here to open your Bibles to John
chapter 17. The title of the message this morning
is, What is Eternal Life? And we might subtitle it, And
Do I Have It? I don't know that I can think
of a more important question. Do I have eternal life? Eternal life. We hear that phrase. We think of living forever. Eternal
life is not living forever. Everybody's going to live forever
somewhere. So, eternal life is not the length
of it. Eternal life is the nature of
that life. Eternal life is spiritual life.
The life that Adam lost in the garden is eternal life. Eternal
life is the life that Christ gives his people. We lost it
in Adam, we're given that life in Christ. Now, eternal life,
this is the other thing It goes through our mind when we think
of eternal life. It's not the life that a believer will enjoy
in glory. It's part of it, certainly, but
it's not all of it. Eternal life begins here on earth
in the new birth. The life that's lived in glory
must begin here on earth in the new birth. The new man who is
born of God in the new birth is the very man who will enter
heaven. won't be changed in any way. He will immediately be taken
into glory, into the very presence of God. That new man, born in
Mike Young, is just as holy as Abel, who'd been there 6,000
years. It's the new man. You have the same life that Abraham
has, not had, has right now. Eternal life is a life that a
believer lives now. Not someday, now. And that life
will continue throughout eternity. See, eternal life is the nature
of that life. It's not where the life is lived,
it's the nature of that life. And the death of this body, when
that day comes, the death of this body, you know what that
is? It's the release of life. Life is finally released. The
new man is finally released from being trapped in this body of
death and sin and decay. and is set free to go be with
the Lord. Now, when we talk about life,
who can really explain that? I know I can't. I mean, just
think of natural life. How can you understand that?
How can I understand what it is that's natural life? I was
watching a Show about World War II yesterday. Talked about one
of the battles just immediately after D-Day. This man said his
buddy was injured. He said, I held him, and he was
there. I was talking to him. And the
next instant, he wasn't there anymore. Whatever it is that
we call physical life is just gone. I can't define it. I doubt anybody can. So eternal
life must be a greater mystery, isn't it? But scripture does
define what eternal life is for us, and that's what I want us
to look at this morning. The first thing, eternal life, I
have, I think, eight points. Eternal life is the gift of God. Verse 2, John chapter 17. We
began looking at this last week. As thou hast given him power
over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many
as thou hast given him. Eternal life is a gift. The gift
that Christ gives, that's what Romans 6.23 tells us, for the
wages of sin is death. But the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ our Lord. It comes to us through
Christ. He gives that life to his people.
God gave his son so that his son would give life to his people. And Christ gives that life to
them. Now that's some gift. How valuable is this gift of
eternal life. For the value of a gift is seen
in what it costs you. And not just the dollars that
it costs you, but what did it cost you? What did you have to
give up to give that gift to a loved one? I'll illustrate
it this way. How valuable is eternal life?
You get in your mind's eye a small child. He's coloring a piece
of paper. He gets that paper colored and
he goes and gets his construction paper. cutting out shapes, and
he starts pasting them in a design he's got in his mind on that
piece of paper. And he does it so painstakingly, he's being
so careful. You just see them little chubby
five-year-old fingers cutting with those rounded scissors,
you know. That's hard for a five-year-old to do. A five-year-old doesn't
have a very long attention span, you know, he's got to do all
this work. And he saves that paper, and he gives it to his
mama for Christmas. She values that piece of paper.
More than she values the expensive sweater her husband gave her.
I'll prove it to you. When that mother's an old woman,
that sweater's long gone. You know where that paper is?
It's safe in a box somewhere. She saved it. It's valuable because
of who gave it to her and because of the effort and love that went
into it. God gives eternal life to his
people and it cost him. It cost him his own son. He gave
his son. He sent his son in the likeness
of sinful flesh to put the sin of his people away by suffering
and dying for them as their sacrifice for sin. He sent his son, he
gave his son to die the death that his elect deserved so that
they would have the life of his son, eternal life. Look what
it cost him. Eternal life is a valuable gift.
Secondly, eternal life is to know God. Verse 3, and this is
life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God. Eternal life is to know the Father. Now what is it to know God? Knowing
God is a whole lot more than knowing there is a God. We read
that in Romans. Everybody knows there's a God.
God put that in them. Everybody knows there is a God.
To know God is to know who he is. Not as we imagine him to
be, but as he says he is in his word. Now, by nature, we don't
know God. And by nature, we can't know
God. We cannot know God. God can't
be known. by human knowledge, human intellect,
or human religion. Look back a few pages at John
chapter 8. John chapter 8 verse 19. Now these are the religious leaders
of the day. They said unto him, Where is
your father? Jesus answered, you neither know
me nor my father. If you had known me, you should
have known my father also. They couldn't know the father
by their human intellect or their man-made religion. Look over
to John chapter 16. They couldn't know him through
the law either. The law knows nothing of love and grace and
mercy. God can't be known through the
law and that's all they were concerned with. John 16 verse
3. Our Lord has told his disciples,
these religious people are going to do all these horrible things
to you. And these things will they do because they've not known
the Father nor me. So we can't know God by man-made
religion or our own knowledge or intelligence. We can't find
him out. To know God, it's even a whole
lot more than knowing facts about God. To know God is to know God
as God. I don't know if that makes sense,
but to know God is to know God as God. To know God as God is
to know God's holy. God's sovereign. He's God. I can't comprehend Him. If somebody
asked me, what's God doing? I don't have the slightest idea.
I can't comprehend God. But I do know this. Because I
know God as God, I know whatever He's done is right. And it's
just. Simply because He did it. Because
He's God. To know God as God is to worship
Him as God. It's not just to know He's sovereign,
but to bow to His sovereignty. Knowing whatever He's done is
best for me. To know God as God is to know
God's God. He doesn't need me. I need Him,
but He doesn't need me. I need the mercy of God. God
doesn't need my decision for Him, but I sure need His decision
for me. To know God as God is to know.
God's going to accomplish His will. Adam, He's just going to
accomplish His will without me. He doesn't need me. But without
Him, I can do nothing. That's knowing God as God. Secondly,
to know God is to know God as my Father. Look over in John
chapter 20. This is after our Lord is risen. John 20, verse 17. Mary had come
there, Mary Magdalene, she'd come to anoint his body and he
wasn't there. She thought she was talking to
the gardener and he revealed himself to her. Verse 16, Jesus
said unto her, Mary, can you imagine the sound of that voice?
She knew who he was. She turned herself and said unto
him, Rabona, that is to say, master. And Jesus said unto her,
Touch me not. She must have been clinging to
him. He said, You don't have to cling to me. I'm not leaving.
He didn't mean you're not allowed to touch me. You don't have to
cling to me. I'm not leaving yet. I'm not yet ascended to
my Father. But go to my brethren and say
unto them, I ascend unto my Father and your Father, to my God and
to your God. Romans 8.14 says, For as many
as are led of the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. And
the sons of God know God as my father. Now, to know God is to
know God in a relationship with God as your father. You know,
there are a lot of people who know my name. There are a lot
of people who know my face. I've worked with people over
the years and they could tell you my name. They could tell
you some facts and figures about me. But you know what? They don't
know me. They do not know me. You know
who knows me? She knows me. For better or for
worse, she knows me. Because she has a relationship
with me as my wife. We're one flesh. She knows me. You know who else knows me? Holly
and Savannah. My daughters know me. Because
they have a relationship with me as their father. They know
my character. They know the good and the bad.
They know it all, you know. They know my habits. They know
the way I think. They know my character. They
know my love for them. And they know they can depend
upon it. We have a relationship. You know who can call me anytime?
Day or night. And I will always answer the
phone. Holly and Savannah. You know
who can call me for help? And if it's humanly possible,
I will drop what I'm doing and go help them. Holly and Savannah. Because I'm their father. They
have a relationship with me. A couple weeks ago, Savannah
called. She's taking a psychology course,
and she's in this group. They're teaching to make up personality
questionnaires. You answer these questions, and
they can, from these, determine things about your personality.
And she said, my group got these done. She said, can I email it
to you, answer these questions for me? I said, sure. She said,
I could have answered for you. But I thought it would be, you
know, really vast and more honest if you really filled it out.
I said, okay. So, she emailed and I was answering the questions.
And I, I don't know, 18 or 20 questions. And I thought as I
answered those questions, yes, she could have answered every
one of these questions exactly like I would answer them. Because
she knows me. A believer knows our Heavenly
Father. Duane, I know his character.
So I know His gospel when I hear it. I know when somebody's talking
about my Heavenly Father and when they're talking about some
idol or talking about somebody else, I know it because I know
who He is. I know how He saves sinners.
I know His gospel. I know the difference. That's
knowing my Father in a relationship with Him. I know His character. Not only do I know God's holy,
I depend on Him to make me holy. I depend on Him. to make me the
righteousness of God in Him. I don't want to know God's sovereign,
but I know His character. I depend on Him to sovereignly
work all things together for good and to accomplish His purpose.
And whatever that is, it's fine with me because I know Him. I know God hears prayer. That's
the character of God. I know that. But not only do
I know God hears prayer, I depend on Him to hear my cry. And I
depend on Him to be able to answer my prayer however He wills because
I depend on His sovereign power. So I come to Him boldly. I don't
come to Him as slavish fear. I come to Him boldly as my Father.
I come to Him as His child knowing because I'm His child at all
times I can come before His throne and He'll hear me and He'll help
me. To know God is to know the character of God my Father. Thirdly,
to know God is to know God as He is revealed in Christ. Eternal life, look at verse 3
again, this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. To know
God is to know God as He is revealed in Christ. Eternal life is knowing
both the Father and the Son, and we can only know God as He
is revealed in Christ. Look over Matthew chapter 11.
The only way that the Father is ever revealed is in the Son. All things are delivered unto
me and my Father, and no man knoweth the Son but the Father,
neither knoweth any man the Father save the Son, and he to whomsoever
the Son will reveal him. The only way the Father can ever
be known is in the Son. So this is our third point. Eternal
life is to know God, to know the Son, to know the Lord Jesus
Christ. This is life eternal that they
may know Thee, the only true God, and that they may know Jesus
Christ whom Thou sent. Now to have eternal life, it's
so obvious from this verse, I have to know God. I must know the
Father, I must know the Son, and I must know the Holy Spirit.
To know the Father without the Son would not be life, it would
be death. The righteous judge must condemn
me outside of Christ because of my nature, my sin nature,
because of who I am. I must know God in Christ my
righteousness or I can never have eternal life. Outside of
Christ there's only eternal death. Only in Christ, by being in Christ,
can I know the Father in life. If the Father deals with me outside
of Christ, I'll have eternal death, because that's what I
deserve. I'm sinful. But in Christ, I'm
righteous and have life. The Father will never punish
me with death if He punished Christ my substitute with my
death. I can only stand before the bar
of God's justice in Christ my substitute, because He already
stood there condemned for me. So I can stand before the bar
of God's justice and complete confidence in Christ. I must know the Father in Christ,
or I'll never be accepted. Of course I'll never be accepted
in myself. The Father never accepts somebody
like me. But in Christ, I'm accepted. Accepted in the Beloved. Now
what is it to know Christ? Well, he says here, and Jesus
Christ whom thou hast sent. To know Christ is to believe
that the Father sent him. That's not just to believe that
the Father sent him to this earth and they put him in a rocket
ship and threw him down here or something. To believe that the
Father sent Christ is to believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, God's
Son, did exactly what the Father sent him to do when he came to
earth. And that is to save his people from their sin. That's
why the Apostle Paul didn't say, I know what I believe. Now he
said, I know whom I have believed. I believe him. I believe fully
to know Christ is to know not just that Christ is the Savior
of sinners, but he's my Savior. He died for my sin. He came to
fulfill the purpose of the Father to put my sin away. That's why
the Father sent him. To know Christ is to believe
and understand and rest in. He came to put my sin away. Fourthly,
eternal life is to know God by revelation. To know God by revelation. Now, this knowledge our Lord's
talking about here, knowledge of God, knowing who God is, that's
the knowledge Adam had when he was created. It's the knowledge
Adam lost in the garden. At one time, Adam knew God, didn't
he? Adam walked with God and talked with God every day. He
knew God. And then Adam sinned. And the
moment Adam sinned, Cecily didn't know God anymore. He just completely
didn't know God anymore. And the proof of that is Adam
thought he could hide from God. If you think you can hide from
God, it's obvious you don't know God. God's everywhere. Adam thought
he could blame somebody else for his sin. Adam didn't beg
for mercy. Why wouldn't Adam beg for mercy?
He didn't know God. He lost the capacity to know
God. Adam was dead spiritually, and
he didn't have anything to put the knowledge of God in. And
all of us are born with Adam's nature, not knowing God. And the proof of it is, we worship
the creature more than the Creator. We make up many idols to worship.
Now, I didn't say men aren't religious, that men don't know
something about religion. Oh no, men know they ought to
be religious. But we make up many idols to worship. And men
will do anything for an idol. They'll do anything. They'll
give anything. They'll give up anything. They'll
burn their children at the stake. They'll just throw them off a
cliff. They'll do anything. But man will never beg God for
mercy or for forgiveness of our sin for Christ's sake. Why not? We're just like Adam. We don't
know God. There's a way that seems right
to us. We've reasoned out in our head a way that seems right
to us. There's a way that seems good
that we could obtain eternal life. And the end of that way
is death. It's never eternal life because
we don't know God. If we don't know God, how can
you know his way? If you don't know God, how can you know how
God saves sinners? So if we're going to know God,
how are we going to know him? It must be by revelation. We must
know God by God revealing himself to us. Now, eternal life, we
read this earlier, is to know the Father. And our Lord said
what? No man knows the Father save
the Son. And he to whomsoever the Son will reveal him. The
Son reveals the Father to us, so we know him. Eternal life
is to know the Father, the Son reveals him. Eternal life is
to know the Son. Christ must be revealed to us. We can't figure him out. He must
be revealed. And the Holy Spirit comes, and
what does he do? He reveals the Son. Look back
at page John 16, verse 13. This is what the Holy Spirit
does. He doesn't come to make people speak in tongues and roll
around the aisles and act a fool. He comes to reveal Christ to
the hearts of his people. John 16, verse 13. Albeit when
he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth
For he'll not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear,
that shall he speak. For he will show you things to
come, he shall glorify me. For he shall receive of mine,
and he'll show it unto you." He's going to reveal the Son
to you. Eternal life is to know God by
revelation. If you figure God out, you don't
know Him. But if God revealed Himself to
you, you have eternal life. Fifth, eternal life. is found
in the person and the work of Christ, and my works have nothing
to do with it." Look at Matthew chapter 19. This is such a wonderful
illustration of this. The eternal life is in Christ. It's through the person and the
work of Christ, and my works don't have anything to do with
it. Matthew 19, verse 16, And behold, one came and said unto
him, Good What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal
life? And he said unto him, Why callest
thou me good? There is none good but one, that's
God. But if thou enter into life, keep the commandments. And here's
this man. He wants eternal life. He'd been
religious his whole life. And he wants eternal life. But
bless his heart. He's going about it all wrong,
isn't he? He's going about it the way that man thinks he ought
to do it. What should I do? What can I do? He's put it all
on him. Verse 18, he saith unto him,
Which? Which of the commandments? Jesus
said unto him, Thou shalt do no murder. Our Lord said unto
him, Here's all of it, the whole law. Thou shalt do no murder.
Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt
not bear false witness. Honour thy father and thy mother.
And thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. Well, the young man
saith unto him, All these have I kept from my youth up. What
lack I yet? And he felt like he'd done all
those things, didn't he? He felt like he kept the law.
Outwardly, he felt like he did. And why is he asking for more?
Why is he asking for something else to do? Because he knows
he's dead. He knows he doesn't have eternal
life. He knows he's lacking something. And he's right. He's lacking.
He didn't have eternal life. Because eternal life is not something
we do. Eternal life is something that Christ gives to us based
on His work and His life given to His people. Look over at John
chapter 6. Eternal life is ours through
union with Christ because of what He did for His people, because
of what He accomplished. John 6 verse 53. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except you eat the flesh of the Son
of Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoso
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life."
Not will have, has eternal life. And I'll raise him up at the
last day. Now, when you eat and drink,
what happens to that food and that liquid that you drink and
eat? It becomes part of you, doesn't it? Your body digests
it and it becomes part of all your cells and your flesh and
your whole So that you cannot distinguish between that steak
that you ate and you, because you eat it becomes one with you.
That's the union that Christ is talking about. Whoever has
union with him, with his sacrifice, with his work, has eternal life
and he'll be raised at the last day. Look at 1 John chapter 1. Eternal life is ours through
union with Christ. Are you listening? Because Christ
is life. Christ is life. So if we have
union with Him, we have eternal life. John 1, verse 1. That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen, with our eyes which
we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, are the word
of life. Now, he's talking about the Lord Jesus Christ, who's
the word of God. This life was manifested. We've
seen it. And bear witness and show unto you that eternal life
which was with the Father, which was manifested unto us." That
eternal life he's talking about there is a person, the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Word of God. Look over at chapter 5 of 1 John,
verse 11. If Christ is life, if we have
union with him, we have eternal life. And this is the record,
that God has given unto us eternal life, and this life is in He
that hath the Son, he that hath union with the Son hath life,
and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. Verse 20,
And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an
understanding, that we may know him that is true, that we are
in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is
the true God, and this is eternal life. The Lord Jesus Christ is
eternal life. And we have eternal life through
union with Him. Christ in you, that's the hope
of glory. Union with Christ. Eternal life
is ours through the death of Christ as opposed to the fleshly
life that we have in Adam through his death. That's eternal life.
Sixth, eternal life must be received by faith. Look at John chapter
three. Eternal life is life that is
received through faith in Christ. As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, verse 14, even so must the Son of Man be
lifted up. And whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have eternal life. If you believe Christ,
you have eternal life. Now, eternal life is a gift,
isn't it? It's a gift that Christ gives. Well, that gift is received
through faith. And even that faith is a gift.
All of salvation from beginning to end is a gift. Faith is the
gift of God. And so, I've got to hear and
I've got to believe. What? Not the law. Life can't come by the law. The only thing the law can bring
is death. Eternal life comes by hearing and believing the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 1. Now we're turning to several
scriptures, but I want you to see this from God's Word. Eternal
life comes from hearing and believing the gospel of Christ. 2 Timothy 1 verse 9, "...who has
saved us and called us with an holy not according to our works,
but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us
in Christ Jesus before the world began, but is now made manifest
by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who hath abolished
death and brought life and immortality to light." How? Through the gospel. Through the gospel that declares
who He is, what He did, why He did it, and where He is now. Eternal life is the result of
God's election. Acts 13, verse 48. Here the apostles are preaching
the gospel. This gospel of Christ that we
just read, you believe that, you have eternal life. It's the
gospel of Christ. Well, eternal life is the result
of God's election of His people. And when the Gentiles heard this,
when they heard the whole gospel message, they were glad. And
they glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life, believed. Now you notice that doesn't say
as many as believed received eternal life, does it? It says
as many as were ordained, as many as were chosen, as many
as were appointed, as many as were elected to have eternal
life, they believed. Eternal life is the evidence.
of God's election of your soul. Eternal life is the evidence
of the Son's purchase of your soul through His death. And eternal
life is the evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in you. And
then last, eternal life is the promise of God to His elect.
Look at Titus chapter 1. Eternal life is the promise,
the promise of God Titus 1 verse 2. In hope of eternal life, which
God that cannot lie promised before the world began. It's
important that he promised that before the world began. That
makes us clearly understand the promise. It didn't even do what
we did or what we didn't do, did it? It's God's eternal purpose
that he promised in Christ Jesus. Eternal life. is not a random
act of kindness on God's part. Eternal life is the promise of
grace, the promise of eternal life to a specific people in
Christ, based upon the person and work of Christ. And it's
revealed to us through the preaching of Christ. Look at verse 3 in
Titus 1. But hath in due times manifested
his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according
to the commandment of God our Savior. Now, that's eternal life. From God's Word, that's eternal
life. That's what it is. Now, here's
our second question. Do I have it? Do you have it? I want you to leave here this
morning knowing if you have eternal life or not. You know. You know the answer to that question.
Now, I told you I may not be able to exactly define physical
life. I may not be able to define it.
But I know it when I see it. I know Lucy Simpson's alive.
I know she has life. I see her. It's all evidence
of life. She's breathing. She's reacting
to me. She probably wishes I wasn't
talking about her. She has life. I can't define it, but I know
it when I see it. Well, I may not just be able
to exactly lay my finger on eternal life, but I know it when I see
it. I know it if God gave it to me.
I know I have eternal life. And if God's given you eternal
life, you know it. You didn't pass from death unto
life and not know it. No, you know. And if you don't
have eternal life, you know it. If you don't see Christ, you
know it. Oh, boy. I sat for years just frustrated. I saw the doctrine. It made sense
to me. But I didn't see Christ. And
it just, oh. That's all. You know if you don't see Him.
And you know if you do. If you don't have eternal life,
I want you to listen to me. I'm almost done. Listen carefully. How can a sinner get eternal
life? If you don't have eternal life,
that's an awful important question. How can a sinner get eternal
life? It's so simple by coming to Christ, by coming to him,
by resting on him, by begging him for it. I just told you where
eternal life is found. Is there any question from God's
word that eternal life is the Lord Jesus Christ, that eternal
life is in Christ? There's no doubt from reading
God's word is that anybody that understands English language
understands that. If you've been paying half of
a bit of attention, you understand that. Well, you know where eternal
life is, don't you? Then go to Him and beg Him for
it. Go to Him and beg Him for mercy. Christ must be revealed
to you. Then ask Him to reveal Himself
to you. Ask Him. Eternal life is not by human
nature. When I say not by human nature,
I mean not because we're born into a family, a mother and a
father that believes Christ. Eternal life is not by human
nature. It's by God's grace. Eternal life is not by the birth
of our flesh. Eternal life is by the new birth
given to us by the Holy Spirit. Eternal life doesn't come by
our will. It's a good thing because our will would never have it.
Not by nature it wouldn't. Eternal life is by God's will.
Eternal life is not by our works. Eternal life is by Christ's work
for us and Christ's work in us. You see how completely dependent
we are on God? Completely dependent. Well, then
come to him as completely dependent and beg him for mercy. Nothing
in my hand I bring, simply to thy cross I cling. Eternal life
found in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let's bow in prayer. Our Heavenly Father, how we thank
you for eternal life. How we thank you for the unspeakable
gift of your Son, that you gave your to fully accomplish the
salvation of your people. That he gives us a righteousness
that we cannot produce, but in him we are righteous. How we thank you for his sacrifice.
We could never put away any sin, but the sacrifice of our Savior
put away all of the sin of all of his people makes us white
as snow. And how we thank you for his
death. His death is a substitute for his people. His death demands
our life. How we thank you. Oh, how we
thank you that eternal life is our Lord Jesus Christ. And that
you reveal him, you always reveal him to your people. Father, we're
thankful. And we pray that you'd reveal
your Son by your Spirit to us one more time. Reveal your Son
to the hearts of your people, that we might leave here with
hearts that are humbled, hearts that are thankful, completely
dependent on Christ for all of our salvation. And how we pray
that in your mercy and grace, you'd reveal yourself to one
of your people this morning who, as of this moment, doesn't know
you. Father, thou art able. We pray
that you'd bless your word. Cause it to go forth in power.
Accomplish the purpose that you've sent it to accomplish, and we're
thankful we know it will. It's in the precious name of
our Lord Jesus Christ we give