Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John 17:3

Jesus Christ did not die so that you could live forever.

Yes, you heard that right. Yes, the most famous verse in the Bible says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”  The Bible does say that.  But knowing God, not just living forever, is how the Bible defines eternal life. Here is Jesus’ own definition: “Now this is eternal life:  that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent (John 17:3).  “Yes, that we will live forever is wonderful,” writes pastor Scotty Smith. “But that we will grow in our relationship with our Father and with Jesus, whom we too will one day be able to see and touch, is unparalleled awesomeness.”[1]

God created us and Jesus came, died and came back to life from death, so that we would have a “robust, deeply satisfying intimacy with himself—a relational richness that has implications for every aspect of our lives.”[2] Eternal life is so much more than living forever.

But here’s more good news: we don’t have to rely on our own good deeds as our source of eternal life.  Scripture says, “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me” (Jeremiah 9:23-24).  If you are a follower of Jesus, you can rely on Him for an eternity of continuously coming to know and enjoy, His lavish love for you.

 

Resource reading: 1 John 1:1-4

[1] Smith, S. (2021). The Message of I John. In I John Relying on the Love of God (pp. 9–10). New Growth Press.

[2] Ibid.