What eternal life is has been grossly misunderstood by many Christians. Instead of going by the popular understanding of what it is, this article looks at the biblical definition.
John 3:16 is a Bible passage that many are familiar with. It tells us the purpose of Jesus’s coming to the world. The verse has been used many times to explain why Jesus came to the world. It reads, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.” From the text, many have concluded that Jesus came to the world so that we would not perish.
Many seem to miss the last bit of the passage that says, “but have everlasting life.” From the bible passage, Jesus came to die for us so that we would not perish but have life and have life everlasting. According to this scripture, our sins were in the way of having eternal life. The preceding implies that Jesus did not come to die so that we would not go to hell, only. He also died so we could have everlasting life.
What is Everlasting Life?
The night before He was betrayed to be killed, Jesus explained what everlasting life is. John 17:3 quotes Jesus as saying, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ.” This scripture shows that everlasting life is knowing the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom God sent.
Many people confuse everlasting life with living forever. But everybody lives forever because no one ceases to exist when they die. Everybody continues with life in the spirit world as a spirit after they die. The body decays in the grave, but the soul and spirit live in another realm. So, from John 17:3, it is not accurate to say eternal life is living forever because everyone does that. The verse implies that eternal life with God is not automatic for everyone.
The scripture also clarifies that eternal life is not living in heaven or hell, as many others think. Eternal life is just what Jesus said it was, to know God and to know Jesus. Knowing here is not referring to having information about or mere intellectual knowledge. Know, as used in scripture, refers to the most intimate and personal relationships between two persons.
The Purpose Of Salvation
Life in heaven will be great, but it is not the real purpose of salvation. The reason for salvation is to have intimacy, a personal relationship with the Lord God. Few people have intimacy with God as a goal despite many crying out to Him for the forgiveness of their sins.
Sharing the real purpose of the Gospel does the Gospel some good service. Salvation does not just deal with spiritual things that will benefit us in the future, in eternity. Salvation is for the here and the now. Some people are already living in literal hell right now. They are in poverty, depressed, and dealing with strife, hurt, rejection, and failed lives. They are trying to keep their heads above the water. If salvation is presented to them as something that solves some problem in eternity, many people will put off the decision because they are too busy trying to survive today.
Jesus Loves You
Jesus came to affect our eternal destiny so we can spend it with God and not in the punishment and curse of hell. He also came to deliver us from this present evil world (Gal. 1:4). He came to give us a personal relationship and intimacy with God the Father today.
Jesus came to bring us back into a close, personal relationship with Him. Jesus loves you, whatever you are. Jesus wants you to know Him personally. Jesus wants to give you a quality of life more extraordinary than anything you could obtain through any other source. Jesus came that we may have abundant life.
John 10:10 puts it this way: “The thief [speaking of Satan] cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly” (brackets mine). God wants to give us all eternal life by getting to know Him. God wants to give us abundant life, and I believe we all need that today—do you want that? Christ died to forgive your sins and bring us close to him. If you don’t know the Lord, you need to know Him for that purpose. If you’ve already been born again, you need to go beyond just getting your sins forgiven and enter into everlasting life with the Father.
BASIC FACTS ABOUT ETERNAL LIFE
1. The purpose of the Gospel is eternal life (John 3:16).
2. Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ (John 17:3).
3. Knowing God is an intimate relationship (1 Cor. 6:16-17).
4. Eternal life is available now (1 John 5:12).
5. God wants a personal relationship with you (Rev. 3:20).
Questions and Answers
1. Read John 3:16. What was the purpose of God sending Jesus into the world?
JOHN 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Answer: To save the world, giving all who believe in Jesus everlasting life by removing sin’s penalty
2. The biblical usage of the word “know” means to have an intimate, personal relationship with a person (Gen. 4:1). Read John 17:3. What is eternal/everlasting life, according to this verse?
GENESIS 4:1 –And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
JOHN 17:3 – And this is life eternal [eternal life], that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ (brackets mine).
Answer: Eternal life is knowing God and Jesus Christ (not physically but intimately)
3. Read 1 John 5:11-12. According to these verses, when does eternal or everlasting life begin?
1 JOHN 5:11-12 – And this is the record, that God hath given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. [12] He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
Answer: When we receive the Son (Jesus Christ) into our lives
4. Read John 10:10. What kind of life did Jesus come to give us?
JOHN 10:10 – The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life and that they might have it more abundantly.
Answer: Abundant life!
5. Explain in your own words the attributes of abundant life.
Answer: Abundant life would be the opposite of what Jesus said the thief comes to do. A life of joy, peace, righteousness, and fulfillment in the Holy Ghost is abundant life.
6. Do you believe God sent His Son Jesus into the world to die for the sins of the world, thereby giving us who believe eternal/everlasting life?
Answer: Yes
7. Is it clear that eternal/everlasting life is not only a length of time (eternity) but a quality and quantity of life?
Answer: Yes