Having the Gift of Eternal Life

Jeff Paton’s website www.eternalsecurity.us has an article under the link “ETERNAL SECURITY and LOGIC” with his answer to the following question. I’ve copied it here:

"If Eternal Life can be lost, how can it be eternal?"

This logic pivots on the meaning of eternal. If it is eternal, how can it then end? These are pertinent questions.

There is a point in time where one who believes receives eternal life. If this life is "eternal" then it has no beginning or ending, but yet we admit that we do not possess it until we believe! Does this mean that it is not "eternal" since there has to be a beginning to our possession of it?

If I receive an eternal Pearl of great price as a gift, it is mine; I "have" an eternal Pearl. It is something that I should cherish and rejoice in! But what if I trade it in for something I would rather have? What if I no longer cherish the gift or the One that gave it to me. What if I then become careless and then I lose it somewhere? Even if I cast it away, the Pearl remains eternal! It just ceases to be my possession!

Those that key in on the word "eternal" fail to see that the quality of "everlasting" is connected to "life" and not to our "having" it or "possessing" it! The "life" is "eternal," and not the believer! Having Eternal Life does not mean that we have an irrevocable possession of it! Whether we accept Christ and the gift of eternal life has no bearing on the quality of the gift, "eternal life." The gift stays eternal whether we possess it or not! The quality of the "life" is "eternal," whether anyone would ever believe on Christ or not.

The logic of an Eternal Gift is interesting, but it cannot, and does not, establish a fact of a Eternal possession or an Eternal Security!

My Response:

First of all I’ve answered a similar argument in my book “Eternal Security Proved!”. It is apparent that Mr. Paton is playing a word game with “eternal”. It is true that the life of Christ is eternal – having no beginning and having no end. When a person is born again they receive the life of Christ within them, and so they have eternal life. That is, they will never perish, for Christ will never perish.

Just because a person receives eternal life at a point in time, does not negate the fact that this eternal life within the person who has it could never cease to be. Eternal life does not exist in a vacuum. It exists in Christ. And if one is in Christ and Christ is in them, then one is a partaker of the life that will never end. This is why one who has eternal life can never become lost again.

Mr. Paton is trying to make a distinction between having the “gift” of eternal life, and having life that will never end. There is no distinction. Even Mr. Paton believes that once a saint is in Heaven they have eternal life, that is, life that will never end. That they will never perish. Does this mean that once in Heaven they no longer have the “gift” of eternal life? If having the gift of eternal life in Heaven means that a saint there is secure from perishing, how is it that having the gift of eternal life while still on Earth means that a saint could ever perish?

Apparently, it is the idea of having eternal life as a “gift” that Mr. Paton has difficulty with. He imbues the word “gift” with the concept of being able to lose or throw something away. Just because most gifts in our earthly life can be handled in this manner does not mean that this concept applies to the gift of eternal life. In fact, the word “gift” by itself does not contain the concept of something that can be discarded or lost. By fixating on his concept of earthly gifts he views the spiritual gift of eternal life as something that can be lost or discarded, as if one’s possession of this gift has the potential to be temporary. Scripture soundly refutes this idea. Jesus said,

“But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)

The gift of eternal life is not a losable or discardible possession, for the nature of it is to spring up within you into everlasting life. It is literally part of you. It is what empowers you to live forever with your Redeemer. Once we receive this life, if we could ever perish, it would mean that the water of life within us failed to spring up into everlasting life. This failure could never occur, for it would make Jesus to be a liar, and that is an absolute impossibility.

If Mr. Paton’s handling of the word “gift” in relation to eternal life has been illogical, then it would be logical for you to reject his assertion that a born-again child of God could lose their eternal salvation and perish in hell.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, once you have trusted Christ alone as your Savior you are forever His and are safe forever in His hand.