Jesus had life in Himself. No one could take it from Him without His consent. But He yielded His life to His Father, and trusted Him for His resurrection. He said, "This commandment [the promise of His resurrection] have I received of My Father." Vs. 18.

It was His faith in God and the resurrection that brought Jesus from the grave, and gave back to Him the life which He had laid down. It is the Christian's faith in Christ that will bring him from the grave at the resurrection morning, and give to him the eternal life which became his by faith when he accepted Christ as his Saviour and Life-giver.

But this everlasting life is entirely dependent upon the resurrection. Our Saviour said, Our Saviour said, "Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:54. A living connection with Christ insures the believer's resurrection, and the eternal life which comes from Christ.

This is illustrated in Rom. 4: 16, 17: "Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all (as it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations), before Him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were."

Unto God all are alive. In His purpose and plan, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob live. Their names are in the Book of Life, and their future is as sure as was that of Christ while lying in Joseph's tomb. God counts "those things which be not as though they were," because He quickens the dead, and because

He will "raise them up at the last day." The Lord looks beyond the short interval between death and the resurrection.

But the future life is all dependent upon the fact that Jesus Christ is not only the life, but the resurrection, and life comes through the resurrection.

"This is the Father's will which hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of Him that sent Me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on Him, may have everlasting life and I will raise him up at the last day." John 6:39, 40.

Those who do not have Christ abiding in them have not this eternal life or the promise of it. "He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him." John 3:14, 15.

I

Here, then, are two classes compared. First, Those who have the love of Christ, because He dwells in them, and so have eternal life; and, secondly, Those who have not the love of Christ, the indwelling Saviour, have not everlasting life, but "abide in death.”

The conclusion seems clear, that the life and immortality of which we have been reading is only in Christ, and is obtained only through the resurrection.

The resurrection has been the hope of all the people of God through all ages. Says Paul, "Now I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto our fathers: unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews." Acts 26:6, 7.

"Why

What was that hope? Paul continues: should it be thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?" Vs. 8.

Death is the present condition of all men, and from it even Christians are not exempt. But to them Paul says, "For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ,

who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him in glory." Col. 3:3, 4

Eternal life is not something

which man

possesses by

inheritance, nor can he earn it by good works.

"The wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ

our Lord."

Rom. 6:23.

By suffer

ing death as a

"King Agrippa,

why should it be

thought a thing incredible with you, that God should raise the dead?"

criminal, in agony unspeakable, Jesus purchased life for those who would receive it at His hand. When He appears the second time, bringing life through the resurrection to those who believe in Him, we shall receive this gift of all gifts.

But it is believed by many that man already pos

ΙΟ

sesses life and immortality, an undying spirit, an immortal soul, a deathless life. If this be true, Jesus died in vain, for He died to bring us life and immortality. If we already possess immortality, His death was unnecessary. The doctrine that we now have immortality outside of Jesus, robs Him of that for which He died. It makes the cross of Christ of none effect, and His precious blood was spilled for naught.

"I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6. "He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber." John 10: I.

Any theory or doctrine which robs Christ of that for which He died, and gives hope of immortality to men who are not in Christ, is a thief and a robber. Of those who teach such false theories the prophet

says:

"With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life." Eze. 13:22.

Even now the words which He speaks unto us are spirit and life, and when He comes, "this mortal shall put on immortality."

HAT testimony does the Bible bear concerning the condition of man after death? It is vain to search for an answer to this important question outside the word of inspiration. So let us consider the teaching of the good old Book.

God said to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." Gen. 2: 16, 17.

In regard to those living since the fall, God's ultimatum has been sent through the prophet: "The soul that sinneth, it shall