Eternal Life Now

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

Jesus is praying to His Father. How any religion can deny the Trinity or that Jesus is the Son of God is beyond me. Jesus defines what eternal life is. Not necessarily the first answer we might give. We are inclined to talk about eternal life being associated only with the hereafter. Somehow we have so closely associated eternal life with heaven that we can't wrap our minds around a larger concept of eternal life actually being something that you receive at salvation. I think this is why people think somehow they fall in and out of God's grace and that since their salvation is at risk, then eternal life can only begin after physical life ends.

But, isn't it clear here that when we accept His grace and receive salvation that at that very moment we know Him? No way do we only know Him in the hereafter. We may only know Him in part, but we do know Him. When I baptize people I ask them if they 'know Jesus Christ as their personal Lord and Savior.' They do. They have accepted Christ as their Savior and they know Him. He comes and lives in them. I don't buy that Jesus takes up spiritual residence in us and then moves in and out depending on our level of performance or obedience. If you today are concerned whether or not you are really saved, make sure today. Have assurance. He promises to keep His promise to never leave you or forsake you, whether you do or not. If Peter dies suddenly while denying Christ three times, is He banished to hell forever? Maybe He never really knew Him? Wow! We could easily increase the power of our emotional outbursts and decrease the power of His promises.

We do this in real life. We somehow convince ourselves that we can cruise in and out of salvation. Nonsense. You are either saved or you aren't. Otherwise we would be plucking petals off of a flower hoping that we ended on an even number ("He loves me, He loves me not") How capricious. We really need to know Him and know we are saved. That is what eternal life is based on. Nothing else. There is only One God and He is who Jesus was talking to. Jesus is His Son and was sent for the purpose of redeeming mankind. Each individual, once and for all. To know God and His Son Jesus is assurance and your eternal life is promised from the get go. If you sincerely receive His grace then that is a done deal Now the only difficult part is conducting ourselves accordingly. So we shall, because we have eternal life and because we do know Him, the Son of the Only True God. Jesus is the only Name under heaven by which you can be saved. Turn to Him today and be sure and assured that you are safe.

In Him,
Pastor Fred

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