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Life in the Bible Club
Maple Woods College

Bible Study Outlines

May 10, 2006

Eternal Life - The Life Which Regenerates the Believers to be God's Children

  1. Eternal Life and its Relationship with Created Man
    1. So what kind of a direct relationship does the eternal life have with God's created man? Is this life just something powerful that came into a virgin, produced Christ as God in the flesh, and now is a power that can assist us in our weaknesses and fragility as sinful, fallen men? In the Old Testament and in the New Testament it (the eternal life) is simply not presented in this way. Two weeks ago we saw in the Old Testament that this eternal life was presented to man in type as a tree to eat and was intended to be something that would be pleasant to look at, good to taste, and as an alternative to eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Man's choice resulted in him becoming independent (as opposed to dependent on) and separated from God. This separation by the way is the very definition of sin.
    2. If man had received the eternal life after being created he would have had the life of God (the eternal life) in addition to his human life. This means that he would have been re-GENE-rated. Thus, the word used in the New Testament, "regenerated," alludes to the fact that man can receive God's life. In a general way God is the Father of all creation since he is the source. God in the scriptures is rarely called the "Father" until Jesus came as the only begotten Son. He then instructed his disciples even while on earth to pray to the "Father". Jesus called His disciples "friends" until after He was resurrected. He told the women whom He appeared to at His tomb, "Go to My brothers (not friends) and say to them, I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God." Peter states in 1 Peter 1:3, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has regenerated us unto a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead".
    3. All of us in this Bible study have received the faith of Jesus Christ even though we have never seen Him, the hole in His side, or the holes in his hands (John 20:29). Our believing gives us a new birth in a new creation. This creation is constituted of the Life of God, the eternal life, and the life of the One who declared, "I am the resurrection and the life".
  2. Regenerating the Children of God
    1. John 1:12 - But as many as received Him, to them He gave the authority to become children of God, to those who believe into His name Footnote 122
    2. John 3:3, 6, 16
      3 Jesus answered and said to him, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless one is born anew, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
      6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
      16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that every one who believes into Him would not perish, but would have eternal life.
      Footnotes 33,62, 161
  3. Questions for Discussion
    1. What does Christ mean when He says, "I have come that they may have life" in John 10:10?
    2. Quote aloud and enjoy the verses that mention "life" in Revelation chapter 22.
    3. How can we be children of God if Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God?

 

NOTE: The footnotes referenced in the outlines are from the The Holy Bible, Recovery Version © 2003 Living Stream Ministry. An online Recovery Version may be searched for verses and footnotes at: The Holy Bible, Online Recovery Version. You may also obtain a free Recovery Version New Testament by filling out a request form on the Bibles for America website.