What Is Eternal Life? How Do I Get It?
Question: What is eternal life? How do I get it?
Answer: Greetings in the name of God's only Begotten Son Jesus Christ (John 3:16)! When we speak or discuss about the word 'Eternal', the first thing that comes to our mind is what? I believe that the first thing we think about is, God and then about our relationship to Him. In other words, if we speak about the word 'eternal' and leave God out of our conversation, there is nothing more to speak about, as God is the reason for creating us who are eternal beings. So even though we are eternal created beings who have 'eternity' put within our hearts by God (Eccl 3:11), yet we cannot understand fully what God has done from the beginning to the end unless we start to believe what He has said about Himself in the Bible which is the Written Word of God, and not just try to understand such a infinite God by our wishful thinking which we call as logic and the science of research, which puts doubts and more doubts in to the existence of God and His creation, than give us any satisfied answer to our heart.
So to get a answer to our heart, we need to take the trail left by God in his word!
The first one is, God has said that he has loved the world and its people so much, that He gave His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ for all its inhabitants who are sinners, that whoever believes in Him, will not perish but will have 'eternal life' (John 3:16). I mean this eternal life that God speaks about is not just to live forever, but to live with Him forever and enjoy Him and His Presence that He has promised all those believers in His Son Jesus Christ. I challenge everyone who reads to understand, on earth, no matter whether someone is a believer in God, or an atheist, still everyone has been equally exposed and has been made available to the goodness of God in the land of the living (Matt 5:45), so that God might be groped for and found by every human who has been born on earth (Acts 17:26-27). That is the reason God has made every human as eternal beings who will live forever.
I mean, as humans by our natural birth on earth, as sinners by birth and choice, if we do not receive the above instruction of God to receive Jesus Christ before the day we die, we will by our own choice will die in our sins and will go on to get condemned for all the sins we have done in our life before God one day in the judgment day of God, and then will be forever be separated from the goodness of God and His Presence forever and ever to live in the fires of hell where worms never die and the fire never gets quenched (Mark 9:48; 2 Thess 1:10; Rev 19:11-20:4).
The second trail left by God, is to fellowship with God, and know Him now on earth as it will be in our future time in heaven. For that matter the Bible reveals, "11 And 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." (1 John 5:11-12, NIV). In another way Jesus expressed the meaning of the word 'eternal life' by saying, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3). So the clear answer to what is eternal life is this, to know personally and privately, who is the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He has sent to reveal Himself to humankind, so that knowing Him personally we can enjoy eternal fellowship with Him.
I would love to illustrate and drive the point the Bible conveys to you easily through a story, years ago, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a passion for art collecting. Together they traveled around the world, adding only the finest art treasures to their collection. Priceless works of arts which were valued by millions adorned the walls of the family estate. The widowed, elder man looked on with satisfaction as his only child became an experienced art collector. The son’s trained eye and sharp business mind caused his father to beam with pride as they dealt with art collectors around the world.
As winter approached, war engulfed the nation, and the young man left to serve his country. After only a few short weeks, his father received a telegram. His beloved son was missing in action. The art collector anxiously awaited more news, fearing he would never see his son again. Within days, his fears were confirmed. The young man had died while rushing a fellow soldier to a medic.
As he opened the door, he was greeted by a soldier with a large package in his hand. He introduced himself to the man by saying, "I was a friend of your son. I was the one he was rescuing when he died. May I come in for a few moments? I have something to show you." As the two began to talk, the soldier told of how the man’s son had told everyone of his, not to mention his father’s, love of fine art. "I’m an artist," said the soldier, "and I want to give you this." As the old man unwrapped the package, the paper gave way to reveal a portrait of the son.
Though the world would never consider it the work of a genius, the painting featured the young man’s face in striking detail. Overcome with emotion, the man thanked the soldier, promising to hang the picture over the fireplace. A few hours later, after the soldier had departed, the old man set about his task.
True to his word, the painting went well above the fireplace, pushing aside thousands of millions of dollars of paintings. And then the man sat in his chair and spent Christmas gazing at the gift he had been given. During the days and weeks that followed, the man realized that even though his son was no longer with him, the boy’s life would live on because of those he had touched. He would soon learn that his son had rescued dozens of wounded soldiers before a bullet stilled his caring heart.
As the stories of his son’s gallantry continued to reach him, fatherly pride and satisfaction began to ease the grief. The painting of his son soon became his most prized possession, far eclipsing any interest in the pieces for which museums around the world clamored. He told his neighbors it was the greatest gift he had ever received.
The following spring, the old man became ill and passed away. The art world was in anticipation!
The auctioneer with great respect for those who had come, announced with his deep voice, "Ladies and Gentlemen, today is one of the greatest day of all who have come here, dreams would be fulfilled this day; greatness would be achieved as many know for sure that, 'I have the greatest collection money can ever buy.' The auction began with a painting that was not on any museum’s list, it was the painting of the man’s son. The auctioneer asked for an opening bid. The room was silent.
The auctioneer started with thousands of dollars and kept on decreasing to make it affordable for anyone who really wanted to buy the portrait of the only begotten Son of the owner of the whole house, in whose memory the whole event was organized, but no one from the rich man's world cared enough for the portrait of the Son, suddenly a outlier gardener who loved the gallant sacrifice of the Son for the country which included him, entered the room to everyone's disgust and pulled out a old ten dollar note and shouted to the auctioneer, "10 DOLLARS, THIS IS ALL I HAVE, GIVE IT TO ME....".
The wildly amazed auctioneer shouted back to the frail and old gardener saying, "Going once 10 Dollars, going twice 10 Dollars. Gone and DONE. IT IS FINISHED!" The auctioneer looked at the audience and announced that the auction was over. Stunned disbelief quieted the room. Then the auctioneer announced that according to the will of the father who was the owner of the entire house, whoever takes the son's portrait which was not appealing....gets it all."
Putting things into perspective, doesn’t it say all about the gospel story of Jesus Christ? Just as those art collectors discovered on that auction Day, the message is still the same: the love of a Father, a Father whose greatest joy came from His Son, the Father sent His Son for a mission because of His love for people, the Son went away and gave His life rescuing others. And now because of that Father’s love, whoever takes the Son, gets it all.
Today I as an auctioneer of God, I cry out to you who is in need of eternal life, you may be a poor wretched sinner who is so poor enough that you cannot save yourself from death which is the curse of sin (Rom 5:12-21), but you can choose to become rich for eternity by choosing to accept the portrait of the Son of the house which is the message of the good news of the Gospel which is able to save your spirit, soul and body in which you live now temporarily on earth (Heb 3:6), of whose son you will become once you accept the portrait of his death on the Cross for you (John 1:12; Gal 3:1). Will you not do it today, won't you not do it today (2 Cor 6:1-2)? On behalf of God I am pleading with you (2 Cor 5:20)! Choose the portrait of the Son and not mock it (Matt 27:44; Luke 23:39, 40, 41, 42-43), don't you realize that He died on the cross being mocked to death for your sins so that you can have eternal life because of His death!!!
The following prayer will help you do this my friend:
"Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner and am sorry for all the wrongs that I have done. I believe that your Son, Jesus Christ, died on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me. I invite you, Jesus, to come into my heart and life as my personal Lord and Savior. I commit and trust my life to you. Please give me the desire to be what you want me to be, and to do only what you want me to do. Thank you for dying for my sins, for your free pardon, for your gift of eternal life, and for hearing and answering my prayer. Amen."
Now God has heard your prayer that you have prayed from your heart to save you for sure. Now read your Bible daily asking the Holy Spirit to transform your life just like Jesus. Pray and have relationship with God daily as He has now become your Heavenly Father and eternal friend who will take care of your life. Go to a Evangelical or Pentecostal Spirit filled Church nearby and learn more from the Bible about Jesus, and how you can serve Him more and more all the days of your life. Praise God! Hallelujah!
PLEASE CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING BANNER "I have accepted Christ today," if you have prayed with me the above prayer, then read MY PERSONAL FAMILY LETTER TO YOU!
Much Love and Blessings....
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