The Apostles Creed Lesson 12 Triangle Grace Church

The Apostles’ Creed Lesson 12 Triangle Grace Church Dr. Sue Carol Verrillo Dr. Meredith Riedel June 7, 2020

“I believe in the life everlasting. ” 2 Introduction Ø One point that needs clarifying RE Jews believing in the resurrection of the body & eternal life from last week: Barclay (The Apostles’ Creed, Chapter 21, pg 296) says, “But although the Old Testament has its glimpses of a belief in the life to come, it cannot be said that such a belief became an integral part of the Jewish faith. It was the times between the Testaments that the belief in the life to come became strong, articulate and widespread. There are two reasons why this belief in a life to come did become part of the Jewish belief. First there was a development in the idea of God…. Secondly the circumstances of Jewish history almost inevitably led the Jews to a belief in a life to come. ” Ø Previous lessons have been historical , this affirmation is definitely in the future for all of us Ø God gave me a unique perspective this week

“I believe in the life everlasting. ” 3 I. What does Old Testament Scripture say about everlasting or eternal life? A. Psalm 16: 8 -11 ( a miktam of David) – 1. We see in David his personal dependence on God and the hope he confidently expressed that he would NOT be abandoned to the grave. 2. David’s hope was for deliverance from death ( most probably during his flight from his son Absalam) 3. Jesus’ statement of faith in all surety was for His resurrection from His death on the cross to pay for our sin and separation from God 4. Quoted by Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 25 -28) and Paul at Antioch Acts 13: 35 -37) B. Psalm 73: 21 -26 ( a Psalm of Asaph) 1. Foreshadows the fuller plan of God in the New Testament on eternal life 2. Echoes the thought of David in that a personal relationship with God is permanent, i. e. , that neither life nor death can break (Romans 8: 35 -39)

“I believe in the life everlasting” 4 3. God aligns our thinking with His Truth to correct wrong thinking and folly ( brute beast) and guides us daily through all the pitfalls of life and shows nothing in heaven or earth is more desirable than God. Where in your life do you need to ask God to realign your thinking, or deliver you from the pitfalls of life you are experiencing today or increase your hunger and thirst for God so that, you desire Him more than everything else in heaven or on earth? C. Job 19: 24 -27 1. Job was absolutely certain that death would not be the end of his existence and that someday he would stand in the presence of his Redeemer and see Him with his own eyes ( appreciate Handel’s Messiah even more) How confident are you that you will stand in the presence of King Jesus your Redeemer? D. Isaiah 26: 1 -9 1. This is part of the vision of what will happen when Messiah will establish the Millennial kingdom on the Day of the Lord 2. Salvation gives us freedom from the penalty of sin, the power of sin and the presence of sin and frees us to enjoy God and His marvelous deeds 3. Perfect peace is the result of keeping our minds fixed on Jesus What anxieties and oppression due to current events do you need to bring to Jesus to find freedom?

“I believe in the life everlasting” 5 E. Daniel 12: 2 -3 1. First reference to a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked 2. Everlasting life only occurs here in the Old Testament II. What does the New Testament Scripture say about everlasting or eternal life? A. Golden thread throughout the New Testament is that of eternal life (Gk. anionios from the noun aion) and in Greek is an expanding word that can mean different lengths of time depending on the context in which it is used 1. the span of a lifetime 2. the span of a generation 3. the span of a very long time (forever) – also includes the concept of having no beginning or end. It doesn’t change in essence because it always is, therefore it describes the life of God and as such eternal life is the life of God. B. Promised by God to those who belong to Him 1. Romans 6: 23 2. Titus 1: 2 3. 1 John 2: 25; 5: 11

“I believe in the life everlasting” 6 C. Interwoven with Jesus Christ 1. John 4: 14 2. John 6: 27, 54, 68 3. John 17: 2 4. Romans 6: 23 5. 1 John 5: 11, 20 III. What does it mean? A. A personal receiving of Jesus as Saviour and Lord is required to partake of eternal life 1. Knowing the facts of eternal life and knowing about Jesus are different from having a personal relationship with and knowing Jesus day by day now 2. This belief is on all levels of our being – intellectually, emotionally, spiritually and changes us forever 3. We are convinced to the core of our being that the claims of Scripture are true consistently throughout Scripture and through our own life experiences

“I believe in the life everlasting” 7 4. This personal belief in Scripture in turn produces obedience, loyalty and sanctification in an individual a. John 10; 27 -28, 12: 25, 50 b. Romans 2: 7; 5: 21; 6: 22 c. 1 Timothy 6: 12 d. Hebrews 5: 9 e. 1 John 3: 15 f. Jude 21 5. Therefore, your eternal life does not start at death – it begins when you receive Christ and enter into that relationship of intimately knowing God 6. Therefore, at death your eternal life continues on where we shall grow steadily and uninterruptedly closer and closer to God forever in heaven for we shall never reach the end of God IV. What do I need to do about it? A. Receive Christ today if you haven’t already B. Keep growing in your faith C. Don’t lose heart D. We don’t know all the details but we can be confident that the end will be beyond our wildest dreams ( 1 Corinthians 2: 9; 13: 12)

8 “I believe in the life everlasting” New Nature Old Nature Personality Physical body

9 “I believe in the life everlasting. ” New Nature New Immortal Body Eternal life The Christian is a child of eternity who can know eternal life here and now, and who will one day know in full the life of God

10 “I believe in the life everlasting. ” HC #58 “What comfort do you receive from the article “life everlasting”? That, inasmuch as I now feel in my heart the beginning of eternal joy, I shall after this life possess complete blessedness, such as eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man, therein to praise God forever. 2 Corinthians 5: 2 -3 1 Corinthians 2: 9 [Isaiah 64: 4; 65: 17] John 17: 3

11 “I believe in the life everlasting. ” Barclay, William. (1998). The Apostles’ Creed, Chapter 20 In the Resurrection of the Body, pp. 280292. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press. ECO A Covenant Order of Evangelical Presbyterians. Essential Tenets & Confessional Standards. Retrieved 24 May 2020. https: //www. eco-pres. org/static/media/uploads/resources/Essential%20 Tenets Heidelberg Catechism (2013). Questions 57, pp. 62 -63. The Reformed Church in the United States: Columbia, South Carolina. Sproul, R. C. (2015). What We Believe Understanding and Confessing the Apostles’ Creed, Chapter 13 Victors, Now and Forever, pp. 195 -216. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books. Strong, James. (Date unknown). The Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. Mc. Lean, Virginia: Mac. Donald Publishing Company. Walvoord, John F. and Zuck, Roy B. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary, New Testament. Victor Books: Wheaton, Illinois. Zodhiates, Spiros (1988). The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, King James Version. Iowa Falls, Iowa: World Bible Publishers, Inc.