3. Eternal Life
Romans 2:6-7 [God] will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life.
God renders eternal life to those who believe in the Son (John 3:16). Eternal life is the wonderful promise given as a free gift of grace, grace earned by Jesus Christ by His Cross and Resurrection. It is freely granted and not in any bit earned or deserved.
However, on the Judgment Day all people will be judged according to their deeds, that is, by the life they lived. This kind of life lived is the evidence of the inward faith in the external word that has received the gift. How do you know if someone has true faith in Christ or not? You don’t, but you will know them by their fruits. You shall not judge them by their fruits because you could be mistaken and you cannot know the motives of the heart; faith is invisible. But faith becomes visible to the entire universe in the Final Judgment. Then God renders accordingly. Those who maintain faith in Christ have no sins that will show up; those who do not believe in Christ will still be in their sins and these will be shown for all to see. Though we do not see the faith all the world will see the deeds; and God judges justly.
“Patient well doing seeking for glory and honor and immortality” is what will be seen in the revealing judgment. The judgment will reveal all those who have a heart for God, faith in Jesus. It will look like patient well doing seeking God’s life. Because we do not see the heart we cannot pass judgment on any person. We may tell a person that unless he or she repents and believes the gospel he cannot be saved and he will die and be judged in his sins. But we cannot judge; we can only love.
Patient well doing describes the faithful believer; it is not a prescription or requirement for eternal life and salvation. Patient well doing is not something we try to do and become. It is a fruit of the spirit; it is not produced by the efforts of the soul. Faith lives it out and works it in. Patient well doing is lived by the Holy Spirit of God who lives in the spirits of those who are connected to the Vine by God-given faith in Jesus. Patient well doing is the eternal life of God in us. We believe in Jesus = we believe the Promise. The Promise = Eternal Life. Eternal Life = a heart for God.