07.10

God Promising Eternal Life "And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life.
(1 John 2:25)"

We have examined a number of strategic promises from God in the Old Testament. We have
also considered how a growing awareness of God's ability builds our faith in His promises.
Now, let's begin to examine some of the promises that God has made in the New Testament.

The first promise we will look at could actually be called "the promise of all promises"
(as far as that which impacts man the most profoundly). This promise is the culmination of
all the others. "And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life." As in
human life, eternal life has a quantitative aspect (related to duration) and a qualitative
aspect (related to substance).

The quantitative aspect of eternal life pertains to the fact that it never ends.
Consequently, it is sometimes translated as everlasting. "And this is the will of Him who
sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and
I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:40). For humans, whose natural life is
limited to a brief number of years, the thought of a never-ending life is overwhelming.
Yet, as amazing as the quantitative side of eternal life is, the qualitative side is even
more stupendous.

Jesus spoke of the qualitative aspect of eternal life. "I have come that they may have
life, and that they may have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). This is a life in which the
fullness of Jesus' grace is being increasingly manifested. "And the Word became flesh and
dwelt among us, full of grace and truth. And of His fullness we have all received, and
grace for [upon] grace" (John 1:14, 16). This is a life in which the Holy Spirit is being
trusted to produce Christlike characteristics in an increasing manner. "But the fruit of
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). This is a life in which God, not man, is
the source of sufficiency. "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything
as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:5).

Appropriately, this eternal life is offered to man as a gift. "For the wages of sin is
death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. SWAnd I give them
eternal life, and they shall never perish" (Romans 6:23 and John 10:28). Necessarily, this
gift can only be received by faith: "that whoever believes in Him should not perish but
have eternal life" (John 3:15).

"O gracious Lord, what a wondrous gift is ours through faith—eternal life! I praise You
that it will never end. I seek You that it may grow abundant in and through me. This I
pray for Your glory and honor, Amen."