Eternal Life Now
Today I officiated a funeral, met with someone about planning her husband’s funeral, and visited someone in the hospital who was beginning hospice care. It can be a difficult thing to walk through with people when they face death, but for the Christian, God’s grace gives us an assurance of eternal life.
It brings people comfort to know their loved ones are in heaven if they have died, and it does the same for those who are getting close to the end of this life too.
I’m glad I can provide comfort and peace to them during those times. I thank God for His grace and that the Bible gives clarity of the afterlife for the believer.
What I love even more is for those who are believers today, to realize that their eternal life with Jesus has already started and can be something they experience now!
ETERNAL LIFE STARTS NOW
In 1 John 5:12, we are told that our eternal life is a present reality.
11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. (1 John 5:12)
If you have put your faith in Jesus for salvation, He lives in you (Galatians 2:20). John tells us that if you have the Son, you have eternal life. Have eternal life. Like now; not when you die one day.
Scripture communicates this in a number of ways.
CITIZEN OF HEAVEN
“For our citizenship is in heaven.” (Philippians 3:20)
SEATED WITH HIM IN THE HEAVENLY REALMS
“And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus…” (Ephesians 2:6)
RAISED WITH CHRIST
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (Colossians 3:1)
BROUGHT INTO THE KINGDOM
“For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves.” (Colossians 1:13)
The moment you put your faith in Jesus for salvation, you are raised up with Christ, seated with Him in the heavenly realms, brought into His kingdom, and made a citizen of heaven.
Your eternal life with Jesus has already started.
He dwells in you and you in Him.
EXPERIENCE YOUR ETERNAL LIFE NOW
Being a citizen of heaven is not just a position you hold in a spiritual sense that you’ll begin to experience one day in the future. You can experience your eternal life now.
Since you are raised with Christ, we are told to set our hearts and minds on things above (Colossians 3:1-2). When our hearts and minds are set on the eternal life we possess now, we walk through each day with an awareness of Jesus’ life being our Source. We experience His abundant life working in our lives and through our lives.
It’s the difference in living for Jesus and living from Jesus. The more you learn to live from Jesus (your spiritual union with Him in heaven), the more you’ll experience His power and grace in you and through you.
You have eternal life now. My hope is that you won’t live your life waiting to experience it one day after you die but that you’ll begin to enjoy and behold it today.
“Eternal life is not your ultimate destination, to which you will go when you are dead. If you are born again, eternal life is that quality of life that you possess right now!”
(Ian Thomas)
