Healing Streams Live - Day 2 by Pastor Chris Oyakhilome: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

The Question of Righteousness and Eternal Life

There is the legality of righteousness and there is the vitality of righteousness. Vital righteousness is so important that unless you understand it, you cannot live it. It is only made real when a man is born again — when you receive the life and nature of God.

We talk a lot about eternal life. The most popular verse in churches around the world, John 3:16, tells us that whoever believes in Christ should not perish but have everlasting life. So what is everlasting life? Everlasting life is actually eternal life with a beginning. Eternity has no beginning and no end. But when you receive salvation in Christ, you begin eternal life — that's why it's called everlasting life. It's the same eternal life, but with a starting point.

What Eternal Life Actually Means

Eternal life is not primarily about the length or timing of a life. It is the description of a quality of life. It refers to the life of the eternal One. Like you say "human life" — it describes the kind of life that belongs to the human. "Eternal life" is the life that belongs to the eternal One.

More precisely, eternal life is the organic and existential attributes of deity. Organic, because it has to do with the characteristics of a living being. Existential, because it has to do with the capacity to experience life consciously.

The idols of this world don't have eternal life because they don't have the characteristics of a living being. That idol has a nose that doesn't smell, eyes that don't see, legs that don't move. Our God proved His living nature in Jesus Christ, who demonstrated all the characteristics of a living being — and who is himself God in human flesh.

You see this clearly in 1 John 1:1–3: "That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled, of the word of life — the life was manifested and we have seen it, and bear witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested unto us."

John is telling the same story from John 1:1–14: in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. That is where Jesus came from. The eternal life that was with the Father became manifested in human form.

How You Receive Eternal Life

John 1:12–13 — "As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name — which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."

2 Peter 1:3–4 — "His divine power has given unto us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him that has called us to glory and virtue, that by these you might be partakers of the divine nature."

God has called you to glory and excellence. And He gave you all things through knowledge — through knowing Him.

What Righteousness Gives You

Righteousness is the outworking of eternal life. Because you now have the nature of God — His life — righteousness becomes your natural state. Righteousness gives you three things:

• Rights: You have power at your disposal. You have a right to divine health, not just healing. 3 John 2 — "I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health." The portion is health, not sickness-then-healing. When you mature in Christ, you don't go healing, healing, healing. Divine health is your portion.
• Rightness: The ability to do right — the nature of God in your spirit producing righteousness from the inside out.
• Right Standing: You can stand before God without condemnation, without guilt, without inferiority. The same applies before demonic powers. Don't listen to demons — Jesus said when Satan speaks, he lies. You stand in authority.

The Word That Sustains the Life

Being born again, you were born of incorruptible seed — by the word of God that lives and abides forever (1 Peter 1:23). Every living thing can only be sustained by its source. If it came from water, it must stay in water. You were born of the word — you must stay connected to the word to live a victorious life.

1 John 5:11–12 — "This is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that has the Son has life. He that has not the Son of God has not life."

1 John 5:20 — "We know that the Son of God is come, and has given us an understanding. And we are in Him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life."

The Mandate That Comes With the Life

1 Peter 2:9 — "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a dedicated nation, God's own purchased, special people — that you may set forth the wonderful deeds and display the virtues and perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light."

This is not when you get to heaven. This is now. You are called to display the virtues and perfections of Christ in the earth — you are His image-bearer, His representative. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself. Now we are in Christ announcing reconciliation. Jesus did it. We tell it.

Receiving This Life

If you have never received Jesus as Lord of your life, say this prayer: