Eternal Life

I've recently been thinking about eternal life. I've been thinking about my preconceptions, public perceptions and biblical explanations.

First off, I'll go over my preconceptions about eternal life. To be honest, I never really put much thought into it. Heaven was just some place good Christians go when they die. A few months ago I came to realize that there was so much more. I've always accepted the idea of a hell, but I never really gave much consideration to it. A little while ago I was really slapped in the face when I heard a speaker talk about heaven and hell. He went on to say that people, given our sinful nature, all deserve hell. That we don't deserve to experience God's presence in hell, but though the sacrifice of our savior Jesus Christ we can be be saved. I had to overcome a huge hurdle and admit to myself that, 'I deserve hell and only through Christ can I experience the eternal love of God.'

Now, what about the public idea of eternal life? I've heard a lot of different ideas of what heaven and hell is and how/why people get where they do. Some of the most common ideas I'll lay out in the next paragraph. One idea I hear a lot is the 'I'm a good person, so I deserve heaven.' By extension all the 'bad people' go to hell. Another thought I've heard is, 'I went to church/said a prayer/am religious etc. so I deserve/earned heaven.' I've heard people looking forward to seeing loved ones when they get to heaven, a parent, sibling, child, even some animals. I've heard people look forward to a world without sin or crime, even looking forward to golden streets and pearl gates.

I'm sure you have all heard many other beliefs about heaven, but what does the bible say? First off, who goes to heaven? The good? The reightous? Here is where the famous John 3:16 is often sited, "For God so loved the world that who ever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." One thing that I'd like to point out is that of belief. This passage isn't talking about some half-hearted belief, such as reciting some prayer from church or singing a worship song. This belief is a fully enveloped, all consuming belief.

Anyway, what does the bible say about eternal life? Are there streets of gold or gates of pearls, maybe they are alluded to in the bible. Are our dead relatives going to be there? maybe. But the bible clearly states in John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Meeting disciples or family in heaven would be nice, but you get to meet God. What are you priorities? Moreover, nowhere in this definition is there a necessity to die from our earthly bodies. If eternal life is knowing God, that starts here and know. He doesn't say, when you die you then you will know God or when you're older you will know God or when you're less sinful you will know God. It reminds me of City on our knees by Toby Mac, "If you gotta start somewhere why not here? If you gotta start sometime why not now?"

So here's the point. Eternal life starts now. It is about us knowing God though Jesus Christ. Plain and simple. It isn't about our dreams, wants or desires, it is all about God. So what role is God playing in your eternity?

Live for Him,

Travis Ray