The Scriptures use the Greek word “zoe” when referring to
the unique form of life that Jesus gives to His followers. Spiros Zodhiates, in
his Greek Word Study defines “zoe” as follows: “life; referring to the
principle of life in the spirit and soul. Distinguished from bios, [the Greek
word for] physical life…of which zoe is the nobler word, expressing all of the
highest and best which Christ is and which He gives to the saints. The highest
blessedness of the creature.”
In contrast to the “zoe” life that comes from above, the
Greek word “psuche” is used to express the form of life that is developed by
living for our personal desires. While these desires may be legitimate and
God-given, permitting them to direct our steps produces a self-originated form
of life—a life of sin. This choice to live by the flesh is what separated Adam
from the eternal life.
We are told that the Son was sent into the world “in the
likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin.” (Rom. 8:3) As a man, He had
natural human desires. These desires, when permitted to control the choices of
man become sin. But Jesus “condemned sin in the flesh” by choosing to always be
led by the Spirit. He never permitted the desires of the flesh to direct His
steps.
When Jesus spoke of laying down His “life” it is generally
assumed that He was referring to laying down His “bios” {the Greek word
representing physical life} at the cross. But He spoke of laying down His
“psuche.” It implies that He chose not to live for Himself. He lived for the
good of others as He was directed by His Father through the Spirit. He then
promised to share His eternal “zoe” life with those who would lay down their
“psuche” life for the same purpose.
John 5:26
As the Father has life {zoe} in
Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life {zoe} in Himself.
John 1:4
In Him was life {zoe}, and the life
{zoe} was the light of men.
1 John 1:2
The life {zoe} was manifested, and
we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life {aiόnios
zoe} which was with the Father and was manifested to us.
Jesus revealed the eternal life in bodily form. Also
referred to as the “light of life,” this divine life reveals the nature of holy
love that God intended for His children to possess.
A. B. Simpson said, “The word ‘eternal’ here [1 John 1:2]
does not merely convey the idea of existence that has neither beginning nor
ending, but speaks of a higher sphere of life. It is life that belongs to a
loftier plane than the things that are seen and temporal.”
The Greek word for eternal is “aiόnios.” It has the meaning
of “constant, abiding and everlasting.” God intended for this everlasting life
to consistently flow through our soul both in this world and throughout
eternity. “Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a {consistent} spring
of water welling up to eternal life {aiόnios zoe}.” (John 4:14)
It is by sharing with Christ in His “aiόnios zoe” that it
becomes possible to display His “light of life” in this world.
John 8:12
Then Jesus spoke to them again,
saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me {in the way of the
cross} shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life {zoe}.”
Eph 4:17-18
17 This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should
no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind,
18 having their understanding
darkened, being alienated from the life {zoe} of God, because of the ignorance
that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.
The people of this world are separated from the zoe life
because they walk “according to the course of this world” conducting themselves
“in the lust of the flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the
mind.” (Eph. 2:2-3) They choose to live by the desires that come from their own
body and mind. This is the form of life that Jesus condemned. (Rom.
We must take Christ’s way of the cross and live by the
Spirit if we hope to share with Him in His “aiόnios zoe.” “Whoever loses his
life {psuche} for My sake will find it {aiόnios zoe}.” (Matt. 16:25)
John 10:11, 17-18
11 I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life {psuche} for the sheep… 17 Therefore My Father loves Me,
because I lay down My life {psuche}… 18
No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down Myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again…
1 John 3:16
By this we know love, because He
laid down His life {psuche} for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives
{psuche} for the brethren.
John 15:12-13
12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have
loved you. 13 Greater love has no
one than this, than to lay down one’s life {psuche} for his friends.
Man has an opportunity to live for himself. He can live by
his own desires. The devil also tempted Jesus to acquire the great kingdoms of
this world and to live for His own pleasure. But He chose to lay down this
“psuche” form of life in order to live for the good of others.
The Son received “aiόnios zoe” from His Father because of
the way He chose to live.
John 14:6
I am the way, the truth, and the
life {zoe}. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
1 John 5:11
And this is the testimony: that God
has given us eternal life {aiόnios zoe}, and this life {zoe} is in His Son.
1 John 2:25
And this is the promise that He has
promised us—eternal life {aiόnios zoe}.
Those who truly follow Jesus in His way of laying down the
“psuche” form of life will begin to share with Him in His “aiόnios zoe.”
The “aiόnios zoe” originates in the Father. We enter into
this life through the Son. “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world,
that we might live through Him.” (1 John 4:9) “I will come to you… At that day
you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.” (John
14:18, 20)
Christians must press beyond the wilderness testing period
with its periodic wells of refreshment into the life of promise where there are
rivers of “aiόnios zoe.” (John 7:38)
John 10:10 NIV
I have come that they may have life
{zoe}, and have it to the full.
John 4:14
But whoever drinks of the water
that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him
will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life
{aiόnios zoe}.
John 6:35, 57-58
35 …I am the bread of life {zoe}. He who comes to Me shall never
hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst… 57 As the living Father sent Me, and I live {in “aiόnios zoe”}
because of the Father, so he who feeds on Me will live {in the same “zoe” life}
because of Me. 58 This is the bread
which came down from haven… He who eats this bread will live forever.
John 6:66-69
66 From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with
Him no more. 67 Then Jesus said to
the twelve, “Do you also want to go away?” 68 But Simon Peter answered Him,
“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life {aiόnios zoe}. 69 Also we have come to believe and
know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
These earnest disciples had heard Jesus speak about this
promised “aiόnios zoe.” They wanted this life that would keep their soul from
ever hungering and thirsting again.
The gospel of the kingdom
of God
The true disciples of Jesus hear His voice and live by His
Spirit. He therefore provides them with a constant supply of His eternal life.
John 10:27-28
27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me {by
laying down their “psuche” life}. 28
And I give them eternal life {aiόnios zoe}…
John 10:15
As the Father knows Me, even so I
know the Father; and I lay down My life {psuche} for the sheep.
John 17:3
And this is eternal life {aiόnios
zoe}, that they may know You {the life and nature of the Father}, the only true
God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Jesus has given everyone access to the “glory” that has its
source in the Father so we too may share with Him in His life of holy love,
“that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”(John
17:22-23, 26)
Many Christians do not know this heavenly life that comes
from above because they have not yet died to their “psuche” life so they may
live through Jesus and feed on Him alone.
John 5:39-40
39 You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have
eternal life {aiόnios zoe}; and these are they which testify of Me.
The Pharisees attempted to live by God’s laws without meeting
the conditions for receiving life from above.
Living by law does not provide “aiόnios zoe.” “Is the law then against the
promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could
have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law.” (Gal. 3:21)
The Scriptures point
to Christ. He is the One who has come to enable us to fulfill all the
righteous requirements of the law by perfecting our heart in His life of holy
love. (Rom.
Heb 7:15-16, 19
15 …there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment,
but according to the power of an endless life {zoe}… 19 For the law made nothing perfect…
John 6:27
Do not labor for the food which
perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life {aiόnios zoe},
which the Son of Man will give you…
People labor for the food that perishes when they attempt to
find their life from this world. We must choose to lay down this form of life
before we can receive “zoe” life.
We are to sustain ourselves spiritually by feeding on Jesus.
He is the Tree of Life. “To him who overcomes {the psuche} I will give to eat
from the tree of life {zoe}….” (Rev. 2:7) “For if we have been united together
in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His
resurrection.” (Rom. 6:5)
John 12:24-26
24 Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into
the ground and dies, it remains alone {separated from the “zoe” life of God}. 25 He who loves his life {psuche} will
lose it, and he who hates his life {psuche} in this world will keep it {the
soul} for eternal life {aiόnios zoe}. 26
If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me {through the cross}; and where I am {in
the heavenly realms in the aiόnios zoe}, there My servant will be also. If
anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor.
Those who follow Jesus by serving God in the Spirit will
share with Him in the fullness of His divine life. “By this we know love,
because He laid down His life {psuche} for us. And we also ought to lay down
our lives {psuche} for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16-17)
There is a need to press into this heavenly Kingdom-life of
promise in this world.
Gal 6:8-9
8 For he who sows to his flesh {lives for his own pleasures} will
of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit
reap everlasting life {aiόnios zoe}. 9
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap
{the life of promise} if we do not lose heart.
Rom 5:10
For if when we were enemies we were
reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been
reconciled, we shall be saved by His life {zoe}.
Rom 5:17
For if by the one man’s offense
death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life {zoe} through the One,
Jesus Christ.
Matt 16:24-26
24 If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and
take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life
{psuche} will lose it, but whoever loses his life {psuche} for My sake will
find it {the “zoe” life of promise}. 26 For what profit is it to a man if he
gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in
exchange for his soul?
Luke 14:26
If anyone comes to Me and does not
hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and
his own life {psuche} also, he cannot be My disciple.
The extent to which we must stop trying to find our
spiritual support from this world includes even laying the members of our
family on the altar. God intends to be our only source of life—our all in all.
The psuche form of life must die if we hope to be raised into the eternal life
that comes directly from God.
Those who are living through the Lord’s life of divine love
will find that it never fails. Human love, because it is sustained by temporal
circumstances, fails whenever it is not treated well.
Luke 17:32-33
32 Remember Lot ’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to save his life {psuche} will lose it, and
whoever loses his life {psuche} will preserve it {save his soul for the
“aiόnios zoe”}.
Matt 18:8
If your hand or foot causes you to
sin, cut it off and cast it from you. It is better for you to enter into life
{zoe} lame or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into
the everlasting fire.
Matt 7:14
Because narrow is the gate and
difficult is the way which leads to life {zoe}, and there are few who find it.
1 Tim 6:12
Fight the good fight of faith, lay
hold on eternal life {aiόnios zoe}, to which you were also called…
1 John 5:11
And this is the testimony: that God
has given us eternal life {aiόnios zoe}, and this life {zoe} is in His Son.
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