And This is Eternal Life"

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Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:1-3 ESV)

And this is eternal life, according to Jesus, as written by John. In His hour, Christ was preparing to die. He knew what was coming, how, who, and why He would be murdered upon the cross. He knew the disciple who would turn against Him. He knew the crowds that would chant, crucify, crucify, crucify. He also knew He was dying for sinners. Yet the love of God is so deep; the greatest treasure in creation gave His life for the very creation He created.

As Jesus prayed to the Father, he told us what eternal life is: “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Anyone can know that God exists. They may deny that there is a God, but deep down we all understand there is a creator. Calvin famously said, “Our wisdom, insofar as it ought to be deemed true and solid wisdom, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” 1 We naturally understand that we exist, and so does God. Yet one can understand that there is a God, or Creator, and yet not have come to faith in Christ. Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.” (John 6:29) Faith: one must come to faith in Christ, and this occurs through God’s grace.

Knowing God does not mean you have a relationship with Him. Jesus also said, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” (Matthew 7:21-23) Sadly, many have prayed a prayer that someone promised them would give them salvation. They have not repented of their sins; they have not received Christ as their Savior, and they have not come to faith. They prayed a prayer. These are some of the ones Christ spoke of never knowing.

Salvation is a gift of God. You cannot buy it, earn it through works, or receive it through a single prayer. Salvation comes by grace, which leads one to faith in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and His finished work on the cross. Salvation comes through repentance and a supernatural changing of the heart by the hand of God. We must publicly profess our faith and receive the blessing of immersion baptism, an outward display of our inner devotion to Christ. These things are in the Scriptures; the truth comes through the written Word of God.

Are you truly saved? Is Christ your treasure beyond all treasures; is He the center of your life? Has your heart changed, or are you still living in the world of sin and Satan?  Christ knows your heart. He knows all the hearts of creation. If you are fooling yourself, “playing the part.” If you are talking the talk and know all the key words yet have an empty heart, it will catch up with you. Are you really seeking Christ? Do you really want salvation and eternal life? If so, stop messing about and seek Him now. Not sure how? Contact us at In Messiah Ministries, and we can point you to the scriptures that teach salvation through Christ alone.

What are you waiting for?

Grace and Peace.

[1] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, I.1.1 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008), 4.