Eternal life was not only promised and manifested; it was also released through Christ's death

[jidong xiao]

永远的生命是神所应许的。约壹二章二十五节说，“祂所应许我们的，就是那永远的生命。”约翰福音里有永远生命的应许，如在三章十五节，四章十四节和十章十节。在提多一章二节，保罗说到永远生命的盼望，就是那不能说谎的神，在历世之前所应许的。这永远生命的应许，必定是父在永远里向子所应许的。必定是在已过的永远里，父应许子要将祂永远的生命赐给信子的人。

永远的生命不仅是所应许，且显现出来的，也是藉着基督的死释放出来的。（约三14～15。）神圣的生命在基督里是隐藏、受限制的，但藉着祂的死，这神圣的生命从祂里面释放了出来。

The eternal life was promised by God. First John 2:25 says, "And this is the promise which He promised us, the eternal life." In the Gospel of John eternal life is promised in such verses as 3:15; 4:14; and 10:10. In Titus 1:2 Paul speaks of "the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before times eternal." This promise of eternal life must be the promise made by the Father to the Son in eternity. It must have been that in eternity past the Father promised the Son that He would give His eternal life to His believers. 

Eternal life was not only promised and manifested; it was also released through Christ's death (John 3:14-15). The divine life was concealed, confined, in Christ. But through His death this divine life was released from within Him.