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Book: John
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John 17:3
I. "And this is life eternal"
A. Jesus has just declared that the Father has given Him the power
to give eternal life to those that the Father has given to Him.
B. Eternal life is not to be thought of in terms of duration only.
1. When some people think of eternal life, they think only
of living forever and ever.
a. Jesus in speaking of Gehenna said, "Where their
worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched."
So it would seem that the sinner goes on
existing.
b. There are people today that we might say of
them that they are living, but the conditions
under which they are living they would be
better off if they were dead. That is presuming
that they are a child of God. The sinner who is
living in a torture wracked body when he dies
only goes from bad to worse. Jesus said that
they would not even see life, but the wrath of
God abideth upon them. But that saint of God
who is living in a body that is no longer
allowing them to communicate to others, or is
totally disabled, how much better to move out
of the prison of pain, and to be with the Lord
in the new building of God not made with hands
eternal in the heavens.
c. Paul said that if a person lived in pleasure,
they were dead while they were living. That is,
you can be living physically yet be dead
spiritually.
d. There is a great difference between physical
life, and spiritual life.
2. Eternal life is a quality of life. It is life in
fellowship, communion, oneness with God.
a. A life of righteousness, peace and joy. For the
kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but
righteous, peace and joy.
b. It is life in the Spirit. It is as Christ
described, it is the more abundant life.
c. It is the life that is described by David, when
he declared, "My cup runneth over."
d. It is a life of joy unspeakable, and full of
glory.
e. The joy of knowing my sins are forgiven, that
my guilt is gone, pardoned, I am declared
justified, by the judge of the universe.
II. How is this eternal life attained?
A. Not by being good, righteous, or religious.
1. Our righteousness are as filthy rags. Isa.64:6
2. The Pharisee's were as good as you can become by the
law, yet Jesus said that unless your righteousness
exceeded that of the scribes and Pharisees you would
not enter the Kingdom of heaven.
3. Jesus said to them, that they were as white-washed
sepulchres they might look good on the outside, but
within they were full of dead mens bones.
4. Jesus said that they were of their father the devil.
B. Jesus declared, "This is life eternal, that they might know
You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."
1. The word know comes from the Greek gnosko which is to
know by experience.
2. All men know God intuitively, oidas. The vast majority
of Americans declare that they believe in God.
a. Knowing God intuitively does not bring eternal
life.
b. I John 2:3,4,5 "And hereby we do know that we
know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that
saith, I know Him and keepeth not His
commandments is a liar and the truth is not in
him. But whoso keepeth His Word, in him verily
is the love of God perfected: hereby know we
that we are in Him."
c. I John 5:20 And we know that the Son of God has
come and given us an understanding that we may
know Him that is true, and we are in Him that
is true, even in His Son, Jesus Christ. This is
the true God, and eternal life.
C. Many people are deceived into thinking that they have eternal
life.
1. They declare that they know God.
2. Its amazing how many people say that they know me. We
get calls from all over the country from people who ask
me if I know someone, that some person has declared
that they know me well that they are close and intimate
friends of mine, that they actually helped me start
Calvary Chapel. Yet I have never heard of them.
3. Jesus declared that in that day many will come saying,
"Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and do
many marvelous things in your name, and He will say to
them, depart from Me you workers of iniquity, I never
knew you.
4. In II Cor.13:5 Paul tells us to examine ourselves to
see if we are in the faith.
5. Jesus said to the Pharisees, "You do search the
scriptures for in them you think that you have life,
but they testify of Me, but you will not come to Me,
that you might have life."
6. This is one issue that you don't want to be deceived
about, or mistaken in for it is your eternal destiny
that is being determined.
7. In Titus 1:16 Paul said, "They profess that they know
God, but in works they deny Him, being abominable, and
disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate."
8. How it would hurt me if I thought that some of you who
have been sitting under my ministry for years, were
resting in some false hope for eternal life.
C. Paul the apostle in speaking of the old life as a religious man
said that the things that were once considered gain to him, he
counted loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus
Christ. He cried, "That I might know Him in the power of His
resurrection and in the fellowship of His sufferings."
1. Through Jeremiah God said, "Let not the wise man glory
in His wisdom, neither let the strong man glory in his
might, let not the rich man glory in his riches, but
let him that glorieth glory in this that he understands
and knows Me, that I am the Lord that exercises
lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness in the
earth, for in these things I delight saith the Lord."
2. In 12:49 Jesus said, For I have not spoken of Myself;
but the Father which sent Me, He have Me a commandment
what I should say, and what I should speak. And I know
that His commandment is life everlasting.
3. In Isa. 53:11 the prophet declared, "For by His
knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many, for
He shall bear there iniquities."
4. The most important thing is that you know God, and His
Son whom He sent into the world.
5. Paul speaks of God coming in flaming fire to take
vengence upon those who know not our Lord Jesus Christ.
II Thes.1:8
6. John said, I Jn4:14 And we have seen and do testify
that the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of
the world, Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the
Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
7. Again, "And this is the record, that God has given unto
us eternal life, and this life is in the Son, he that
hath the Son, hath life, and he that has not the Son
has not life.
8. Finally Peter declared in IPet.1:3 "Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has begotten us
again unto a living hope, by the resurrection of Jesus
Christ from the dead."
D. Do you know God through experience? Have you experienced Jesus
Christ in your life? Do you keep His commandments? He that
saith I know God and keepeth not His commandments is a liar.
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