<TITLE>07. Par 561-573</TITLE>L-561   We went through the word "Eternal." Forever is "a space of time." Eternity is forever, forever and forever, but there's only one Eternity. And we find out that you receive Eternal Life, and the word in the Greek is Zoe, which means "God's Life." And you receive part of God's Life, which makes you a spiritual son of God, and you're just as everlasting as God is everlasting. You have no end, no place to stop, because you had no place to begin. Anything has a beginning has an end, and that without a beginning has no end.

L-562   How we love that precious Word! How the Christian should be established in the Faith that was once delivered to the saints, and not be tossed about, place to place, and joining different churches. Any church you want to belong to is all right, as long as you're a Christian. But first put the first thing, which is that Birth that makes you kinfolks to God, as God became kinfolks with you.

L-563 He become kinfolks, that he might raise you up. Before He could raise you up, He has to give you Eternal Life. Then God had to become kinfolks, to take death, to raise you up. Then you have to become kinfolks to Him, in order to go in the resurrection. You see what it is? It's just a swap. God became you, that you might become God. See? God became a part of you, flesh, that you might by His grace become a part of Him, that's all, to have Eternal Life.

L-564   Just a beautiful picture, and, oh, we love it.
Now, God, willing more abundantly...

L-565 Didn't have to, but He was willing to. I'm so glad of that, aren't you, that our God is willing? Look. What if He--what if He wasn't long-suffering? What is the fruit of the Spirit? Love, joy, faith, peace, long-suffering. That's a part of God that's in you. And can forbearance, forbearing one another's burdens. Forgiving one another, as God for Christ's sake forgive you. The Spirit of God in you makes you that way. And then when God was here on earth and became you, became sin, that Him taking your sin, bore it for you and paid your penalty for it. God is long-suffering, forbearing our burdens.

L-566   And then He's a good God. If you want to, certain things your way, you know, God is good enough to do that. He loves to--to make you happy. He wants to. He, He is love, and His great love constrains Him to even step down sometime, to let you have the things that you want.

L-567 Look at Thomas, after the resurrection. Thomas wouldn't believe. Oh, he's got many children today. But Thomas said, "No. No. I'll have to have some evidence. I'll have to put my hands in His side, and in His... my fingers over here in His hands, before I will believe It. I, I don't care what you say." See, he was all out of the Scripture order, right then. You're supposed to believe It. So he said, "I have to have some sort of evidence, to prove It."

L-568 And Jesus appeared, He's good, "Come on, Thomas, if that's what you want, well, here you are. You can have it."

L-569 That's the way we are. We say, "Lord, I got to speak with tongues. I--I got to shout. I got..."

L-570 "Oh, go ahead, I'll let you have it." He is good.

L-571 So he stuck his hands in His side, then he said, "Oh, it's my Lord and my God."

L-572 He said, "Now, Thomas, you believe since you seen. But how much greater is their reward who has no evidence and yet believes It!" There you are. That's where we must get to. "How much greater is their reward who seen nothing but yet believe It." It's an act of faith, that we accept It.

L-573   Now, I believe signs following the believers, but let's put first things first. You can have the signs, without This. Paul said you could. He said, "I could speak with tongue like both men and Angels; I'm nothing. I can move mountains by my faith; I am nothing. I could understand the Bible, in such a way I could know all the mysteries of God; I'm nothing." See, that's gifts of the Holy Spirit, without the Holy Spirit.


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