How to Lay Hold of Eternal Life 

When I was in the Church of Christ I was told that straight is the gate and narrow is the way that leads to salvation. That few there would be that actually finds salvation and go to heaven. I was told that the Church of Christ was the only true body of Christ and all others were false. Well, at least this is what was inferred. I am sure that the Church of Christ advocates were not the only denomination to feel this way. How sad that our eyes have been blinded so long to the eternal purpose of God.

We are so privileged to be living in the beginning of a brand new age when the hidden manna of God is being revealed to His prophets and teachers. There is absolutely no excuse for anyone who is truly seeking the truth to not find it.

What did Jesus actually say about eternal life? He said in Matthew 7:13-14, (KJV)

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

Nowhere in this passage is there any mention of salvation. Jesus is talking about life. His life. True life. Eternal life. The Greek word translated here as life is 'Zoe'. Zoe life is the God kind of life. He also said in John 10:10, (KJV)

"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

The way to salvation is wide open and includes everyone. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, (KJV)

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

John was told in Revelation 22:17, (JKV),

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

 

From these passages we can see that salvation or deliverance from sin is available to all who would seek Him. Jesus said in John 17: 2-4, (NIV)

"For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent."

I was told when I was in the Church of Christ and even in Pentecostal and Charismatic churches that eternal life was something we would receive when Jesus comes back if we have done that which is right in His sight. I would have teachers say to me that they didn't know if they were saved or not but hoped that they would be. I really had trouble with this statement because John said in John 20:31, (NIV)

"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."

How can you read this passage of scripture and say that the life that Jesus came to give us is not for now but some time in the future? Paul said in 1 Tim. 6:11-12, (KJV)

"But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

Also in Heb. 6:16-20, (KJV)

"Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument. Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged.

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."

                                                                            

Paul was talking to Timothy and told him to lay hold of eternal life. How can you lay hold of something that is not available now? The Melchizedek priesthood has no beginning and no end. This is what we understand that God has. If He has given us His life then we have no beginning and no end. Can't you see that this is the only kind of life that He has to give and if His seed has been planted in us then what is growing there? Eternal Life!!! Not as religion has taught us that eternal life is only available sometime in the future but right now. Paul said in 2 Cor. 6:2,

"For he says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation."

Because of the teaching of the religion we have been told that salvation meant salvation from sin. It does but then what. Paul said in Phil. 2:12-13, (KJV)

"........work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure."

Religion has taken this verse of scripture to tell us that our salvation from sin has to be worked out with much fear and trembling. Tell me something. How can you pay the price for something that has already been bought and paid for in full by the blood of Jesus Christ? Sin has been dealt with once and for all.

Paul must have had something else in mind then. You see this word salvation can also be interpreted as 'deliverance'. Paul was saying for us to work out our own deliverance with fear and trembling and that we do not have to do this by our own power because God is working in us to both will and do His good pleasure.

Then, what must we be delivered from. Our way of thinking! Paul said in Romans 12:2, (KJV)

"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

The deliverance of our way of thinking is what Paul is telling us that we must work out and that God is working in us to give us the will and knowledge of how to do it. This is the key to laying hold of eternal life now as we shall see later.

We are entering into a golden age in which knowledge of the things of God are being revealed to mankind in both the spiritual realm and the natural realm. In the spiritual realm we are entering into the Feast of Tabernacles where everything is God. But in order for us to understand what is happening in this Feast, requires a paradigm shift in our thinking. We must look from a different advantage point at the Word of God. We are in a divine ordained time period of the set time of God's favor. (Request my teaching series on The Set Time of God's Favor) In this set time of God's favor, we are beginning to see and understand the eternal purpose of God. We are coming to realize that eternal life is within us and is not something that is coming in the future.

At the same time this is happening in the spiritual arena, scientist are receiving understanding of the very basic structure of life itself in the study of DNA. God has revealed to scientist, just this year of 2000, the gene that causes our cells to reproduce themselves. Even scientist understand that life evolves in circles because only circles have no beginning and no end. If you start at one point and go far enough you will end up where you started. It is much like a Ferris wheel. When you get on a Ferris wheel you see things as you always have seen them. However, when the wheel starts taking you up, your prospective and understanding of things change. At the very peak of the Ferris wheel ride when they stop you there you can see and understand things that before that you never understood. We are at this time sitting on top of one of the circles or at the beginning of a new age of God's eternal plan and purpose for mankind and we are discovering things that pertain to eternal life.

Scientist are on the verge of discovering how to reverse the aging process which will allow us to live forever. Several years ago there was a Russian priest who begin to study how peas reproduce themselves. In the process he came upon the idea of genetics. As scientist continued to study this in the body of man they thought it must have something to do with the blood. However, as they continued to search they came upon the idea that perhaps this vital information might be found within the cell.

In 1953 scientist discover something that has and will continue to change the world we live in. DNA! DNA is structured much like the rungs of a ladder. Scientist have discovered that each rung of DNA is revolving at an angle of 36 degrees. If you could climb ten of these steps you would have completed a circle and end up back where you started. What these scientist actually saw was perfection in man as the way God intended it to be. If you were to climb ten of these DNA steps you would have gone 10 times 36 degrees which equals 360 degrees or a complete circle.

This 360 Degree DNA life is Melchizedek life. No beginning and no end. Circular. Scientist are proving that endless life has been locked within man since his origin. They discovered, however, that when they scientifically measured these angles that they added up to around 365 degrees. The earth in it's perfect state goes 365 days around the sun but since the fall it is tilted and because of this it moves somewhat away from the sun and now requires an extra five days to complete one rotation.

This revelation can be seen in the microcosm and the macrocosm. Microcosm meaning very small as in the minute detail of sub-atomic particles and microcosm meaning very large as in the universe. God has left His signature on everything that He has created. Just like an artist.

Man has always believed that it is impossible to change one's nature. However, we have a very vivid example of this in the Old Testament story of Jacob. In the Twelve Gates of the Holy City series I wrote concerning Gate 10 which is Naphtali I said:

Gen. 32:24 says, "So Jacob was left alone---" If you make it to gate 10 in your maturing process, you will find yourself alone in the trials and in the decisions you will have to make. No one else will understand what God has specifically designed for you to walk through, because there is no one else like you.

So Jacob was left alone and a man wrestled with him till day break. You cannot tell me who this man was, and neither can I tell you who he was. He may have wrestled with himself. (His lower nature, or self, mind, against his spirit.) Notice: "There wrestled a man with him until the breaking---" Something had to break. If you make it to this tenth gate, you will wrestle until the breaking. Even as in Jacob's day, there is only one way to wrestle with God; until death occurs.

This final conflict between your will, your nature, your desire and His desire must occur in order for there to be only one will, one desire, one nature: HIS NATURE! In this wrestling match there is a paradox in that you overcome by submitting. You win by loosing. If you seek your life, you will loose it. If you loose your life, you will find it.

Jacob wrestled until the breaking of a new day. When you come into this relationship with God, He just might take some liberty with you. Like Job, for instance. Job was minding his own business, walking righteously before God. Have you considered My servant, Job? In Jacob's case it was God who was the aggressor, for it was He who started this wrestling match. Jacob had been running from this for twenty years. In every man's life there comes that one time when you meet God face to face and get your name and nature changed or you wait another twenty years.

Verse 25 says, "When the man saw that he could not overpower Jacob, he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh." This word `touched' is the same word used when the bible says, Uzziah was smitten with leprosy in the forehead. It is the same word that says Job was smitten. It is the same word in Isaiah 53 where Jesus was smitten. It was more than just a touch. He smote him in the hollow of his thigh. The area of the thigh is that area in which a man produces. The Jacob nature, or the old nature produces only that which is hollow. Because God loves us, He is going to wrestle with us until He completely touches all that is produced by our old nature.

Verse 26, "The man said, `Let me go the dawn breaketh.' And Jacob said, `I will not let you go until you bless me.' And the man said unto him, `What is your name?' And he said, `Jacob'."

He said my name or my nature is Jacob, I am a phony, a hypocrite, a supplanter. God said, "Yes I know, but you will no longer walk according to the flesh because I have put a stop to your production, and from this moment on you will be called Israel, for I have changed your nature. And as a prince you have power with God and with man and have prevailed over both."

The name `Israel' means, he shall rule as God. (#3478 or prince with God.) There will come a time in your maturing process as you come to this Naphtali experience where you will tenaciously hold on to God until he touches you and changes your nature. From that moment on you will rule as God. I did not say "You will be the Father." I said, "You will rule as God." You will walk like, think like, act like and rule like God. First there must be that maturing or awakening of the nature of Christ within you. Naphtali is when you began to walk in your inheritance as a son of God.

From this story we can see that God has the power to change your nature from a phony, deceiver to one that rules as God. I want to make a very bold statement to you and then I will show you why I can say this.

"You have the power within you to change your nature and Lay Hold on Eternal Life.!!!

In the Bibles account of Jacob there was a time when God showed him how to change the DNA of animals. (Gen. 31:32-43) Weather Jacob understood why he was to do what God told him or not doesn't matter. The results were the same.

In Matt. 19:28 Jesus told His disciples, (KJV)

"Verily I say unto you, That you who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

This word 'regeneration' comes from the Greek word ' paliggenesia, pal-ing-ghen-es-ee'-ah; from G3825 and G1078; (spiritual) rebirth (the state or the act), i.e. (fig.) spiritual renovation; spec. Messianic restoration:--regeneration. It comes from the Greek word 'genesis' which means generation. In my series on The Twelve Tribes of Israel series I wrote I explained that the nature of all these     twelve tribes resides within each of us. There is one dominate tribe or nature and eleven other subdominant tribes or natures.

Also, in the series of The Twelve Foundations of the Holy City, I explained that there was found a name of one of the Twelve Apostles written on each of them. These twelve apostles all had leadership qualities that are working on the inside of us because we have been established on the foundation of the Apostles and the prophets. The nations that we will judge are within ourselves and are the imaginations, condemnation, damnation's, etc. which have created problems for you.

In Psalms 119 every eight verses start with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet starting with Aleph, then Beth, etc. Twenty two in all. In the ladder of the DNA, the steps of the ladder are made up of four different combinations of molecules. ATGC or Attimine, Timine, Guimine and Citicine. Attimine always pairs up with Timine and Guimine always pairs up with Citicine.

They never change partners. If you take one of these steps and change the pairing, death sets in. God told Adam that the day he ate of the tree of the knowledge of evil he would surly die. And that is exactly what begin to happen to Adam because the eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil switched one of the rungs of the DNA of Adam.

Rev. 20:12 says,

"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books."

The whole of the genetics of man is contained in the book of life and the book of death. In the Garden of Eden there were two trees. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which was forbidden and the tree of life.

Question! Could it be that the book of life and the book of death is contained in the DNA structure? If it is, then, when the whole book or the DNA structure is completely decoded and we have the revelation of how to read it properly, we will be able to prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. And this will come about when our minds are renewed.

For years now, scientist have wondered why there is an aging process. For the first 33 years of our life, our cells perfectly reproduce themselves every seven years. But when we reach the age of around 33, scientist have come to realize that there is a gene that is turned off which tells the molecules of your body to stop perfectly reproducing themselves.

In the first part of 2000 scientists discovered this gene and are now trying to find out how to turn it back on. Most scientist have more faith about immortality and it's possibility than most Christians. There are some people who want to live and not die and go to heaven because they     know that heaven is here right now. Those who have learned how to live God's kind of life that Jesus came to give us in abundance, want to continue to live and make a difference in the lives of others. In was in God's plan before the earth was formed, for Jesus to come here as a man and return to Him with the corrected strand of DNA. In the light of what we have just learned, this could be the keys to death, hell, and the grave.

How, then, do we turn this DNA switch back on? In Luke 1:23-28 we find the story of the virgin Mary,

"In the sixth month, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin's name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, "Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you."

Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end." "How will this be," Mary asked the angel, "since I am a virgin?" The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.

Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her."

 

This account was not recorded here so we would know that Jesus was the Son of God. He proved this when He was resurrected. Paul said in Eph. 5:25-27, (NIV)

"Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless."

Also in 2 Cor. 11:2,

"I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

Even as Mary was the virgin vessel in the natural that God chose to give birth to His Son, we are the spiritual virgin that God chose to bear spiritual Sons of God. However, we are not supposed to be virgins forever. There is the wedding supper of the Lamb. Then there is the consummation of the marriage. A virgin cannot of herself bear a child. There must be a penetration which is a consummation. Without penetration, there will be no children.

We have been for 2000 years waiting for Jesus to come back and take us out of here. And all this time He has been standing at the door of the Church knocking and trying        to get in. (Rev. 3:20) The Church has for years not allowed Jesus to get close enough to them to cause this to       happen. Did not Jesus say in Matt. 7:22-23,

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

This word 'knew' is the Greek word 'ginosko' and means an intimate relationship. In years past the Church has not taught nor practiced a close relationship with Jesus. As a result, most Christians don't even know that it is possible to have a relationship with Jesus. For thirty some years of my life I never knew that you can have a personal relationship with Jesus. This was because I had bought into the lie that He was up there somewhere in heaven and some day He would come back and take me home to be with Him forever. ( Read my teaching on The Twelve Gates of the Holy City as recorded in Rev. 21 and 22. Even though most Christians have been born of God, they still see Him as up there in heaven somewhere. As the song says, "From a distance, God is watching you!" That is a lie!

Jesus said in Matt. 23:9,

"And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven."

When we call someone 'father' we are declaring our heritage. When we are born of God, He became our Father. We were in His loins before the foundation of the world. Adam was given the power to regenerate after his own kind along with all of the animals. This is the first seal that was opened. This is the natural level. However, when the seventh seal is opened we will have the power to regenerate in the spiritual   level.

Again, I ask the question, "How do we learn the secrete of turning on the switch of eternal life in our DNA?    Paul said in Rom. 12:1-2,

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

The Greek word for 'transformed' is metamorphoo, from which we get our English word 'metamorphis' and means any complete change in appearance, character or circumstances.

Notice here that Paul first said that we are to present our bodies as a living sacrifice. He said in Rom. 6:3-13, (NIV)

"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin--because anyone who has died has been freed from sin.

Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God. In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace."

Secondly, Paul said for us not to conform the ways of this world but to be change in the way we understand and think in order for us to become able to discern the perfect will and purpose of our Father. We are living in the glorious time period that has been designed by our Father in which He has chosen to reveal to us the secretes of His eternal life. These secretes have only been hidden because of our unregenerated minds which have been set on the things of this world instead of on Him and a desire to know Him. Those who are seeking only Him in this time are being amazed at the revelations that are now being understood. We had the written word concerning them but our minds were set on other things and we could not discern the voice of the Lord. We chose to limit Him by the doctrines of men and demons.

Paul said in 1 Tim 6:12-16, (NIV)

'Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. In the sight of God, who gives life to everything, and of Christ Jesus, who while testifying before Pontius Pilate made the good confession, I charge you to keep this command without spot or blame until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which God will bring about in his own time--God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen."

This statement is one that most cutting edge ministers seem to overlook because of our great desire to see the sons of God manifested. Having said that, I do believe that we are living in the time frame that will see this come to pass. So, what, if anything, can I do to cause this to happen in our generation? Peter said in 2 Pet. 3:11-12,

"Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat."

And in verse 14,

"So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."

The secret to speeding up the day of the manifestation of the sons of God is for each of us to be spotless and blameless and at peace with the Lord Jesus Christ. What must I do to accomplish this? Paul said in 2 Cor. 10:3-6, (NIV)

"For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete."

The control of what we think and meditate on is most important in our quest to lay hold of eternal life. The unveiling of our mistaken identity is a must if we want to manifest as His       sons. Jesus said in John 10:30, (NIV)

"I and my Father are one."

As long as we see ourselves as separate from Jesus and the Father we will never manifest as His sons. Jesus said in John 17:20-23, (NIV)

"My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me."

As long as there is duality in our thinking we will never manifest as His son. By that I mean our thinking that it is Jesus and me. That Jesus is in heaven and we will someday go and be with Him. That I am separate from the Holy Spirit. Even in the light of what Paul said in 1 Cor. 6:17, (NIV)

"But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit."

                                      (2) NIV,

"But he who unites himself with the Lord is one with him in spirit."

 

Jesus said in John 5:25-29, (NIV)

"I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man. "Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned."

This word that is translated 'condemned' is the Greek word 'krisis, kree'-sis; and means decision (subj. or obj., for or against); by extens. a tribunal; by impl. justice (spec. divine law):--accusation, condemnation, damnation, judgment. For further explanation of this word 'judgment' study my article on The Right and Left Hand of God.

I believe that when we are fully manifested as son's of God, we will be able to speak to people the Word of God and their DNA will be switched on not only in their cellular structure but also in their spiritual ability to hear the voice of God. As I said at the beginning of this lesson, we are entering into a golden age in which knowledge of the things of God are being revealed to mankind in both the spiritual realm and the natural realm. Those who have an ear to hear what the Spirit of the Lord is saying in this hour will allow their minds to be renewed and when this takes place the DNA switch will be turned on once again.