Eternal Life
Overview:  Eternal life is a prospect that many people would very much like to believe is possible, as intuitively we all know that we are more then our physical bodies.  Most major religions teach that the person has a body, soul and spirit and it is the spirit of man that continues to live after physical death has occurred.  However, some religions teach that the person comes back in another body until they are perfected through re-incarnation.  Or other religions simply teach that if we do our best or try to live a good life then that is good enough. After all, isn’t God a God of mercy, love and forgiveness.  Yes, while God is love in the purest sense the most important question we all need to answer is who is Jesus?  Was Jesus just a man or was Jesus God?  If He was God, then why did He die on a cross ? Then, if God died on a cross why did He die and for what ? Then, lastly, do you feel that by living a basically good life you will go to heaven.  These questions and how we answer them will determine whether or not we will experience eternal life, as defined in the Bible.

Merriam Wester’s Dictionary defines the word eternal as follows:

Eternal: Function: adjectiveEtymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from Late Latin aeternalis, from Latin aeternus eternal, from aevum age, eternity -- more at AYE
1 a : having infinite duration : EVERLASTING b : of or relating to eternity c : characterized by abiding fellowship with God <good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? -- Mark 10:17 (Revised Standard Version)> 2 a : continued without intermission : PERPETUAL b : seemingly endless

The first sin of Adam and Eve separated them from God by driving them out of the Garden of Eden.  God killed an innocent animal to cover them and their nakedness. This was the beginning of the sacrificial system to “cover” sin.  The sin of man separated them from a close relationship with God because the holy nature of God cannot tolerate sin.

Genesis 3:20:24 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. 21 The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

The holiness of God is described in the Old Testament book of laws and ordinances called Leviticus.

Leviticus 11:43-45 Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. ⁴⁴ I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. ⁴⁵ I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy.

God, knowing the heart of man and knowing all things from the beginning to the end, planned before man was even created to provide one eternal sacrifice for the sins of mankind. As Peter writes in the New Testament letter to the early church tells us:

I Peter 1:18-20 Knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. 20 He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you

So, entering into the time of the New Testament,  John the Baptist, began to preach the gospel of repentance for sins as he knew the long promised Messiah would soon come.

John 2:29-30  The next day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, "After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'

The promise of God’s lamb or sacrifice for the sins of mankind was now fulfilled and is captured in this conversation that Jesus had with a ruler of the Jews, Nicodemus.

John 3:1-3,14-17  There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." 13 No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven. 14And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but^[b] have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

God provided a way for mankind to enjoy eternal life with Him forever by offering an eternal sacrifice that would pay the price for the sins of mankind, Jesus.

So, who was and is Jesus ?  Was He just a man, or was and is He God ?  During Jesus’s life He performed hundreds of miracles and touched the lives of all who met Him.  His disciples, who spent three years with Him before He was crucified saw that Jesus was more then a man.

Matthew 16:15-16  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

John 6:67-69  Then Jesus said to the twelve, "Do you also want to go away?" 68But Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Jesus’s words or promise of eternal life is given to all who accept and believe that He is God.

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 10:27-29  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.

Lastly, the writers of the New Testament letters to the early church also spoke of this great gift called eternal life, to all who accept and believe.

Romans 6:22-23  But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

I John 5:10-12 Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. ¹¹And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. ¹² He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

I Timothy 1:15-17 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners–of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

How to know that you will experience eternal life, as defined in the Bible.

Remember no matter how what anyone says or no matter how you feel the answer lies in the only unchangeable book in the world, God’s Holy Bible.  So here is what to do if you are not sure.  Then print out this page and rely on God’s Word, no matter how you feel.

1)  Understand and accept the fact that all men and women are guilty and have fallen short of the standard set by a holy God.

No One is Righteous Before God Romans 3:9-12 What shall we conclude then? Are we any better ? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. ¹⁰ As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;  ¹¹ there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. ¹² All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

2) Acknowledge that you are a sinner and have fallen short of God’s standard of perfection.

Romans 3:21-24  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. ²² This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, ²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.

3) Turn from your life of sin, repent or change your mind and accept by faith that Jesus Christ died for your sins and acknowledge that there is nothing you can do to save yourself.

Romans 10:9-13  That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. ¹¹ As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” ¹² For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, ¹³ for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

4) Throw yourself on the cross of Jesus Christ and whenever you are in doubt that you made the right decision meditate on these Bible verses.

Romans 8:31-39  What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? ³² He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all--how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? ³³ Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. ³⁴ Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? ³⁶ As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." ³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ^{3 9}neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

John 10:27-30  My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. ²⁸ I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one."

Conclusion: Eternal Life is available to all who accept and believe in God’s sacrifice for the sins of the world, Jesus Christ.  The most important and most difficult decision that you will ever make is available by one simple step of faith. Take that step today. God deeply loves you and is waiting for you to come to Him by faith today. Please come.

Hebrews 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.