And this is what he promised us - even eternal life (1 John 2:25).
I guess all my life in the church – the topic has always swirled around life. The Lawyer in the story today asks the question “What must I do to have eternal life?” I think most of us have heard this since we were young and kind of say to ourselves – yea I know this stuff. We read the words eternal life and think about heaven. Everlasting life, right? A life that never ends. Well that is not inaccurate – but we learn from scripture (esp. John) that eternal life is much much more than going to heaven someday. Life is something we can experience and enjoy now.
I remember as a young Christian reading that great promise in Ephesians, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us...” (Ephesians 3:20). I remember looking at that verse and saying to myself, Is that really true? Does God really offer to do for me beyond that which I can ever ask or think right now? That's fantastic! I can ask a lot – there’s lots of things I’d like to have. I even had the program outlined in my mind of just how God could do it. My plan for my life!! Guess what? NOT what I planned – for example, it did not include being a pastor! Now, as I look back at my life - wow - God didn’t take my program and do it my way, (which in itself is a huge blessing) but He has abundantly fulfilled the promise. My life is richer than I ever dreamed it would be. I am beyond happy. Every day is an explosion of new mercies.
If we are ready to give ourselves to the Word of God, to let it possess us, to understand it, and to obey it? Well let’s boil this down – Romans 2:23 “for the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is ETERNAL LIFE in Jesus Christ our Lord.” Life is in Jesus … Jesus is my everything. Enough said!