WHY YOU NEED JESUS IN YOUR LIFE (PART 4)
"The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him." - John 3:36 NET
To most people, the reason for the salvation of their souls is the fact that it helps them to miss hell. Jn 3:16 is the basic Scripture on salvation. It says:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." - John 3:16 (KJV)
But, looking closely, you'll discover that “should not perish” isn’t really the aim of salvation. Salvation is majorly about eternal life! This is without prejudice to the fact that escape from hell in consequence of salvation is of good consideration to seek Jesus. But eternal life is the main object for salvation.
What then is eternal life? The Lord Jesus Himself defined it in Jn 17:3.
"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Basically then, eternal life is the intimate knowledge of God; it is an intimate and experiential knowledge of God that goes beyond merely knowing Him. Jesus died so that we could know Him and His Father in an intimately personal way.
It's wonderful to be saved from burning in hell fire; but that's not all there's about salvation. Should you live your life here on earth without that intimate, close and experiential knowledge of God and His Son, I bet you’re missing out on what eternal life is all about. In reality, Christianity is all about knowing and loving God!
Contrary to what so many believe, the problem of sin wasn’t the main object of Christ’s coming. Sin was simply the barrier that stood between mankind and God. Jesus took our sin upon Himself and forever removed that barrier. Once the barrier was removed, restoration followed with the aim that a close personal, intimate and an experiential knowledge of Himself and His Father should result therefrom.
To most people, eternal life is nothing more than “to live forever in heaven.” However, according to God's Word, that isn't the case. In actual fact, eternal life commences the moment you’re born again. (John 3:36; 1 Jn 5:11-13.) It’s a present tense reality. As a believer, you currently possess eternal life, courtesy of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
Not having eternal life is catastrophic. It's to have the wrath of God abiding in you. It is to abide in death and such a one will ultimately be lost. The Bible says that "The one who believes in the Son has eternal life. The one who rejects the Son will not see life, but God’s wrath remains on him." (John 3:36, NET). The Bible says further that "He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1Jn 5:12). In other words, the one who does not have the Son, who rejects the Son is abiding in condemnation (Jn 3:18). Such a one cannot see or enter into the Kingdom of God (Jn 3:3,5).
It's therefore imperative, exigent and dire that we receive the Lord Jesus into our lives.
PRAYER:
Dearest Heavenly Father I repent of my sins, and I forsake them. I confess Jesus as my Lord and Savior. I receive eternal life into my spirit and henceforth I have passed from death to life, in Jesus' mighty name.