II. ONLY THE LIFE OF GOD BEING LIFE
Although there are three types of life for man, yet only the life of God is really life. The other two lives, the psuche and bios, are merely created life. As such, they are weak and temporal. Only the life of God is divine, eternal and indestructible. It was there before all things and will be there after all things.
[First John 5:12 says, “He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.’’ John 3:36 also says, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who disobeys the Son shall not see life.’’ These two scriptures tell us that unless man has the life of God, he does not have life. This shows us that in the eyes of God, only His life is life; beside that, no other life can be counted as life. Only the life of God is divine and eternal.]
A. The Life of God Being Divine
Only the zoe life is divine. Both the psuche and bios life are not divine. [What does divine mean? Being divine means being of God, having the nature of God, or being transcendent and distinctive from all others. Only God is God, only God has the nature of God, and only God is transcendent and distinctive; therefore, only God is divine. The life of God is God Himself (later we shall consider this point), and since it is God Himself, it naturally has the nature of God.] Therefore, only the life of God is divine. When we have this life, we have the divine person of God.
B. The Life of God Being Eternal
This life is eternal, hence, many verses have the term eternal life (John 3:15-16). [What does eternal mean? Eternal means uncreated, without beginning or ending, existing by itself and ever, unchangeably existing. Only God is uncreated; only He is “from eternity to eternity’’ (Psa. 90:2, original text), that is, without beginning or ending.]
[A number of times the King James Version says everlasting life instead of eternal life, but this translation misses the mark.] The word “everlasting’’ may convey to people that a person’s original (fallen) life will last forever. [The word “eternal’’ denotes not only the duration of time, which is everlasting, without end, but also the quality, which is absolutely perfect and complete, without any shortage or defect. Such an expression emphasizes the eternal nature of the divine life, the life of the eternal God. This life is also eternal with respect to its sphere. Therefore, the word eternal denotes three things: time, space, and quality. As to the element of time, this life will last forever. As to space, to sphere, this life is vast, unlimited. As to quality, eternal life is perfect and complete, without defect or shortage. The sphere or field of eternal life encompasses the whole universe. Eternal life is so vast that it covers the entire field of life. Whatever is in the field of life is encompassed by this eternal life.]
C. The Life of God Being Indestructible
This life is also indestructible. This life in Christ Jesus went through thirty-three and half years of suffering and mistreatment on the earth. It went into, through and out of death, which can destroy anyone. After that, it resurrected and ascended to the highest place of the universe. It not only is indestructible, it is victorious, conquering and glorious. This life is now in us. Hallelujah!
(Lesson Book, Level 4: Life—Knowing and Experiencing Life, Chapter 1, by Witness Lee)
