So, what exactly is Eternal Life?

Eternal life…. Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it? Did you know that Ecclesiastes 3:11 says God has set eternity in our hearts? If God put it there, then it must be important. 

Before I dive into the actual meaning of eternal life. Let me explain what it does NOT mean. 

And this is the way to have eternal life—to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth.

Knowing someone speaks of a relationship, and as I’ve said before, Christianity at its core is about a relationship. It starts with having the right perspective of God. Too often, God has been misunderstood, mischaracterized, and falsely spoken about. 

What I’m about to say is very crucial! How you see God will determine your relationship with Him. If your understanding of Him is some big meany waiting to strike you down. Then trust me, your relationship with him will not go very far. 

Fortunately, we have the Bible to help us better understand Him. Before we start, please understand that the relationship I’m talking about goes far beyond anything we can imagine. It would be unrealistic to put it all into this writing, but here are a few passages to help you get started. 

This first one is one of the most famously quoted verses. John 3:16, I’m going to paraphrase it a bit in hopes that you will better understand it.

For God so loved mankind, whom He had created, that he gave us Jesus, the most expensive possession he has, that whoever believes in Jesus will have everlasting life. 

So let’s break this down by starting with the Love of God. Contrary to popular teaching, the New Testament starts with how much God loves us, NOT how much we love God. Too often, we hear sermons about how much we are to love God, which is true, but, truth be told, the primary focus is on how much God loves us. James said it this way: “We love Him because He first loved us.”

Knowing God is based on His love for us. Any other teaching or sermon that is not built on the foundation of God’s love is faulty. Now, knowing about God and knowing God are two different things. I’ve spent a lot of time studying about God, but nothing compares to knowing Him on a day-to-day basis. That, my friends, is where eternal life happens, not in the distant future, but now in this life. 

Romans 5:5b says 

For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

This is what happens to us when we start believing in Jesus Christ. Many people describe it as a born again experence. However you wish to explain it, the truth is, the very first thing the Holy Spirit fills us with is God’s love. Why? Because God’s love is the cornerstone for everything! He just doesn’t have or give love; he is love itself. Your life is not and will never be the same. Again, contrary to popular teaching, this is permanent. God’s love within you is not here today and gone tomorrow. Despite our failures, issues, shortcomings [fill in the blank], God’s love will NEVER be removed from you.

Still not convinced? Look what Isaiah has to say in Chapter 54:9-10

“Just as I swore in the time of Noah

that I would never again let a flood cover the earth,

so now I swear

that I will never again be angry and punish you.

For the mountains may move

and the hills disappear,

but even then my faithful love for you will remain.

My covenant of blessing will never be broken,”

says the LORD, who has mercy on you.

Now this is a great foundation to start a relationship on. When you understand God in this way, the Bible takes on a whole new meaning. Scripture is absolutely filled with passages about God’s love. For example, the Apostle Paul says this 

And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Ephesians 3:18-19

Even though we may not completely understand His love, Paul exhorts us to pursue the experience of it. Why? Because it completes us. The more you experience it, the more you will come to a place where you just abandon yourself in His love. We were designed for this. Nothing else in this world will matter when you live in the love relationship of our Creator.

It’s taken me more than fifty years to finally grasp this, and I’m not exaggerating. I’ve been part of churches and gatherings that emphasized so many different things, yet overlooked the one truth that actually transforms our lives: the eternal life that comes from knowing God and Jesus Christ. That kind of knowing is all about relationship — and that relationship begins with, and is anchored in, God’s love for us.

Eternity starts now by getting to know your creator and Jesus Christ!

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Some other Blog posts you may be interested in:

Disciple vs Christian

Becoming a Student of Grace