16永远的生命,就是神的生命,神非受造的生命,不仅在时间上是永久的,持续到永远,在性质上也是永远、神圣的。神永远的生命是赐给所有在基督里的信徒(提前一16),也是所赐给我们神圣恩典的主要成分(罗五17、21)。这生命已经征服死(徒二24),还要吞灭死(林后五4)。这生命以及随之而有的不朽坏,借着福音的传扬,已经照耀出来,使众人都得看见(提后一10)。不仅如此,永远的生命不但今天给我们有分并享受,将来也要给我们完全承受(太十九29),直到永远。……今天对这生命的享受是预尝,来世和永远对这生命的承受是全享,这承受就是永远生命的盼望。这就是提多书二章十三节所启示那有福的盼望,包括完满儿子名分之荣耀的自由,我们身体的得赎(罗八21~25),在末后的时期要显现的救恩(彼前一5),以及对那存留在诸天之上,不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残之基业活的盼望(3~4)。这就是提前四章八节所提,在千年国和新天新地里,永远生命之完满、属灵、神圣、属天的福分和享受(彼后一11,三13,启二一6~7)。我们照着这盼望成为神的后嗣,承受祂一切的丰富,直到永远。这是神在基督里借着恩典所赐给我们,祂永远救恩连同永远生命的顶点,也就是这救恩的永远目标。 16Eternal life is the divine life, the uncreated life of God. It is not only everlasting, lasting forever, with respect to time, but in its nature it is also eternal and divine. The eternal life of God is given to all believers in Christ (1 Tim. 1:16) and is the main element of the divine grace given to us (Rom. 5:17, 21). This life has conquered death (Acts 2:24) and will swallow up death (2 Cor. 5:4). Eternal life and its consequent incorruption have been brought to light and made visible to men through the preaching of the gospel (2 Tim. 1:10). Furthermore, eternal life is not only for us to partake of and enjoy today, but also for us to inherit (Matt. 19:29) in its full extent for eternity…Its enjoyment today is a foretaste; the full taste will be the inheritance of it in the coming age and in eternity, which is the hope of eternal life. This is the blessed hope revealed in Titus 2:13, which is composed of the freedom of the glory of full sonship, the redemption of our body (Rom. 8:21-25), the salvation to be revealed in the last time (1 Pet. 1:5), and the living hope of the incorruptible, undefiled, and unfading inheritance reserved in heaven (vv. 3-4). This is the full, spiritual, divine, and heavenly blessing and enjoyment of eternal life, both in the millennium and in the new heaven and new earth (2 Pet. 1:11; 3:13; Rev. 21:6-7), referred to in 1 Timothy 4:8. According to this hope, we become heirs of God to inherit all His riches for eternity. This is the climax as the eternal goal of God’s eternal salvation with His eternal life given to us by grace in Christ.