledging Jesus as Lord and Savior, and accepting his redemptive work on the cross.
When someone embraces faith in Christ, they experience a spiritual rebirth. This transformative event marks the beginning of eternal life—a life characterized by reconciliation with God, forgiveness of sins, and the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. As believers, they enter into a journey of ongoing sanctification and transformation, being conformed more and more to the image of Christ.
Implications and Application
Gaining insight into the eternal life that begins upon belief in Christ carries profound implications for our lives as faithful disciples. It infuses our present existence with hope, purpose, and a burning passion to embrace the radiant future that awaits us. Armed with this knowledge, we are urged to live as beacons of eternity, aligning our lives with the values and purposes of God’s kingdom.
Moreover, this perspective on eternal life emphasizes the relational aspect of Christianity. It underscores the importance of cultivating a vibrant and intimate relationship with God through Christ, seeking to know Him more deeply and to grow in His likeness, and we do this through community with other believers.
Obviously, many scholars and Christian traditions accept this view of eternal life. Scholar N.T. Wright, for instance, has also written extensively about this concept.
Both Ladd and Wright emphasize the idea that eternal life is not solely about the afterlife in a disembodied heaven but encompasses a future hope of resurrection and the renewal of all creation. They argue that the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan is not to take believers out of the world but to bring heaven and earth together in a new creation.
Wright, in his influential book Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church and elsewhere, challenges the common understanding of heaven as a place of eternal disembodied existence. He argues for a more holistic view of resurrection and the age to come, emphasizing the bodily resurrection and the renewal of creation.
According to Wright, eternal life is not about leaving the earth behind but about God’s purposes for the whole cosmos being realized. He suggests that the ultimate destiny of believers is to be resurrected into transformed physical bodies, living in a renewed creation where God’s kingdom is fully established.
Because we have eternal life now, we are called to participate actively in God’s redemptive work in the world, being agents of His love, grace, and justice amidst the freedom of God.
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