Would you turn with me back to
1 John chapter 5? I've entitled this message, What
is Eternal Life? Now, there are two questions
I want answered to myself from the Word of God. I want to know
what eternal life is, first of all. And secondly, I want to
know if I have it. Now, those are the two questions
we want to deal with from this passage of Scripture. I want
to know what eternal life is. And I want to know if I have
it. Now, look in verse 11 of 1 John,
chapter 5. And this is the record. This
is the testimony that God hath given to us. Eternal life. Now, from this I know that eternal
life is the gift of God. The wages of sin is death, but
the gift of God is eternal life. through Jesus Christ, our Lord.
So if I'm going to have eternal life, first, God must give it
to me. I'm totally dependent upon Him
to give me this eternal life. And then he says in verse 11,
this life, this eternal life is in His Son. Whatever eternal life is, it
is in the Lord Jesus Christ. There's a place where eternal
life is. It is in His Son. Verse 12, He that hath the Son
hath life. If I have the Son of God, whatever
that means, That means I have eternal life in me. And he that hath not the Son
of God hath not life. These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may
know that you have eternal life. Now, I want to leave this place
knowing Whether or not I have eternal life, don't you? I want
to know. I want to know the truth. And if I don't have it, I want
to know, oh, that God would be pleased to make himself known
to me as to whether or not I have eternal life. Now, I think it's
really interesting. Eternal life is sandwiched in between these
two statements. These things that I've written
unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God. that
you may know that you have eternal life and that you may believe
on the name of the Son of God. Now, eternal life obviously has
something to do with believing on the name of the Son of God. Look down in verse 20 of 1 John
chapter 5. And we know that the Son of God
has come and hath given us an understanding, that we may know
him that is true, and we are in him that is true. And there's two things I want.
I want to know him, and I want to be in him. And look what he says next. Even
in his Son, Jesus Christ, This is the true God and eternal life. What is eternal life? Well, what is life? Well, life
can only come from God. The idea of some primordial stew
of chemicals, a big bang, and somehow life comes out of that Now, I know some really intelligent
people that believe that. People who really, I have no
doubt, their IQ is a lot higher than mine. But you have to choose
to believe something so foolish. That's got to be a choice you
make, because you don't want to face creation by God, because
if that's true, there's a whole lot of other things you have
to face. for someone to believe that life just happens somehow. Well, you have to choose to believe
something like that because it's unreasonable. It's irrational. Life comes from God. But life began with God. He has life in himself, utterly
independent. He has no needs. I love thinking about that. He
says the cattle on a thousand hills are mine. If I was hungry,
I wouldn't tell you about it. He's not worshipped with men's
hands as though he needed anything. He has life in himself. He never began to live. and he
gives life. The scripture says Adam was formed
from the dust of the earth and he breathed in him the breath
of life. Adam was made a living soul. And we know from the scripture
what happened to Adam. He ate of the forbidden fruit
and he died. Now he didn't die physically.
He lived A lot longer after that, but he did die spiritually. He had no spiritual life. But thank God there is spiritual
life, eternal life for dead sinners. And I want that eternal life. Eternal life is the life of God. And this is mysterious. Eternal
life is the life of God in the soul of a man. If I have eternal
life, that means I have God dwelling in me, living in me. Paul said, I live, yet not I,
but Christ liveth in me. And the life that I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me
and gave himself for me. Christ liveth in me. God the Holy Spirit liveth in
me. I am made a partaker of the divine
nature. Eternal life is the life of God
in the soul of a man. And many believe that when the
Bible speaks of eternal life, it's speaking of heaven. Heaven
is eternal life. Well, that's certainly included,
but it means a great deal more than that. It's the life of the
eternal God in the soul of a man. Now, this thing of eternal life.
Turn to 1 John 1. Look what 1 John 1 says. That which was from the beginning,
which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which
are, which we have looked upon and our hands have handled of
the word of life for the life. I love that language. The life. Our Lord said, I am the way. The truth. And the life. Now, this life is the only hope
I have of standing accepted before God. This life. The life. I love that language. The life
was manifested. And we have seen it and bear
witness and show unto you that eternal life which was with the
Father and was manifested. unto us. Eternal life is the
Lord Jesus Christ himself. He is the life. He said, I am the way, I am the
truth, I am the life. No man cometh to the Father but
by me. 1 John 1, In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The
same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by
him, and without him was not anything made that was made.
In him was what? Life. And the life was the light
of men. The life. Now that's my life
before God. The life of the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn to Colossians chapter 3. Colossians chapter three. Verse one. If you then be risen with Christ. Seek those things which are above. Where Christ sitteth on the right
hand of God, set your affection on things above, not on things
on the earth, for you are dead. How much concern does a dead
man have about the stuff that's going on in life right now? None. You're dead. And your life is hid with Christ
in God when Christ who is our life. And notice that word who
is is in italics. It could just as easily read
when read when Christ our life shall appear. When he appears. That's me appearing. That's my life before God. When
Christ our life shall appear, then shall we also appear with
him in glory." Christ himself, the eternal Son, is the life
of God. And if I have eternal life, that
means I have his life. His life, His law-keeping, His
love to the Father, His obedience, His walk upon this earth, that
is my life before God. And that's where my confidence
comes from. You take that away from me, I have no confidence.
But His life is my life before God. Now, this life, eternal
life, the life of God in the soul, is the fruit of eternal
election. I like this. Paul was preaching. I love the way Luke relates this.
Luke is telling us about Paul's first public sermon. You can
read about it in Acts chapter 13. It's a wonderful sermon.
And Luke wraps it up like this. After Paul was finished preaching,
Luke says this, as many as were ordained to eternal life believed. That's where the results came
from. as many as were ordained to eternal life, believed. Eternal life, the fruit of divine
election, the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said in
John 17, too, as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that
he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. Now, election I love election,
because I love the God of election. Election is nothing less than
God's will. That's why we love it so much.
It's God's will. His eternal will, if a man has
eternal life, it's because God willed it and purposed it before
time began. Of his own will began he us through
the word of truth. is the giver of this eternal
life. He's the giver of himself. He
said, my sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me
and I give unto them eternal life. Not temporary life, eternal
life, and they shall never perish. Now, this eternal life becomes
ours in our experience when we believe. Now that is when I experience
this eternal life, when I believe the gospel. Except a man be born
of water and the Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. But when
I'm born of the Spirit, I believe. Being born of the Spirit. Now
listen to Scripture. John 1, 12, and 13 says, But
as many as received him, to them gave he the power to become the
sons of God, even to them which, what? Believe on his name. Beloved, I'm doing that right
now. His name is my inference into the Father. His name. That
name that's above every name, that name at which every knee
is going to bow and every tongue is going to confess. That name
is my entrance into the Father. To them, those who believe on
His name, He gave the power to become the sons of God, even
to them which believe on His name, which were born, which
were birthed. Not of blood, not of the will
of man, not because a bunch of men got together and prayed down
God's blessing, not of the will of the flesh, not because of
an act of man's free will, but of God. Now, what do those people
who are born of God do? They believe. Turn with me to
John chapter 3. John chapter three. Now, this is the chapter where
the Lord is talking about the new birth, and it's so mysterious. Verse one, there was a man of
the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. The same
came to Jesus by night. That means two things. He was
ashamed to be seen with him in the day. And he was in utter
darkness. He was in the night. And said unto him, Rabbi, we
know that thou art a teacher come from God, for no man can
do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. I mean,
if you can have water and then all of a sudden say it's wine
and it's wine, if you can raise the dead, if you can control
the weather, if you can do all these things, God's got to be
with you. Verse 3, Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, born from above,
birthed by God, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus
saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? Can he
enter the second time into his mother's womb and be born? Jesus
answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born
of water and of the Spirit. Now that water is not water baptism.
It's the Word. Ephesians 5 speaks of the washing
of water by the Word, that's talking about the Word of God,
the Gospel. Except a man be born of water
and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.
That which is born of the flesh, what is it? Flesh. And that which
is born of the Spirit, God, the Holy Spirit in the new birth
is spirit. And marvel not that I say unto
thee, you must be born again. The wind blows where it wills
and you hear the sound there, but you can't tell whence it
cometh or whether it goes. So is everyone that's born of the
spirit. Nicodemus answered and said unto him, how can these
things be? Jesus answered and said unto
him, art thou master of Israel? No, it's not these things. This
is what the Old Testament is always taught. Verily, verily,
I say unto thee, we speak that which we do know, and testify
that which we have seen, and ye receive not our witness. If
I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall
ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?" Now he is talking
about faith. And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he
that came down from heaven, even the Son of Man which is in heaven.
And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of Man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth. in him, should not perish, but
have eternal life. 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." Now, faith is the evidence
that I have eternal life. Now, this is the work of God's
sovereign grace. This thing of eternal life, it's
the work of God from the beginning. And I've referred to this passage
of Scripture three or four times in the last month, but every
time it's been with a different emphasis. So turn back with me
to Romans chapter five. Anybody ever wants to understand
what sovereign grace is, here it is. Verse 20. Moreover. The law entered that
the offense might abound. God's ten commandments, the thou
shalts and the thou shalt nots, entered not to restrain the offense,
not to keep it down, but that it might abound and overflow. Now, if you don't see sin abounding
in you, you've never seen the law. You have no idea what it
means. Because if you ever seek God's
holy law for what it is, sin will abound like a fountain out
of you. And there's no way you can stop
it. And look what he says next. But where sin abounded. Oh, thank God for this, because
I'm a place where sin abounds. I know that. I know that's the
truth about me. So this is good. This is great.
Where sin abounded, grace did much more. abound. Everywhere where sin abounds,
grace does much more abound. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, and this is the reign of sin, you're going to die.
And there's nothing you can do to prevent it. Not a thing in
the world. That as sin hath reigned unto
death, even so might grace reign. Just like you can't prevent death,
if God gives you grace, you can't prevent it. You can't stop it. It is sovereign grace. It comes
on you and there's not a thing you can do to prevent it. You
might fight it. He's going to have you anyway. This is one
of the glorious things about preaching the gospel. I don't
have to worry about you. If God wants you, He's going
to have you. He's going to have you and there's nothing you can
do to prevent it. sovereign grace, that as sin
hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through
righteousness, the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, unto
eternal life by Jesus Christ. Now, this eternal life that is
experienced in believing the gospel. Now understand this with
regard to eternal life. I don't believe and then I have
eternal life. It doesn't work that way. I'm dead in sins. I'm
given life and I believe. Logically, life has to come before
faith. That's absolutely necessary.
You can't believe until God gives you eternal life. But chronologically,
in our experience, life and faith come at the same time. Now, can
I explain that? No. Do I believe it? Yes. Now, when I believe it's seen
in my attitude toward his word, turn to John chapter 6. John 6. Verse 59. These things said he in the synagogue
as he taught in Capernaum. We do well to go back and read
what he preached at that time. Verse 60. Many therefore of his
disciples when they had heard Said, this is an hard saying.
A harsh saying is the word, an austere saying. This is unsympathetic
toward humanity, what he's saying. Now, why did they make a statement
like this? Well, in this passage of Scripture, he brought out
God's election, Christ's atonement for the elect, God's grace being
invincible and irresistible, men being unable to come to Christ
and just preach sovereign grace. That's always been the message.
And they said, this is a hard saying. Who can be expected to
listen to things like this? Verse 61, when Jesus knew it
himself, that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth
this offend you? If you're offended now, what
and if you shall see the Son of Man ascend up where he was
before? If you're offended now, you'll really be offended when
you see me saying these things from my throne of glory and you
find out who I really am. Verse 63, it is the spirit that
quickens, that gives life. The flesh profits nothing in
this thing of life. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. But there are some of you
that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning
who they were that believed not, and who should betray me. And
he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come to
me, except it were given unto him of my father. From that time
many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
Then said Jesus unto the twelve, You fellows want to leave also?
Will you also go away? Then Simon Peter answered him,
Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words. of eternal life. Eternal life has something to
do with his words, doesn't it? And if you're a believer, you
know that his words are words of eternal life to you. He says, we believe and are sure
that thou art that Christ, the son of the living God. Now turn with me to John chapter
17. What is eternal life? Well, it's the Lord Jesus Christ.
It's the life of God in the soul. Now look at these words in verse
two, John chapter 17. As thou has given him power. Over all flesh. That he should
give eternal life. to as many as thou hast given
him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the
only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." Now, here's
what eternal life is. It's knowing the living It's knowing Jesus Christ whom
he has sent. It's not knowing there is a God. It's not knowing accurate things
about God where you can write them down and put them in a creed
and confession and show how the scripture teaches this. It's
not having proper theology. It's not knowing correct things
about God. It's knowing him to where I know
him. And He knows me. It's a relationship with the
living God. And this relationship is infinitely
more important than anything else. And the only way we can
have the capacity to have this relationship with the living
God is if we have eternal life abiding in us. Otherwise, I can't
know Him. You know, the Lord said in Matthew
11 and 25, He said, No man knows the son, but the father. Neither knows any man the father,
save the son, and he to whomsoever the son will reveal him. And the only way I can know God
and have a relationship with God is if God in flesh, the Lord
Jesus Christ, reveals him to me. And when I know him, this
relationship with him is infinitely more important than anything
else. He said he that loveth his life,
this temporal life, shall lose it. And he that hateth this life
and treats this temporal life with disregard, the same shall
keep it until life eternal. Wide is the gate, and broad is
the way that leads to destruction, and many there be that go in
thereat, but straight is the gate, and narrow is the way that
leads to life, and few there be that find it." Now, this relationship
with God, this knowing God, it means, in knowing Him, it
means His is more important to me than
anything else. And if he is glorified, all is
well. It doesn't matter what happens
if he is glorified. I'm content. This thing of knowing
God means that I say from the very depths of my heart, not
my will, but thine be done. I don't want my will. I want
His will. Take my will and make it thine. It shall be no longer mine. Take my heart. It is thine own. It shall be thy royal throne."
I want His will to be done. This isn't about me being happier
or having a better life. I simply want His will. And if
His will is done, everything is fine. I'm satisfied no matter
what. If His will is done. And this
relationship, we know Him. We love Him. And we love Him
as He's revealed in the Scripture. For instance, all of His attributes.
You know the fact that He's sovereign. Do you love that He controls
everything? I mean, in your heart, do you
love that? Do you love His holiness? His utter purity? Do you love
His power, the fact that He has the power to make whatever He
wills come to pass? Do you love His justice, that
He is going to punish all sin? Do you love His immutability,
the fact that He never changes? I mean, every attribute of God
we love. We love Him as He is. This is eternal life, that they
might know thee, the only true God, and look what he says next,
and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. Now, in knowing the Lord Jesus
Christ, is knowing something about the fact that the Father
sent him, and why he sent him. In John chapter 3, verse 17,
he said, The Father sent not the Son into the world to condemn
the world. The world's already condemned. But that the world
through him might be saved. That's why the Father sent him. Herein is love, not that we love
God. but that he loved us and sent
his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Look in verse 8
of John chapter 17. For I have given unto them the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have
believed that thou didst send me. Now, we have a relationship with
Him. That's what it is to know God and His Son whom He sent. He's my Lord. And this is what
eternal life is. It's not just the duration of
life. It's where Jesus Christ is my Lord. He is my Savior. He's my Master. He's my Husband. He's my Provider. He's my protector. He's my prophet, priest, and
king. I believe Him as my prophet.
I have hope in Him as my priest. And I love Him as my king. He's
my friend. I know the Lord Jesus Christ. That's what eternal life is.
I know Him. And that's not name dropping. That's not name dropping. If I have eternal life, that
means I know Him. And he knows me. I wouldn't be like the sons of
Sceva who said to those people who were possessed, they said,
we say in the name of the Paul or the name of Jesus, who Paul
preaches, come out. And those demons said, Jesus,
I know. And Paul, I know. But who are
you? And they came upon him and whipped
him at that time. You can read about that. In the
book of Acts, I know him. Now there's another scripture
I want to deal with in this thing of eternal life. Turn to 1 Timothy
chapter 6. 1 Timothy chapter 6. And this is
a passage of scripture that I never have felt like I got
very well. Verse 12. Fight the good fight of faith.
First Timothy 6 verse 12. Fight the good fight of faith.
And look what he says next. Lay hold. Seize is what the word
means. Grab and hold on to eternal life. And how do you go about doing
that? Lay hold upon eternal life. Look in verse 19. Laying up in
store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that
they may lay hold upon eternal life. Seize it. Take it. Wow. How do you lay hold upon eternal
life? Well, what I want to do is I
want to show you three scriptures. This is what we're going to do
in closing. I want to show you three scriptures where some people
actually wouldn't be denied. They laid hold upon eternal life. They wouldn't be denied. And I want to follow their example.
Remember, I want to know if I have eternal life. So if I have eternal
life, I'm going to do what these fellows do. Turn to Mark chapter
10. Mark chapter 10. I don't know what it is about
Bartimaeus, but he's one of the first people I'm going to be
looking for when I get into glory. I want to meet this man. And
every time I'm reading through the book of Mark, I get excited
about coming up to Mark chapter 10. This man is so special to
me. He has such great faith. I just love this man. Let's go over to verse 46. And
they came to Jericho. And as he went out of Jericho
with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus,
stone blind, the son of Timaeus, set by the highway side, begging. Now, there he sits, and he hears
a commotion. He hears a noise. And when he
heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, now, I don't have any doubt I
know that this man knew who Jesus of Nazareth was. They brought
him into the temple, he would hear the scriptures read, he
would hear Isaiah read, and one time he read about when the Messiah
comes, he gives sight to the blind, and he heard He, you know,
he sat there by the highway side all the time, listening to what
people said. People talked about Jesus of Nazareth, and he heard
that one called Jesus of Nazareth gave sight to the blind, one
that was born blind. And in his heart, at that time,
he became a secret disciple of Christ. He believed that he was
the Son of God. Now that's all, that's plenty
of it. He believed that he was God's promised Messiah. Now here's this month, this commotion. And when he heard that it was
Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, my son
of David, have mercy on me. And then he charged him to shut
up. He said, shut up, Bartimaeus.
Hold your peace. You're bothering everybody. But
what did he do? He cried the more. a great deal. Thou Son of David, have mercy
on me." He wouldn't be denied. And Jesus stood still. Now, He was on His way to the
cross. He had set His face like a flint. He wouldn't be deterred
from this. But when He heard this cry for
mercy, He stood still. And if you cry the way Bartimaeus
did, he'll stand still for you. That's a promise. Let's go on
reading. Verse 49, And he commanded him
to be called, and they called the blind man, saying unto him,
Be of good comfort, rise, he calleth thee. And he casting
away his garment, rose and came to Jesus. And Jesus answered
and said unto him, What wilt thou? that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him,
Lord, that I might receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him,
Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he
received his sight and followed Jesus in the way he laid hold
upon eternal life. Turn to Matthew 15. This is another very dear, dear
woman in the scripture. Verse 21, Matthew chapter 15. Then Jesus went thence and departed
into the coast of Tyre and Sidon, and behold, a woman of Canaan
came out of the same coast and said unto him and cried unto
him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David. My
daughter is grievously vexed. with the devil. Now, this woman
came the right way. She came for mercy. She came
knowing who he was. She came for the right thing. I mean, this is pretty impressive
resume. The Scripture says in verse 23,
he answered her, not a word. He ignored her. Have you ever dealt with the
silence of God? Silence, no answer. You cry, you pray, you seek,
no answer. And his disciples came and besought
him, saying, Send her away, for she crieth after us. But he answered
and said, I am not sent, but unto the lost sheep of the house
of Israel. How plain can words be? He said,
I didn't come to save everybody. I wasn't sent for everybody.
I was only sent for the elect. I was sent for the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. What was her response? I love
her response. She didn't get mad and say that's
not fair. Verse 25, Then came she and worshipped him, saying,
Lord, help me. If you don't help me, I won't
be helped. It didn't stop her. Lord, help me. She would not
be denied. But he answered and said, it's
not me to take the children's bread and to cast it to dogs. And she said, truth, Lord. Yet the dogs eat of the crumbs
which fall from their master's table. She wouldn't be denied, would
she? And Jesus answered and said unto
her, O woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou
wilt. And her daughter was made whole
from that very hour. She laid hold upon eternal life. One other scripture. This is
what we'll close with. Genesis 32. Looked at this last Wednesday. We're going to look at it again. Genesis 32. Beginning in verse 24. And Jacob was left alone. Now he tried to scheme and plan
and manipulate things and it's over. The time of doing is over,
and now he's left alone. And there wrestled a man with
him into the breaking of the day. And we know as we go on
reading in that passage of Scripture, he said, I've seen God face to
face. This was nobody less than the Lord Jesus Christ wrestling
with him. The Lord got him, and he pinned him down. Verse 25,
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, He touched the
hollow of his thigh. The Lord Jesus Christ crippled
Jacob, and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he
wrestled with him. Can you imagine your thigh becoming
out of joint? Your hip? How painful that must
have been. You can't move. And he, the Lord
Jesus Christ, said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And Jacob
said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. Lord, I'm not going to let you
go. I know you can knock me off, but I'm going to hold on. I will
not, I don't have any other hope. I don't have anywhere else to
go. I will, I have to have your blessing. I must have your blessing. I don't have any other options.
I will not let you go. If you don't bless me, I'll go
to hell. If you don't bless me, you shall kill me. I had no power
before this. I will not let you go. Except you bless me." And he
said unto him, what's thy name? You reckon he already knew who
his name was? Of course he did. He's getting a confession out
of him. What's your name? Cheat. Deceiver. Heal. Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be
called no more Jacob, but Israel. For as a prince hast thou power
with God, and with men, and you prevailed, he laid hold of eternal
life." Eternal life is the Lord Jesus
Christ. Eternal life is the life of God
in the soul. Eternal life is manifested by
believing the gospel. Lay hold upon eternal life. Let's pray.