John 5:24
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
How Long Is Eternal Life?
Perhaps the most well-known Bible verse of all is John 3:16, which says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That is an amazing promise. For those who believe in Christ, they won’t ever perish but have eternal life, and eternal means without end. Contemplate that for a while. What else can you point to or think of in this universe that is eternal? It’s not the sun, the moon, the planets, or even the universe. In fact, everything that’s created had a beginning, and if it had a beginning, then we can conclude that it will have an end. For those who trust in Christ, they have eternal life. The Greek word for “eternal” is “aiōnios” and means “without end, never to cease,” and “everlasting,” so if you have believed in Christ, you will have a life without end that will never cease. My tiny little brain cannot comprehend that. Can yours?
Just Imagine
Try to wrap your mind around eternity, and you just can’t do it. That’s because our minds are finite and have an ending point, but eternity doesn’t. I try to imagine it. My son once asked me, “How long is forever?” I told him that I can’t explain it. It’s like going on vacation, staying in the best hotel there is, and never having to check out. I know that’s not a good explanation, but how do you explain the unexplainable to a 7-year-old, or a scientist for that matter? All I know is that Jesus said that whoever believes in Him has eternal life (John 17:3), and the “has” is a present possession. I can only imagine that what the Father and Jesus have in their hands, no one can pluck out, and that happens to be you (John 10:28-29)! When God gives you something, He doesn’t take it back, particularly if it’s something eternal, as in eternal life. God never goes back on His promises.
Eternal Rewards
It’s not only that God removes His wrath from us (John 3:36); He then gives us eternal rewards, which could be a hundredfold of what we do for Him here on earth (Matt. 19:29). Those rewards, like eternal life, will never cease and will have no end. If, for example, you are rewarded by Christ at His return for what you’ve done in this life, those rewards will never end either. Whatever you do for others is taken as doing it for Jesus (Matt. 25:40). The next time you think about eternity, think of Jesus’ words for a job well done: “Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things: enter you into the joy” (Matt. 25:23). Faithful today in this short life means ruler over many things in the next, and it will never be lost, will never end and never cease. Wow!
A Closing Prayer
Great Eternal and Everlasting Father, thank You for sending Your only Son that He should die for me and take the wrath of God as payment for my sins, guaranteeing me eternal life, which is too incredible to even imagine. In Jesus’ most precious name I pray.
Amen
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