Eternal Life Is Christ
Eternal life is a quality of life we possess now, through the possession of Jesus Christ.
Major W. Ian Thomas emphasizes that eternal life is not merely a place we go to when we die or a feeling inside us, but it is synonymous with Jesus Christ Himself. He explains that having eternal life means having Jesus Christ now, as He is the source of life. Thomas highlights that eternal life is not a future destination but a present reality for believers, a quality of life possessed in the physical body in the world today.
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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.
Sermon Outline
- I. What is Eternal Life?
- A. It is not a place we go to after death
- B. It is not a feeling inside
- C. It is a quality of life we possess now
- II. The Source of Eternal Life
- A. Jesus Christ is the source of eternal life
- B. Eternal life comes from Him
- III. The Possession of Eternal Life
- A. It means we have Jesus Christ
- B. It means we possess the life of Jesus Christ
Key Quotes
“Eternal life is not a peculiar feeling inside! It is not your ultimate destination, to which you will go when you are dead.” — Major W. Ian Thomas
“If you have eternal life at all, it simply means that you have the Son, Jesus Christ - now!” — Major W. Ian Thomas
“In Him was life; and this life was the light of men.” — Major W. Ian Thomas
Application Points
- We must understand that eternal life is not a feeling or a destination, but a quality of life we possess now.
- We must recognize Jesus Christ as the source of eternal life and possess Him in our lives.
- We must live out our lives with the understanding that we possess eternal life, not just in the future, but now.