Eternal life refers to a gift from God that is obtained through faith in Jesus Christ. It involves developing an intimate, personal relationship with God by learning about Him through His Son. Eternal life begins at the moment one believes in Christ and is not dependent on time, as Christians can experience it now rather than waiting until after death. True eternal life is only possible through salvation in Jesus, which saves believers from sin and God's judgment, and allows them to know God.

1. "Whatis eternal life?" – 28th
April 2017
“Andwhat is eternal life?It is knowingyou, the onlytrue God,andJesus Christ,whomyou have
sent.”(John17:3).
Whenthe Bible speaksof eternal life,itreferstoagiftof God that comesonly“through JesusChristour
Lord.” “Whenyousin, the pay youget isdeath. But God givesyou the gift ofeternal life. That’s
because ofwhat Christ Jesusour Lord has done.”(Romans6:23). This giftisincontrast to the “death”
that isthe natural resultof sin. To many,Eternal life conjuresthoughtsof livingforeverinHeavenor
livingwithoutdeath,painorsicknessandissomethingMankindhassoughtafterforcenturiestothwart
deathand the degenerative processesof oldage. i.e. "The Fountainof Youth".We have beentryingto
findor create the Fountainof Youthto prolongour livesthroughholistic,medical and orpharmaceutical
processes. ButwhatexactlyisEternal life?
The worldtoday hastriedto unravel the secretor understandingof eternityandhave triedtofathomit
throughmathematicsand some eventhrough numerousspiritual practices.We've evengone asfaras to
create an understandingof existence withthe conceptthatwhenwe die we come backinanotherform,
and some call itreincarnation…Butis there a definitionthatcanadequatelyexplain ‘eternal life’ina
mannerwe can understandandcomprehend?Yesthere isanditcan be foundinthe Bible.Forexample
we can learnfrom John17:3, “And whatis eternal life?It isknowingyou, the onlytrue God,andJesus
Christ,whom youhave sent.” Eternal life,asdefinedhere byJesus,involvesthe experience of knowing
the onlytrue God through HisSon.To know Himwe needtodevelopa personal relationshipof intimacy
whichiscontinuousanddynamic.Thusa personwhoknowsGod has an intimate personalrelationship
withHim.
The Bible states thatEternal Life isthe processof learningaboutandknowingwhoGodis.This entails
understandinghowHe works,thinksandlovesHiscreation. Butsome mayquestion: Soif Eternal Life is
knowingGod,thenDeathisNOT knowingGod?For sure...! Isn'tthatwhat Satanhas beentryingtodo
overthe span of Human existence? Satanhascast an untrue view of the character of God bythe many
false doctrinesthatare taught eveninsome Christianchurchestoday. Satanhasbeenspreadinglies
aboutGod since before he wascast out of Heavenbecause he doesnotwantus to trulyknow God.
KnowingGodwill be anamazingongoingexperiencethatwill continuethroughouteternity.Justimagine
learningfromthe creatorof all things.Knowledge andunderstandingwillnevercease andthattoo will
be for an eternity…Butfirstbefore we canapproachGods presence,we have tochange fromour sinful
waysbecause God detestssinandtherefore asinful personcannotexistinGod’spresence.Toenable
our presence withGodwe need toseeksalvation. The meaningof Salvationisbeingsavedfromthe
righteousjudgmentof Goduponthe sinner.Toreceive salvationwe need tobelieve throughfaithin
JesusChristas one’sLordand Saviour.Itis onlythenthatwe can come intothe presence of God.
Because:“Salvationisfoundinnoone else, for there isno other nameunder heaven given to mankind
by whichwe must be saved.”(Acts4:12). When we are savedwe are alsosetfree fromsinand that in
turn availsuspossibilityof eternal life.We canlearnthisfrom Romans 6:22, “But now that youhave
been set free from sinand have become slavesof God,the benefit youreap leads to holiness, andthe
result is eternal life.”
It isonlythenthat we will have the possibilityof thiswonderful giftfromGod,Eternal Life.We will have
eternitytolearnmore about God and whatHe has instore for His children whichisbeyondour
understanding... However,asit is written: “Whatno eye has seen, what no ear has heard,and what no

2. humanmindhas conceived”—thethingsGodhasprepared for those wholove him”(1Corinthians
2:9).Eternal life alsoreferstoa span of time that will neverend. ManyChristianstodaybelieve the lie
Satan toldinthe Garden of Eden. We can readthisfrom Genesis3:4, “Youwill not certainly die,” the
serpent saidto the woman.” He toldEve that she wouldnotsurelydie if she defiedGod,andshe
boughtit. Many believe thatwe have animmortal soul,but nowhere inthe Bible doesitsaythat
Mankindisimmortal,infact immortalityisanattribute of Godonly!Mankindismortal andwill not
obtainimmortalityuntilafterJesusreturnswithHisreward atthe SecondComing. We can learnfrom
Romans8:11,“And if the Spirit ofhim whoraised Jesus fromthe dead islivinginyou, he who raised
Christfrom the dead will alsogive lifeto yourmortal bodies because of hisSpiritwho livesin you.”
It isa mistake,however,toview eternal life assimplyanunendingprogressionof years.Infact,eternal
life isnotreallyassociatedwith“years”atall,asit is independentof time.Eternal life canfunction
outside of andbeyondtime,aswell aswithintime. Forthisreason,eternallifecanbe thoughtof as
somethingthatChristiansexperience now.Believersdon’thave to“wait”foreternal life,because it’s
not somethingthatstartswhentheydie.Rather, eternal lifebeginsthe momentapersonexercisesfaith
inChrist.It isour current possession of believers.We canlearnfrom John3:36,“Whoever believesin the
Son haseternal life,but whoever rejects the Son will not see life,for God’swrathremains onthem.”
We findsimilarteachingsfromJohn5:24, “Verytruly I tell you, whoever hears my word andbelieves
himwho sent me haseternal life andwill not be judged but hascrossed over from death to life.” Again
fromin John6:47, “Verytruly I tell you, the one who believeshas eternal life.”
The Bible inextricablylinkseternal life withthe Personof JesusChrist. We canread an important
passage inthisregard,as Jesusprays, “Nowthis iseternal life: that they know you,the onlytrue God,
and JesusChrist,whom you havesent.”(John17:3). Here,Jesusequates“eternallife”with knowledge
of God andof the Son.There is noknowledge of Godwithoutthe Son,foritis throughthe Son thatthe
FatherrevealsHimselftothe elect.We can learnwhere Jesussaid: “Ihaverevealed you to those whom
you gave me out ofthe world.They were yours;you gave them to me and they have obeyed your
word.”(John17:6). Jesuscame to save us. He broughtthe Goodnewsof salvationthroughwhichwe can
reach the possibilityof eternallife. ButasChristianswe needto steadfastlybearinmindthatonlythe
righteouswill receiveeternallife. The Wickedwillbe destroyedinthe Lake of Fire andwill sufferthe
SecondDeath!Therefore we are advisedaswe findin Romans6:12, “Therefore do not let sinreign in
your mortal body so that youobey its evil desires.” AsChristians we needtosteadfastlybearinmind
whatJesussaid: “I givethem eternal life,andthey shall never perish;no one will snatch them out of
my hand.”(John10:28).