Christ Ahnsahnghong and Eternal Life

There are numerous reasons to have faith in God. But the Bible explains that the main reason we need to believe in God is for our salvation.

And you are receiving the goal of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
1 Peter 1:9 (NCV)

In other words, through our faith in God, we can receive eternal life.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
1 Timothy 6:12

With this in mind, we have to make sure we have not just any faith, but the faith based on the Bible.

…and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
2 Timothy 3:15

Only through the Scriptures and the teachings of Christ can we confirm whether the faith we profess is the faith that leads us to salvation and grants us eternal life or not.

The Words of Eternal Life

When all the people of Israel looked down on Jesus, the disciples clung to Him for one reason alone: eternal life.

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.”
John 6:68

We, too, must understand the message Jesus spoke and, through the example left in the Scriptures, become wise to the teachings of salvation in our age.

Parables and Hidden Things

Most of the time Jesus spoke to the people of Israel, He used parables to hide the secrets of heaven, eternal life and salvation (Mt 13:10-11). Yet, it was through these parables God’s people were able to realize the truth of eternal life hidden in creation.

Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables. This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: “I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world.”
Matthew 13:34-35 (NLT)

Then, what parable and hidden thing did Christ reveal that gave Peter and John such confidence in their faith in Jesus?

Then the LORD God said, “Humans have become like one of us; they know good and evil. We must keep them from eating some of the fruit from the tree of life, or they will live forever.” So the LORD God forced Adam out of the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken.
Genesis 3:22-23 (NCV)

The creation, which is documented in the book of Genesis, contains the secret to eternal life: the tree of life. It was hidden from Adam, Eve, and all humankind when we sinned by breaking God’s command not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16-17). Since God prevented us from eating from the tree of life, only God can allow us to eat from the tree once again.

Reality of the Tree of Life

Jesus taught His disciples the way to have eternal life by eating from the tree of life. Of course, this was not a literal tree; it was a parable.

So Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you cannot have eternal life within you. But anyone who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise that person at the last day.”
John 6:53-54 (NLT)

Jesus Christ came to this earth as the reality to the tree of life. Just as eating fruit from the tree of life was necessary to have eternal life in the Garden of Eden, so we must eat Christ’s flesh and drink His blood to have eternal life and be saved.

This is where faith comes in. Even 2,000 years ago, many people turned away from Jesus after hearing this teaching.

On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?” …From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
John 6:60-66

But the ones with true faith did not leave; they recognized Jesus as God because He brought the way to eat from the tree of life, the mystery hidden since the creation.

How to Eat From the Tree of Life

Even though Christ said the way to have eternal life is to eat His flesh and drink His blood, that was not a literal command either. Before He ascended to heaven, He left the practical way to eat His flesh, drink His blood and eat from the tree of life through the New Covenant Passover.

On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” …So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
Matthew 26:17-19

While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”
Matthew 26:26-28

By celebrating the New Covenant Passover, Jesus’ disciples ate from the tree of life. Through this teaching, they were able have firm faith that Jesus was the Christ—God who came in the flesh. However, the link between the New Covenant Passover and God in the flesh was not reserved only for 2,000 years ago.

Second Coming Christ Allows Us to Eat From the Tree of Life

The New Covenant Passover allows us to eat from the tree of life, receive eternal life and salvation, and also allows us to recognize Christ. Even though celebrating the New Covenant Passover is the example Christ left for us to follow, this feast was abolished after Christ’s ascension.

At the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325, the New Covenant Passover was outlawed. Without the Passover, there was no way to eat from the tree of life. Even though this situation should seem hopeless, God left us the Scriptures to give us wisdom and insight into what must happen.

So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
Hebrews 9:28

To allow us to eat from the tree of life, Christ must come a second time and open the way—just like He did the first time—by teaching His disciples to celebrate the New Covenant Passover.

Christ Ahnsahnghong fulfilled this prophecy. In 1948, He began the movement to restore all the teachings of the Early Church, including the celebration of the New Covenant Passover.

Since Christ Ahnsahnghong opened the way to the tree of life, the Bible testified that He is the Second Coming Christ and God Almighty. Christ Ahnsahnghong fulfilled many more prophecies in the Bible, which all confirm He is the Savior in this age. To learn more, visit your nearest World Mission Society Church of God.