In John 13:34, Jesus says, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another”and again in John 15:12-13 He says, “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”. From these few verses, we can easily see that the commandment is to love as Jesus loves, not as the world does, and that His is a love that moves one to lay down his life in order to secure the greatest good of others. Now, it is without question and with absolute certainty that “love is the fulfillment of the law”(Romans 13:10, Galatians 4:14) while “sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). In 1 John 4:8 we also see, “God is love”.Therefore, the law is fulfilled when every inclination, word, and deed is generated by divine love or, by God Himself, because “God is love”. On the other hand, every inclination, word, and deed not generated by love (God Himself) is transgression of the law and is sin. This is why “whatsoever is not of faith is sin” (Romans 14:23) and “without faith it is impossible to please Him”(Hebrews 11:6). It is only by a willing heart and faith in the operation of God that He Himself, by His Spirit, comes to dwell in our heart and produce His holiness in our life.

Fallen man is cut off from God and truly dead while he lives because divine love is not the controlling influence that both generates and governs everything that flows from him; all that he allows, consents to, and does. Instead, his nature and daily “doings” are from the spirit of selfish pride, lust, envy, and wrath; the very essence of Satan and his domain of darkness. Read Ephesians 2:1-3.

Salvation is nothing less than deliverance from the fallen nature and its dark, evil depravities by an inward birth and controlling influence of that divine love which is God Himself — His light and His Spirit. And, so it is that 1 John 3:14-15 says, “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. 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”. From these verses, we also see that “eternal life” is something that abides in man; not merely an everlasting existence. There is a clear distinction between an everlasting existence, the eternal life, and everlasting life. Look at John 5:28-29 — “…for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation”. Here we see that every soul will have an everlasting existence. Some will exist in a state of everlasting life which is to be one with God and in His presence while others will exist in a state of everlasting damnation which is to be one with Satan and separated from the presence of God. The eternal life is the life of Jesus. Or, to say it another way, eternal life is that same Holy Spirit who generated and governed everything allowed, consented to, and done by Jesus. Or, to say the same in yet another way, the Holy Sprit is the Sprit of Jesus’ life. He is the eternal life. A person has “eternal life abiding in him” when the Holy Spirit has come to dwell in and be one with his soul through repentance as a result of godly sorrow and faith in the working of God. Then, by this union in man’s heart, the Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of God, influences the soul with God’s love (Romans 5:5) to be the controlling influence that both generates and governs all that the soul allows, consents to, and does. For the reader who may not know — the outward life of a man reflects perfectly what the soul allows, consents to, and does. The soul that continually exercises faith and yields to the eternal life confesses daily that Jesus is Lord because outward manifestations in the life of the man reflect that which Jesus Himself allows, consents to, and does. Read Romans 8:28-29, James 1:18-25 with emphasis on vs. 25, and Hebrews 1:1-3 with emphasis on vs. 3. Just as Jesus reflects the image of the Father, in like manner, true believers reflect the image of Jesus. The soul that is one with the eternal life has a lively hope of glory which is that everlasting life. Read Colossians 1:21-29 with emphasis on vs. 27 and 1 Peter 1:1-5 with emphasis on vs. 2, 3, & 5. 

In the 14th chapter of John, while preparing the apostles for His departure, Jesus says, “Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me: or else believe Me for the very works’ sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father” (vs. 10-12). Here we witness Jesus Himself saying that the words He speaks and the works He does are not done by Him, but “the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works”.Then he says that those who believe will do the same works and even greater because He was going to the Father. How is it possible that believers do the same and even greater works than Jesus did? It is possible because in His resurrection, He provided the justification for believers to have that same Holy Spirit within them that dwells in Jesus. Now, the same life can be manifested in and through a believer by the power of the gospel. The “greater works” of which Jesus says are to manifest through believers are not greater in the sense of being more magnificent or of any more power than anything worked through Him. The works or workings of God through the believers are “greater” in the sense that now God, by the Holy Spirit, can dwell in and work through many vessels whereas, before the resurrection, He was only dwelling in one vessel — the body of Jesus Christ. However, now the body of Christ is made up of many members through which the same Holy Spirit can manifest the words and works of God.

Now let me direct your heart to Jesus’ prayer in the 17th chapter of John. In the first 3 verses we read, “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee: as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him. And this is life eternal, that they might know Thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom Thou hast sent”. It’s very clear that God has given Jesus authority to give eternal life to as many as the Father has given Him. Meaning, Jesus has authority to give the same Spirit of God which dwells in Him, to others. The Holy Spirit, in turn, produces the same words and works in the lives of all those in whom He dwells — “No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and His love is perfected in us” (1 John 4:12). To know Jesus and the Father as it is spoken in this prayer is more than a casual knowledge or relationship. The word “know” has the same weight of meaning as it does in Genesis 4:1 saying, “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain…”. It is a union that produces fruit. A question may arise as to who has been given to Jesus by the Father. The answer is — whosoever will respond to the love of God by repenting as a result of godly sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10) and believe the gospel. These are the conditions that have been set by the Father in order for men to come to Him through Jesus. 

In John 17, Jesus continues to pray specifically for the apostles and then prays specifically for all those who would believe on Him through their word (vs 20). See now His prayer for those of us who would believe the apostle’s doctrine — “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, are in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are one: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one;…” (vs 21-23). The Father in Jesus, Jesus in the Father, and true believers in Them. But how? By the Holy Spirit, that eternal life dwelling in us. The glory that God had given to Jesus of which He has now given to believers is eternal life. Or to say the very same thing in another way — the glory given to believers is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And why? That we may be made, by the ministry of the Holy Spirit, perfect in total unity with God and His holy Son Jesus.

There are many scriptures declaring that the unrighteous and sinners will not enter into everlasting life, including John 5:28-29 previously quoted. A few of the others are Romans 6 vs. 1, 2, 15, 16, 22, 23, Matthew 7:21-23, and Galatians 5:19-21. Another is Hebrews 12:14 saying, “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”. In many cases, men see this truth, but for any number of reasons, reject and deny the possibility of living a holy life with victory over the power of sin. Subsequently, doctrines and precepts of men are fabricated as feeble attempts to explain away the truth, justify sin, and provide a false sense of peace to the soul. One of the numerous reasons this occurs is that men, without understanding, without the teaching of the Holy Spirit, think that God’s commandment of holiness, all the duties of humility, love and obedience are required of the old man, the carnal man, the man who is in the fallen state of Adam with the nature of Satan. This a tremendous error. How could anyone with this line of reasoning ever believe the gospel is the power of God to overcome lusts of the flesh, lusts of the eyes, and the pride of life? The truth is, that all the duties of humility, love, obedience, and holiness are directed to, and required by God, of the new man, not of the old. The new man has the eternal life abiding in him, has the love of God shed abroad in his heart(Romans 5:5), and is a partaker of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). He is a new creature whose old life has passed away and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). This new man is God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God has prepared that he should walk in (Ephesians 2:10). See this and meditate upon it! — “The things which are impossible with men are possible with God” (Luke 18:27). The new man can do all things through Christ who strengthens him (Philippians 4:13).Where does Christ strengthen this new man? In the soul. Who provides this strength? Is it the old man? Is it his strength? No! It is the power of the Holy Spirit. What can the new man do? He can do all things. He can be holy! This new man has been raised up through the faith of the operation of God to a new, holy life(Colossians 2:9-13).

The gospel is indeed the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16). I trust this brief look into the operation of God will prove itself to be a ministry of the Holy Spirit for bringing about the will of God in men’s souls just as His will is done in heaven.