There are two great truths we need to know concerning eternal life. First of all, we need to know that this life is not a natural life.  It is a supernatural life.  It is the same life that exists in heaven.  The very idea that it is called "eternal" life or "everlasting" life means it came from the eternal realm.  Sometimes, it is mistakenly thought that the word "eternal" simply implies living forever. But in studying more carefully we find that it has to do with the quality of life in contrast to merely its duration.  Translator's New Testament has a glossary listed in the appendix that required more clarification to the meaning of certain words in order to help translator's render in other languages what isn't fully expressed in our authorized version of the Bible.  In defining eternal life, it reads: "In the New Testament, eternal life is that kind of life which is given to all true believers in Christ. The word "eternal" draws attention to the quality of that life, not to its duration in a temporal sense. Thus eternal life can be experienced by believers even while subject to the temporal conditions of earthly life. Translators should be careful to avoid expressions which mean no more than a timeless continuation of life after death." This life we now possess is a heavenly life that is intended to raise our standard of living to where we reign as kings, functioning in the highest level of influence for kingdom purposes.

      The second great truth is that this life is measurable.  In other words, we can increase in this life so that we begin to experience an abundance of life or an overflowing measure of life.  F.F. Bosworth once stated: "When life is received in sufficient measure it will live itself."  In other words, the life of God will take on its own personality in us the more of it we receive. 

      So what indications are there, to know when this life is beginning to reach a point of saturation or overflow?  The most obvious would be that since it is God's life we are talking about, any evidence of a point of saturation or overflow would mean there is more of God manifested in us and through us.  I remember a startling statement the Holy Spirit posed to me once. He said, "If you have received the life of God, then what is keeping you from living the life that God lives?"  I realized right then that my aim was to make life a priority, that I was supposed to focus on walking in a greater measure of this life, so that the same life that was in the Father, and in the Son, was now fully operational in me.

      What can be done to bring an increase to this life?  There are several ways.  Proverbs chapter four says, "My son, attend to my word; incline thy ears to my sayings. Let them not depart from before thine eyes; keep it in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those who find them, and health to all their flesh" (Pro. 4:20-22).  Peter wrote: "For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile" (1 Pet. 3:10).  Solomon said something very similar: "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof" (Pro. 18:21).  We have to learn to feed on the Word of life, to love life,  and then speak it forth repetitively and consistently.  Also, we have to go where life resides and spend time there.  In other words, we simply need to hang around the throne of God and let the atmosphere of heaven saturate our being until we are fully charged and overflowing with this life. When we do, we will carry the weight of what this life is capable of doing in us and through us to effect a change in our world and things that impact our world.*