Eternal Life Is Christ
Eternal life is not a destination to be reached after death, but a quality of life possessed through Jesus Christ now.
Major Ian Thomas emphasizes that eternal life is not merely a future destination or a feeling, but is intrinsically linked to Jesus Christ Himself. He clarifies that eternal life begins the moment one accepts Christ, as it is the life of Christ that believers possess now, not just after physical death. Thomas points out that many misconceptions exist about eternal life, and he stresses that having the Son means having life in the present. He reinforces that eternal life is synonymous with knowing Jesus, who is the source of this life.
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What is eternal life? Is it a place that you are going to when you are dead? Is it a peculiar feeling inside? If you were to ask a normal congregation, or any sort of Bible class or Sunday school in an evangelical church to define eternal life, you would be amazed at the strange answers you would get!
What is eternal life? When does it begin? I noticed just the other day, in a hospital chapel where I was speaking, a tablet on the wall in memory of one of the previous chaplains, and in giving the date of his death it said, "He entered into eternal life." Is that true if he was a Christian? Is it right to imply, as did that tablet on the wall, that eternal life begins when a man is physically dead? No, indeed!
"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life" (I John 5:11,12)
Jesus Christ and eternal life are synonymous terms, and eternal life is none other than Jesus Christ Himself, of whom it is written in John 1:4 "In Him was life; and this life was the light of men." "If you have eternal life at all, it simply means that you have the Son, Jesus Christ now! Jesus said, "I am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life" (John 14:6)
Eternal life is not a peculiar feeling inside! It is not your ultimate destination, to which you will go when you are dead. If you are born again, eternal life is that quality of life that you possess right now, at this very moment, in your own physical body, with your own two feet on the ground, and in the world TODAYI And where does this life come from? Of Him! He is that Life!
So if you have eternal life, it means that you have Somebody, Jesus Christ, and the life that you possess is of Him.
From: The Saving Life of Christ. Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House. ©1961.
Sermon Outline
- I. What is Eternal Life?
- A. Not a place to go after death
- B. Not a feeling inside
- II. The Source of Eternal Life
- A. Jesus Christ
- B. The life of God in Him
- III. The Possession of Eternal Life
- A. Born again
- B. Possessing the life of Christ now
Key Quotes
“Jesus Christ and eternal life are synonymous terms, and eternal life is none other than Jesus Christ Himself.” — Major Ian Thomas
“If you have eternal life at all, it simply means that you have the Son, Jesus Christ now!” — Major Ian Thomas
“In Him was life; and this life was the light of men.” — Major Ian Thomas
Application Points
- You can possess eternal life through being born again and having the life of Christ now.
- Eternal life is not a feeling inside, but a quality of life that you possess through Jesus Christ.
- The source of eternal life is Jesus Christ, who is the life of God in Him.