What Is Eternal Life?

Sounds like a simple question, doesn't it - what is eternal life? Well, it's life that's eternal, right? Yes, but what is the "life" that lasts forever?

Jesus gave us a glimpse of what that life means in John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."

Eternal life then is having a relationship with the only true God through Jesus. It's not just never dieing, it's not just freedom from disease, it's not sitting on the clouds playing harps and being bored.

As we know on earth, the things that really matter to us are not the things we acquire, the positions we attain, or the accomplishments we have done - it is the people, the relationships that matter most.

It's the same way in the eternal. It won't matter how many crowns you get or if your mansion is closer to Saint Peter than your buddy's. What matters is knowing God.

Look at it another way, what is eternal death? Eternal death then is not knowing God - being as far away from Jesus as you can possibly get. If that's what you want, then that's what you'll get.

It might sound okay until you realize that God holds everything that is good, all peace, all joy, all intimacy, all satisfaction.

All God wants is for us to realize our need of Him, and then come through His Son to have that eternal relationship, that eternal life.

Pastor Tom