Knowing God - Eternal Life Defined - Study 8/26/13
Knowing God - Eternal Life Defined
Please let me introduce you to Martin. I met Martin (17 years old) in the park yesterday Sunday morning. He was sitting on a bench alone smoking something but not cigarette. It was just the two of us in the whole park. I told him that Jesus loves him. I asked him if he died today if he will be in heaven and he said no. I asked him why and he said because he has sins. I explained the gospel to him and prayed with him. His countenance changed and he smiled about the good news of forever forgiven in Christ. I gave him a hug from Jesus and committed to praying for him. Martin said he was kicked out from our local high school and then his mother sent him to a military academy and he has been kicked out too. With school starting today, Martin said he does not know where he may go to school because his mother has to do some paper work to get him back to school.
Please pray that Martin makes peace with God and that the word of God will be planted in his heart and bear fruit of salvation. Pray that Martin be delivered from every addiction to drugs and for his school situation. I am excited for Martin and believe that God will perfect everything that concerns him. This was the best Sunday walk I have ever taken instead of steading in a pew. Thank you for praying for Martin. My heart goes out for this young man who could easily become one of the statistics we hear.
This leads us to defining eternal life because Martin did not know what it meant and had no hope because he thought he was doomed for life. Definition and meaning is everything. Two people could be talking about the same term but with radical different understanding of the terminology. Jesus was the best communicator and did not leave anyone speculating what he meant. People will ask him questions and he would answer directly or with a parable but at the end you must understand his answer.
What is eternal life? It is used so commonly in the Church and outside of the Church? In the context of the greatest prayer He prayed for His disciples, (the so-called Priestly Prayer) Jesus states exactly what he means by eternal life. “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do”. John 17:1-4
Do you know God? Do you Know Jesus Christ? Do you have eternal life? Knowing used here translate “to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel ; to become known; to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of; to understand; to know; Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman; to become acquainted with”. All these means there is something external to knowing that does not originate with one who wants to know. There must be new information presented or person introduced to be become known. All knowing of God originates with God. God has made himself known to all through his creation and now through Himself Jesus Christ His Son and Savior of the whole world from the penalty of sin.
Note the source of eternal life “he (Jesus) should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him”. You can’t get it on your own striving. Eternal life is given to you and everyone else. Though many struggle to believe it but it is all over scripture; note predestination in “as many as thou hast given him” It is not a quota but there is a number of those whose names are written in the Lambs book of Life. It is true and they come from every tribe and tongue. Since you and I do not know for sure who will be saved, we must preach the gospel to all people because it is still a message of invitation ‘”Whosoever believeth on him shall be saved”.
Another phrase for eternal life sometimes used by Jesus is “Everlasting Life”. Everlasting meaning there is no end. That is exciting and it is worth dying for and worth the sacrifice of everything else in this temporary world to gain eternal, unending life. The good news is that Christ has done the dying. It is finished – “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do”.
John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 6:
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day
There are many Martins out there – hopeless and many have come to the end of themselves. They need to hear the Words of Jesus and come to know Him – the “only true God” (there are false gods). There are many others who appear normal – good grades, good job, good home etc., but they are still perishing without knowing Christ the savior. Let’s go out there to reach them – the un-churched. The last place you would expect to see Martin would be in the Church on that Sunday morning. Let’s meet the yet-to-be saved wherever they are. It would take the empowering of the Holy Spirit to do so. I had asked God to empower me to approach Martin because I was not such what he was up to whether he had a gun or not.
Before we leave this chapter 17, I want to remind us that Jesus specifically prayed for you and me. Yes he prayed for his immediate disciples but listen to Jesus. “20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”. If you ever doubt whether Jesus knew you, be assured that he prayed for you before you got to know Him and He is still praying for you and me today. He is praying for our oneness (the intimate knowing) with Him and the Father. We are only complete in our oneness with God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus also prayed and desired the unity of His Body – the Church. The world will know we are His by our love for one another.
We must all answer the number one question asked by Apostle Paul. He said “13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”[g] 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Romans 10:13-15. We have been sent. People cannot know the true God whom they have not heard about. May God help us to tell the world.
Thank you Jesus for allowing me to know you (like Paul rather being known by you). Help me to continue in an ever increasing knowledge of you. Lord remove anything in my life that stands on the way of my oneness with you and the rest of your body the Church. Lord help me to make you known to those yet to know you. Thank you Jesus I pray amen.
Look for a Martin today and tell him/her about Jesus. Thank you.
Please let me introduce you to Martin. I met Martin (17 years old) in the park yesterday Sunday morning. He was sitting on a bench alone smoking something but not cigarette. It was just the two of us in the whole park. I told him that Jesus loves him. I asked him if he died today if he will be in heaven and he said no. I asked him why and he said because he has sins. I explained the gospel to him and prayed with him. His countenance changed and he smiled about the good news of forever forgiven in Christ. I gave him a hug from Jesus and committed to praying for him. Martin said he was kicked out from our local high school and then his mother sent him to a military academy and he has been kicked out too. With school starting today, Martin said he does not know where he may go to school because his mother has to do some paper work to get him back to school.
Please pray that Martin makes peace with God and that the word of God will be planted in his heart and bear fruit of salvation. Pray that Martin be delivered from every addiction to drugs and for his school situation. I am excited for Martin and believe that God will perfect everything that concerns him. This was the best Sunday walk I have ever taken instead of steading in a pew. Thank you for praying for Martin. My heart goes out for this young man who could easily become one of the statistics we hear.
This leads us to defining eternal life because Martin did not know what it meant and had no hope because he thought he was doomed for life. Definition and meaning is everything. Two people could be talking about the same term but with radical different understanding of the terminology. Jesus was the best communicator and did not leave anyone speculating what he meant. People will ask him questions and he would answer directly or with a parable but at the end you must understand his answer.
What is eternal life? It is used so commonly in the Church and outside of the Church? In the context of the greatest prayer He prayed for His disciples, (the so-called Priestly Prayer) Jesus states exactly what he means by eternal life. “These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. 3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do”. John 17:1-4
Do you know God? Do you Know Jesus Christ? Do you have eternal life? Knowing used here translate “to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel ; to become known; to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of; to understand; to know; Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman; to become acquainted with”. All these means there is something external to knowing that does not originate with one who wants to know. There must be new information presented or person introduced to be become known. All knowing of God originates with God. God has made himself known to all through his creation and now through Himself Jesus Christ His Son and Savior of the whole world from the penalty of sin.
Note the source of eternal life “he (Jesus) should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him”. You can’t get it on your own striving. Eternal life is given to you and everyone else. Though many struggle to believe it but it is all over scripture; note predestination in “as many as thou hast given him” It is not a quota but there is a number of those whose names are written in the Lambs book of Life. It is true and they come from every tribe and tongue. Since you and I do not know for sure who will be saved, we must preach the gospel to all people because it is still a message of invitation ‘”Whosoever believeth on him shall be saved”.
Another phrase for eternal life sometimes used by Jesus is “Everlasting Life”. Everlasting meaning there is no end. That is exciting and it is worth dying for and worth the sacrifice of everything else in this temporary world to gain eternal, unending life. The good news is that Christ has done the dying. It is finished – “I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do”.
John 3
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
John 6:
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day
47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day
There are many Martins out there – hopeless and many have come to the end of themselves. They need to hear the Words of Jesus and come to know Him – the “only true God” (there are false gods). There are many others who appear normal – good grades, good job, good home etc., but they are still perishing without knowing Christ the savior. Let’s go out there to reach them – the un-churched. The last place you would expect to see Martin would be in the Church on that Sunday morning. Let’s meet the yet-to-be saved wherever they are. It would take the empowering of the Holy Spirit to do so. I had asked God to empower me to approach Martin because I was not such what he was up to whether he had a gun or not.
Before we leave this chapter 17, I want to remind us that Jesus specifically prayed for you and me. Yes he prayed for his immediate disciples but listen to Jesus. “20 Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me”. If you ever doubt whether Jesus knew you, be assured that he prayed for you before you got to know Him and He is still praying for you and me today. He is praying for our oneness (the intimate knowing) with Him and the Father. We are only complete in our oneness with God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Jesus also prayed and desired the unity of His Body – the Church. The world will know we are His by our love for one another.
We must all answer the number one question asked by Apostle Paul. He said “13 For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”[g] 14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Romans 10:13-15. We have been sent. People cannot know the true God whom they have not heard about. May God help us to tell the world.
Thank you Jesus for allowing me to know you (like Paul rather being known by you). Help me to continue in an ever increasing knowledge of you. Lord remove anything in my life that stands on the way of my oneness with you and the rest of your body the Church. Lord help me to make you known to those yet to know you. Thank you Jesus I pray amen.
Look for a Martin today and tell him/her about Jesus. Thank you.
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