The Quantity and Quality of Eternal Life
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And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. -- 1 John 5:11–12
Eternal life is not a thing in and of itself. Man was created to live in perfect relation to our Eternal God--a relationship that was broken by sin. In this sense, eternal life is not about an infinite amount of time but about a reconciled relationship with our infinite and eternal God. Eternal life is the true life we receive when we are reconciled to God through Christ. This is what we mean when we say eternal life is the quality of life we experience now.
Distracted Unto Death
Eternal Life is not just a quantity of life. It is a quality of life that begins now. Growing up as a child, I always thought eternal life just meant – to live forever. But I was so caught up with the struggles and pressures of today. No matter how old you are, there are enough problems that you have to deal with today. And for some of you, maybe you don’t have many problems at the moment. But there's enough enjoyment in this world to entertain you. There's enough that you can consume in this world to a point where it distracts you.
Eternal Life and Loving Others
And that's why when someone offers you eternal life, unless you're sick, unless you're sick on a deathbed, you don’t really care. You've already spent a lot of money on life insurance. So you're like, “Why do I need spiritual life insurance?” And that misunderstands the point. Eternal life is not a quantity of life. It is a quality of life. It makes you into one who loves your neighbor unto Christ.
New Life in Christ
This quality of life is what the atonement and resurrection of Christ made possible. This quality of life is why we say that we have a new life in Christ. It is a change that begins with the inward conversion that leads to an outward change in how you speak, act, your attitudes, and how you love. Whoever has the son has life. Whoever does not have the son does not have life. We’re talking about that eternal life -- not just living forever.
