Perfectpeace

Whenever I ask people what is Eternal life, the reply is similar

” living forever,” ” living with God in Heaven,” “living in Heaven, ” ….

But what is really eternal life?

Jesus actually defined it for us in John 17 :3
“And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

So knowing the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent is eternal life!

It would be good to sit still and let that sink in.

It is important to know the difference between knowing a person and knowing about the person.

One can know about a person from what others said or what they read but In order to know that person, you have to have pretty good relationship.

Intimate details are known if two persons have intimate relationship.

The apostle John talked about eternal life in

1 John 1:1-
: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;
2: (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)”

It looks like John is describing Jesus as the eternal life that was hidden with the Father, now revealed. He heard Him, saw Him, touched Him. He had fellowship with Him.

According to the scripture we saw above, eternal life is not something you get after dying, but it is the life that you get when you start knowing God and His son Jesus Christ on the day of salvation.

And the more you know God , the more this life becomes abundant in you.

John has said in his Epistle that he that who has the Son has life.

Let’s also remember what Jesus said about himself , ” I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Jesus has also explained how we get to know him in John 14:21: “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him”

Lets pay attention to ” having His commandments and keeping them”

And Jesus again added in

John 14:23: “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him..”

To simply repeat this – if you love Jesus, you will obey his commands, and the Father will love you. Then the Father and the Son will live in you.

The more you love and obey, the more the manifestation of the Father and Son in you!

What a wonderful and glorious privilege this is!

What experience can be greater than this.

Eternal life is knowing the only true God and His Son Jesus Christ.

Shalom.