What
does it mean to have eternal life? There are two important dimensions
in eternal life. There is life after death and there is life before
death. There are a great many people who never give any thought to an
after-life. The question, "Is there life after death?" rarely crosses
their mind. they are content to live from day to day, taking each day as
it comes. These people are, however, interested in another question:
Is there life before death? When they hear of Jesus Christ, they ask,
"Can He change my life here and now? Can He make a difference in my
life right now? The Gospel answer to that question is an emphatic
"Yes". Jesus Christ does not only give us heaven. He give us new life
here and now. The two sides of the life which Christ gives to us must
be emphasized. There is life before death. Jesus calls this: "abundant
life" (John 10:10). There is life after death. Here, Jesus speaks of "everlasting life" (John 3:16, Authorized Version).
Eternal
life has a beginning, but it has no end. It begins when we come in
faith to Jesus Christ to receive from Him the new life which He alone
can give, the abundant life which is far better than life without
Christ. Without Christ, life is empty. In Christ, there is abundant
life. Apart from Christ, we have mere existence, just going on from day
to day with no real sense of meaning, purpose and direction. With
Christ, everything is different. This great change is well described in
the words of the hymn: "What a wonderful change in my life has been
wrought since Jesus came into my heart!" Jesus makes a difference here
and now. He also gives us a life which has no end. This is also
emphasized in this hymn: "I'm possessed of a hope that is steadfast and
sure, since Jesus came into my heart!"
Eternal
life is life with a new quality. It is life with an everlasting
duration. When we think of the abundant quality of eternal life, we can
testify with the hymnwriter: "All that thrills my soul is Jesus; He is
more than life to me." When we think of the everlasting duration of
eternal life, we rejoice in these words from the hymn, "Amazing grace":
"When we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun." When
we read the words of our Lord Jesus Christ in John 10:28
- "I give them eternal life", our hearts are filled with joy - the joy
of the Lord. When we read the rest of the verse, our hearts are filled
with even greater joy: "they shall never perish." These are great
words! The truth of Jesus' promise is presented very effectively in a
Gospel song: "He didn't bring us this far to leave us. He didn't teach
us to swim to let us drown. He didn't build His home in us to move
away. He didn't lift us up to let us down." When we read the words,
"they shall never perish", we may be painfully aware of the many
temptations which we face. we are aware of the Lord's presence, but we
are also aware of the activity of Satan. He is always seeking to snatch
us out of the Lord's hands. What does Jesus say to us about Satan? -
"No one (not even Satan himself) shall snatch you out of My hand."
Years
ago, on a mission in Brodick, on the island of Arran, I heard an
interesting song, the words of which have remained in my mind: "Why do
Christians never turn back? They could, if they desired. Or, could it be
that Christians are permanently fired with a love for a life they've
found to be so real? They've found the perfect living in a God who is
ideal for today." Jesus has given us abundant life. When we are tempted
to turn back from following Jesus, we find, in our hearts, an echo of
the words of Peter: "Lord, to whom shall we go?You have the words of
eternal life" (John 6:68).
Through faith in Jesus Christ, we look forward to life after death.
Our sense of expectation is greatly increased by the marvellous fact
that we have received life before death: "Blessed assurance, Jesus is
mine: O what a foretaste of glory divine!" Abundant life, here on
earth, is a foretatse of life, in heavenly glory, with the Lord. We are
not in heaven yet, but we have been heaven in our hearts, because we
have Jesus in our hearts: "Heaven came down, and glory filled my soul,
when, at the cross, the Saviour made me whole. My sins were washed
away, and my night was turned to day. Heaven came down, and glory
filled my soul." It is a wonderful thing to know that eternal life has
begun. It is an even more wonderful thing to know that it shall never
end.
Many
Christians have come to faith in Christ through a little booklet
entitled, "Journey into Life." This is a good description of what it
means to become a Christian. Becoming a Christian means beginning a
journey into life. this journey is a never-ending journey. The life,
which Christ gives, is not only abundant life. It is also everlasting
life. Have you begun the journey into life? If not, you can begin,
today, your own personal journey into life. Let Jesus Christ lead you
into this journey into life.
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