When Heaven Begins

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life.” And Jesus said, “I will raise him up at the last day.” Christ became one flesh with us, that we might become one spirit with Him. By virtue of this union we are to come forth from the grave, because through faith His life has become ours. Those who see Christ and receive Him into the heart, have everlasting life. Through the Spirit, Christ dwells in us; and the Spirit of God, received by faith, is the beginning of life eternal.HLv 257.4

The manna which the fathers ate in the wilderness did not prevent death nor insure immortality, but the bread of heaven would nourish the soul unto everlasting life. The Saviour said, “This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.” Only through dying could Christ impart life to men, and He points to His death as the means of salvation: “The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.”HLv 257.5

In the symbol of the Passover lamb the Jews did not discern the Lord's body. The same truth was taught in the words of Christ, but it was still undiscerned.HLv 258.1

Now the rabbis exclaimed angrily, “How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?” To some extent they comprehended the meaning of Jesus, but by misconstruing His words, hoped to prejudice the people against Him.HLv 258.2

Christ reiterated the truth in yet stronger language: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him.”HLv 258.3

What food is to the body, Christ must be to the soul. Food cannot benefit us unless it becomes a part of our being. So a theoretical knowledge will do us no good. We must feed upon Christ. His life, His love, His grace, must be assimilated.HLv 258.4

“As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.” So fully was Jesus surrendered to the will of God that the Father alone appeared in His life. Although tempted in all points like as we are, He stood untainted by the evil that surrounded Him. Thus we also are to overcome as Christ overcame.HLv 258.5

Are you a follower of Christ? Then all that is written concerning the spiritual life may be attained through uniting yourself to Jesus. Has your first love grown cold? Accept again the love of Christ. Eat of His flesh, drink of His blood, and you will become one with the Father and with the Son.HLv 258.6

By ritual law the Jews were forbidden to taste blood, and they now construed Christ's language into sacrilegious speech. Many even of the disciples said, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?”HLv 259.1

The Saviour answered them: “Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where He was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.”HLv 259.2