I Believe in the Life Everlasting (2 Peter 3)

The final statement in the Apostles Creed follows on from the affirmation about the resurrection of the body. So we can read the statement as indicating the kind of existence in which those resurrected in a saved condition will enjoy. We should also read it aware that this future experience is one of only two possible circumstances in which humans will find themselves, the other being eternal death throughout an endless eternity. It is important to remember that both life and death describe forms of existence, and that death in this context does not suggest cessation of being, as some have suggested. We should not be surprised that sensitive, compassionate Christians have looked for possible interpretations that would mitigate the awfulness of a lost eternity. Yet we have also to acknowledge that the New Testament is very clear about the reality of hell as a place of permanent, conscious punishment administered by a righteous God on those who have disobeyed his will. As mentioned previously, the reality of hell should cause Christians to engage in evangelism of those who have not yet believed in Jesus. 

When does eternal life begin?

As we approach the subject of eternal life, we should remind ourselves that, usually, it is received initially by every person who responds to the gospel invitation and trusts in Jesus alone for salvation (obviously infants and others incapable of believing receive eternal life when they are regenerated apart from hearing or thinking about the gospel). The good news offers eternal life to all once they accept the terms of the gospel. The term is actually only one and it is faith in Jesus Christ. Much has been written about the nature of saving faith and it is wise to remember that its features do not exist to the same degree in every genuine Christian.  

I have found it helpful to identify four features of genuine faith. One of them is that true faith in Christ is always accompanied by repentance; faith and repentance have often been called ‘heavenly twins’. Another is that dependence on Jesus is the basic feature of faith in him – believers rely on him alone to deliver them from eternal death. The third feature of true faith is that the believer is delighted with Jesus; each of them finds the Saviour to be most suitable to their spiritual needs and is satisfied with him. And the fourth feature of faith is the presence of dedication to Jesus which comes from the recognition that he is Lord. Of course, each believer will continue to strengthen each of those features, but they are always present to some degree in true faith. 

The importance of recognising the presence of eternal life in the experience of believers in this world is seen in realising that what they receive from God as part of this life is a sample or foretaste of what they will receive from him in the eternal world. So what do they receive from God that can be described as life? The answer to this question is seen in the work of the Spirit as he brings about a living union between them and Christ.  

To begin with, we can say that this union expresses itself in two ways: one is concerned with what they receive from him and the other is concerned with what they give to him. From him, they receive spiritual blessings such as love, joy and peace, and they will be known in deeper ways in the eternal world. They offer praise to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, engage in prayer, meditate of what they have planned for sinners in the purpose of salvation and have fellowship with God. This response to God is also part of eternal life and enhances their sense of love, joy and peace. 

Moreover, eternal life is enjoyed in a community now and will be enjoyed in a much larger community in the future. Believers have not only been reconciled with God through the work of Jesus, they have also been reconciled with one another. The main example of this reconciliation in the New Testament is the way that Jews and Gentiles, usually hostile to one another, had become one body through Christ. They had discovered in Christ a life marked by harmony and unity. The removal of the racial barrier is one example of how this new community is created, and other barriers such as status or age are also out of place in the new community of Jesus. In the eternal world to come, this sense of community will be perfect and most enjoyable, and will be an important aspect of eternal life. 

In the main, eternal life is about discovering the affections, abilities and aims of the triune God. This discovery takes place in this life and each time something new is discovered by a believer he or she senses real fulfilment. The process by which this happens usually involves Jesus teaching his people through the ministry of the Spirit and giving insight into the purposes of the Father. Jesus is often described as the Prophet, Priest and King of his church, and as the Prophet he teaches his disciples about God and his intentions. By the Spirit, Jesus enlightens and instructs them about the great things of God. This process will continue and increase in the eternal world. There Jesus will bring his people into the depths of God that was not possible in this life, and they will have those discoveries for ever. Eternal life will be amazing and enjoyable. But the question arises as to where it will be enjoyed in eternity. 

The location of eternal life 

‘Where is heaven?’ is a question that is often asked. In one way, heaven is a name for the place where God reveals his glory, the place to where Jesus went at his ascension, the place where the redeemed souls go at death, and the place where angels dwell in the presence of God. It is a place of great delights, evidenced in the name with which Jesus called it when he assured the penitent criminal on the cross that he would be in Paradise that day. Paradise was the name given to the beautiful gardens of the Persian kings where they rested and enjoyed themselves. Heaven, in this sense, is much more fulfilling for a believer than is life on earth; as Paul told the Philippians, it would be better by far to depart and be with Christ than to remain on earth. 

Yet we have to ask if that heaven is the eternal dwelling-place of God’s people or if the Bible indicates that it will be somewhere else. I believe it does, and the information it gives should astound us regarding the great wisdom and power of God.

There are many biblical references that indicate the location of eternal life after the resurrection will be a restored creation. For example in Romans 8:18-24, Paul writes: ‘For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved.’

Who and what are included within the scope of a redeemed creation? John Murray proceeds with clear logical consideration of this passage and comes to an obvious conclusion. ‘Angels are not included because they were not subjected to vanity and to the bondage of corruption. Satan and the demons are not included because they cannot be regarded as longing for the manifestation of the sons of God and they will not share in the liberty of the glory of the children of God. The children of God themselves are not included because they are distinguished from “the creation” (vv. 19, 21, 23).… The unbelieving of mankind cannot be included because the earnest expectation does not characterize them. Even those who are at present unbelieving but will be converted are excluded because they will be comprised in the children of God who, as the partakers of the glory to be revealed, are distinguished from “the creation” (vss. 19, 21). We thus see that all of rational creation is excluded by the terms of verses 20–23. We are restricted therefore to non-rational creation, animate and inanimate.’

The New Testament has other references and one of them is mentioned in 2 Peter 3. Peter describes the replacement order as ‘new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells’ (v. 13). We can consider this section of his letter briefly and observe six details.

The first detail is that Peter says this future situation is the fulfilment of a divine promise. Previously, he had reminded his readers that God had given to them great and precious promises. Here is a reference to one such promise. It is likely that he is referring to the promise in Isaiah 65:17-24 where the Lord promises to create a new heaven and new earth. There the promise is given within the limitations of Old Testament revelation, describing the prominence of the city of Jerusalem and promising very long life and security to the inhabitants. We are to interpret that promise through the lens of the New Testament in which the Jerusalem of blessing is no longer the earthly city in the Middle East but the heavenly city made up of saved sinners from all over the world. This city is going to have the central place in the new world. Life in the new world is going to be the experience of enjoying the fulfilment of God’s great promises.

The second detail to note is that the appearance of the new heavens and new earth will be a public one. Job tells us that the creation of the first heaven and first earth had its admiring onlookers. The Lord asks, when speaking to Job about the foundations of the earth, ‘On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?’ (Job 38:6-7). I’m sure the angels still speak about what they saw taking place then. If their wonder was great at the first creation, it will be greater still when they observe the new creation. And they will be joined in the observation gallery by the hosts of the redeemed. There is a wonderful picture of this in Revelation 21:5-6. The one on the throne (Jesus or the Father) says, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ Then he says to John to begin writing an account of it, and before John puts his pen to paper, the same voice says, ‘It is done.’ That is how long it will take for Jesus to remake the universe. Throughout the endless ages that will follow, I don’t think we will ever forget the marvel of that moment.

The third detail about life in the new world is that it is physical. It is not only our souls that will exist there, but also our resurrected and transformed bodies. In the new world, we will walk and talk, we will interact with others. The eternal world is a place of meeting and of fellowship. At some stage we will be able to say that we will have met each inhabitant of that beautiful world. Above all, we will walk and talk with the Lord Jesus himself. In addition to being a place of physical fellowship, it will also be a place of physical service. Everybody there is a servant in the sense that each will engage in perfect service of the great Redeemer. He will assign the specific tasks that we will gladly perform, and each one will be done fully for his glory.

Fourthly, life in the new heavens and new earth will be marked by peace. There will not be the slightest ripple on the sea of glass throughout the endless ages. Instead there will harmony within each inhabitant and harmony without. Within, our minds, wills and emotions will blend together in one harmonious whole; without, our interactions with others will be peaceable, with never an angry word heard or sour look seen throughout eternity.

Fifthly, life in the eternal world will be marked by progress. There will progress in capacity and ability as well as experience; all their growth will be marked by blessedness. In this world, very few have great talents; in the next world, the least-gifted person who gets to it will have greater abilities than the best-endowed person in this world. The inhabitants of the new world will progress mainly in the knowledge of God.

Imagine a person beginning life in the new world. He begins to learn more about God and finds himself enjoying God increasingly. After a while he will find himself knowing ten times more than he knew when he first arrived, and having ten times the enjoyment that he had at the beginning. At a later stage, he will know a hundred times more than what he first knew, and his enjoyment increases further. Eventually, he will know a million times more than what he first knew, and his enjoyment continues apace. And it is just beginning. There is no end to the progress. Somewhere along the line every believer will pass the accumulation of knowledge and happiness that all the saints in heaven currently have. As the nineteenth century American pastor, Edward Dorr Griffin, put it, ‘From those sublime heights of ecstasy he will ascend to heights still more sublime, reaching upwards continually and approximating forever towards the infinite happiness of the Eternal Mind.’

Sixthly, life in the new world will involve the activities of Jesus Christ. He will be our prophet teaching us about the things of the Father, he will be our priest leading us in the eternal song, and he will be our King enabling us to fulfil our roles in his eternal administration. Through him and with him we will discover and enjoy the expanding fullness of the heavenly inheritance. As the elder brother in the family of the heavenly Father, possessing on behalf of his brothers the fullness of the Holy Spirit, he will minister to us and through us throughout the eternal ages.

A lot more could be said about life in the new world. The question that arises is, will each one of us share it? The only way by which that can happen is by trusting in the Saviour, Jesus Christ, and obtaining pardon for our sins. If you want to experience life to the full in the new world, trust in Jesus now.