“These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life,” I John 5:13
Many Christians don’t know that they have eternal life! That is probably why so many are weak in faith. Some believe eternal life is something we get when we die. The Bible, however, doesn’t teach that at all. It teaches that we receive eternal life when we place our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
When do we receive everlasting life? According to John 3:16, we receive it when we believe. Whosoever believes…has! Has what? Eternal Life! According to our scripture at the top of the page, Christians, those who have been born again, have eternal life, and John wrote this letter to them to tell them about it. This is what being born again is all about; the new birth is the impartation of the life of God and His nature. It’s called ETERNAL LIFE. Or, even more accurately, the LIFE AND NATURE OF GOD!
II Peter 1: 4 gives us even more detail. It says we are “…partakers of the divine nature…!
The phrase everlasting life is the English translation of the Greek word, ZOE, which is properly pronounced zo-way, which is the life and nature of God. Because God is eternal, the translators used the terms everlasting life, life eternal, or eternal life, to describe this life. When we place our faith in Jesus, the life of God is breathed into our spirit, recreating our spirit and we become a new creation! “For God so love the world, He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have ZOE!
You may wonder; ‘how is one born again? The Bible says, “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Have you received Jesus as your Lord? Have you verbally stated to Him that you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead? If you want eternal life, simply follow what Jesus said: He said, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.” John 10:27-28
With Love,
Pastor Tom