God has given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. It is not in the first Adam, but in His Son; not in man, nor by his works, nor by any means whatever, but it is God’s gift. “God has given,” and though we possess the life, it is not properly and intrinsically in us. But in His Son.

The life is not looked at as being in us, for Christ says, “Because I live, you will live also” (Jn. 14:19). It is therefore immutable. If Christ’s life, indeed, can in any way be annulled or set aside, then can the life in us be so likewise, and not otherwise. If Christ can die, so can we; but if death has no more dominion over Him, no more has it over us. This it is that gives the amazing value and the most blessed character of this life; namely, that its spring and source is in Christ.

He becomes, through grace, our life. For example, my finger has life, my natural life flowing through it; but the seat of my life is not there. My finger may be cut off, but if my finger be cut off, the life still remains in my body, the seat of life not being in my finger. My finger was as much alive as the rest of my body, but the seat of life was not there. The seat of life is in Christ: “your life is hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Hence all the character of the life and all the communion flows from the blessed truth, “in His Son.” Christ Himself is my life. It is of great importance for the strength and comfort of our souls clearly to understand what our life is; it is a real life that we have, a life associating us with God’s Son, a life not possessed before, and in virtue of which we get communion with the Father, who has given us eternal life, not in us, but “in His Son.”