In John 17, we read, beginning these first few words, it says, these words speak Jesus. These words. If we go back just two or three chapters, we can see some of those words that he spoke. And these are words of comfort, words of assurance, words of of hope.

I know I'm guilty of this. Sometimes we find a passage in scripture that we want to read and we just kind of hurry up and get to it. God's word is rich. These are the words of Christ himself. So let's just Just quickly, go back and look at a few of these.

Look back in verse three of John 14. Actually, let's look at the first three verses. John 14, look at beginning with verse one. Our Lord, he said, let not your heart be troubled." So many things, so many things in this world that trouble us. Our Lord knew that. He said, let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I'd have told you. I go. I go to prepare a place for you and I'll come again and I'll receive you unto myself that where I am, there, there you may be also.

Aren't those comforting words spoken by our Lord? We'll skip down to verse 15 of the same chapter, still in John 14. He said, if you love me, keep my commandments and I'll pray to the Father and He'll give you another comforter that He may abide with you forever. Even the Spirit of truth whom the world, this world cannot receive. because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but you, you know him, you know him, for he dwelleth in you and shall be in you. And I will not leave you comfortless. The Lord promised. He said, I will not leave you comfortless. I'll not leave you without comfort. I'll come. I'll come to you.

Turn to John 15. Just cross the page there. John 15, verse 9. As the father, verse nine of John 15, as the father hath loved me, how much did the father love his son? As the father hath loved me, so I love you. His love, his love for his people. And he says this, continue. Continue in my love, continue in that love. Look at verse 13, just drop down. Greater love, on this subject of love, greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And then look at these next words. Ye, ye are my friends. You're my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth, I call you not servants. For the servant knoweth not what his Lord doeth. But I have called you friends. All things I've heard of my father I've made known unto you. You've not chosen me. What do we know about his friends? They didn't choose him. But He chose them. He said, I have chosen you and I have ordained you that you should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it to you.

In a short time, our Lord is going to go and He's going to lay down His life. for his friends. And he says to his disciples, this had to be comforting. You, you are my friends. I chose you. I ordained you. What's he saying? You're mine.

And then look at John 16, verse 33. These things have I spoken to you that, here's the key, in me, in me, in Christ, you might have peace. In this world, and many of you know this all too well, In this world, you're going to have tribulation, going to have trouble, going to have difficulty. But our Lord says, be of good cheer. How can I be of good cheer? Read on. I have overcome the world. All of these things he spoke. And he said to the disciples, he said, I tell you these things that you might have peace. Being justified by peace, listen, by his grace, we have peace, peace with God through the Lord Jesus Christ.

In Christ we have peace of conscience, peace of heart, knowing this one thing, our sins are forgiven. Our sins have been put away. In Christ, we have peace in trial. We have peace in trouble, in tribulation.

You know, we live in a world, we live in a world that Hates God. Hates a sovereign God. Hates the gospel of grace. Yet as believers, we have peace. Peace. He's overcome this world. He's conquered Satan. He's conquered sin. He's conquered this world. And his victory is our victory. And we have no cause. All we do worry, we do fear, but we have no cause to. No cause to fear. No cause to fear the men of this world. No cause to fear the forces of evil in this world.

Turn back to our text in John 17. These words. Verse one, these words spake Jesus, and he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and he said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son, that thy son may glorify thee, as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

And this, this is life eternal. What is life eternal? Let's look at this this morning, just for a few minutes. I want us to see it from this passage, a few points on eternal life. And the first is this, eternal life is the gift of God. The gift of God. That's what our text says. Look at it there. It says that he should give eternal life.

In Romans 6, 23, you're familiar with this passage. We read this, the wages of sin. The wages of sin. Men talk about offers. They talk about rewards. They talk about wages. The religion of this world talks about the things that they can earn. There's one thing clear in scripture that we can earn, and we just read it. The wages of sin is dead. But it doesn't stop there, does it? But the gift The gift, you all know what a gift is. The gift of God is eternal life. And it's through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

In John 5 verse 11, John wrote, he said, this is the record. This is the record. God hath given to us. What's he given to us? Eternal life. And this life is in his son. He said, this is the record. This is the sum and substance of it. Just write this down. Of all that we declare, of all that's written, of all that's preached, God. God, in his free and sovereign grace, has been merciful. Merciful to his people. And he's given. He's given eternal life. Not to all. Not to all. But to some. To some, he's been pleased to show mercy.

That spiritual life that was lost in the garden. Remember that? God gave Adam the garden to dress it and keep it. with just one command. And Adam disobeyed that command and he fell. And he fell. And he lost fellowship with God. He lost life. But we have that in Christ. That's restored in Christ. And as a result of that, God's given eternal life, which means we're free from sorrow, free from death. We're born spiritually dead. That's how we're born, dead in trespasses and sin. We're born deserving of eternal death. But God has decreed to give his elect. That's what he hath given to us. A particular people, those chosen in Christ from before the foundation of the world, given us a gift. What is that gift? We just read it, didn't we? Eternal life.

Second, here in our text, we see this thing of eternal life. It involves a knowledge of God, a knowledge of who he is. Look at John 17, verse two. Our Lord says that they might Know Thee. Know Thee. The only true God. To know Him. Listen, eternal life is not being religious. Going around being religious. It's not getting religion. Eternal life is to know the only true and wise God. It's not just to reform our outward ways, huh? So when the neighbors drive by and say, ah, he's a good person, right? That's not what this is about. It's not to follow a man's tradition or a creed or doctrine. It's not to do what the church or the preacher has a list of things for you to do. It's to know God. It's to know Him. It's to love Him. It's to trust Him. It's to believe Him. This is eternal life. To know Him. To know him as he's revealed throughout the scriptures, throughout the word of God.

I'm just confident everybody drove here this morning, probably drove by half a dozen churches or more. And I'm guessing all of them would have a laundry list of things that a man could do to be saved. They'll gladly tell you what you need to do. My friends, the gospel declares what has been done already. Not what man can do, but what Christ has done. We're not talking about the God of man's imagination. We declare the true and living God. And to do that, we must look into his word. What does God's word say about him? Well, read this. He said in one place, he said, your thoughts are not my thoughts. Man often looks at God and thinks, well, he must look like me and respond to things like me. That's not the case. His ways are so far above us, we can't even enter into it.

In Isaiah, he spoke and he said this, he said, I'm God, and there is none else. I declare the end of the world. from the beginning, and from ancient times, the things that are not yet done, saying, my counsel shall stand. I will do all my pleasure. This word declares a God who does according to his will. What kind of a God would bow to man? Not the God of the Bible. God who doeth according to his will in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. That's the God. That's the God of the Bible. He's sovereign. Sovereign in all that he does. Is that the God we worship? The true and living God? The God of the Bible is righteous. He must and He will punish sin. You know, we look at things and we will say, well, that's really not that bad, right? We look over things. God is righteous. and he is going to punish sin even, listen to this, even when it's found on his son. Sin must be punished. The soul that sinneth, it shall surely die. That's what scripture says. It says this, that sin, when it's finished, bringeth forth death. In Numbers 14, 18, we read this. It says, the Lord is long-suffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgressions, and will by no means clear the guilty. visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation.

He's sovereign. He's righteous. But listen, he's also merciful. Merciful. In Micah chapter 7 verse 18, let me just read it to you. He said, who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity that passeth by transgression." Transgression of who? The remnant. He'll pass by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage. He retaineth not his anger forever because he delighteth. He delighteth in mercy. How else could a sinner approach unto a holy God. How could that leper cry out and say, Lord, if you will, you can make me whole? Aren't we thankful our God's merciful? How else could the publican cry with hope and say, God, be merciful to me. The sinner. Or that thief as he hung on the cross. Say to our Lord, Lord, Lord, remember me. That thief had just got after that other thief saying, listen, don't you fear God seeing we're in the same condemnation and we indeed justly, we're getting what we deserve. But he cried out for mercy, didn't he? And he received mercy. The Lord said, today, today you will be with me in paradise.

Eternal life is to know God. Eternal life, third, listen, it involves a knowledge of the Son. Listen, to know God, to know the Son. Look at our text. In John 17, he said that they might, he says it again, know thee, the only true God and Jesus Christ. Our Lord Jesus, he's the King of kings and he's Lord of lords. to know Him as He's revealed in Scripture, King of kings and Lord of lords, and He has all power, all authority over everyone and everything. Turn to Matthew 28. Just hold your place there, but turn to Matthew 28. Does he have all power and all authority? Look at Matthew 28 verse 18. Jesus came and spake unto them saying, all power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Listen, the Father has given the Lord Jesus Christ an elect people out of every nation. And to gather those people, he must have absolute authority over all, without exception.

Eternal life is a free gift. It's the free gift that the son gives to those that the father has given him. and to save, he must have all authority. He must be willing and he must be able, and he's both. Philippians 2, beginning with verse 9, wherefore God also hath highly exalted him and given him a name which is above every name. that at the name of Jesus, the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, every knee should bow of things in heaven, things in earth, things under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He rules and he reigns over all. Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

The Lord Jesus Christ, listen, he was made a man. God's word declares that. In the fullness of time, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. But not just any man. He is a perfect man. He's sinless. Sinless. Can you imagine what it would be like to be sinless? To never speak an idle word. To never think an evil thought. To never look with pride. To never lift up a hand or a voice in anger. To never walk in sin. Perfect. God the Father said this of his son. He said, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased, tested, tried, tempted in all points, yet without sin. The Lord Jesus Christ was numbered with the transgressors. He bore the sin of many. He bore our sins in his body on a tree. And there at Calvary, he hung on the cross for his people. He died for the sins of his people. And Adam all died. By the disobedience of one, many were made sinners. But in Christ, We have life. We have eternal life. He paid the price in full. He redeemed our souls. He satisfied the law and justice of God.

He hath made Him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. He paid it all. We sing that, don't we? Do we think about the words of that song when we sing it? Jesus paid it all. All the debt I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow. God made him to be sin for us. Who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Eternal life is to know the Son. It's to know the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to know Him. I want to be found in Him. He's known by revelation. Turn to 1 John 1 verse 2.

First John 1, look back at verse 1. That which was from the beginning, that which was from the beginning, which we've heard, which we've seen with our eyes, which we've looked upon and our hands have handled of the word of life, for the life was manifested, and we've seen it, and bear witness and show unto you eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested, was made known, was revealed unto us.

Again, eternal life, it's not a profession of religion. It's not a reformation of my manners. It's not a knowledge of just some facts. Just recite these things, remember these things. It's an experience. It's a regeneration. It's life where there was no life before. It's spiritual life. It's divine life. It's the life of God in us. Christ in us.

Paul wrote to the Colossians, he said, even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but's now made manifest to the saints, to whom God would make known, to whom God would reveal, what? The riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you. The hope of glory. Whom we preach, warning every man, teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

And listen, it's not just knowing about him. There's a lot of historical figures that we could recite a lot of facts about, right? Things you were taught in history class. I could recite a whole lot of things about Abraham Lincoln, but that doesn't mean I know him, right? Eternal life is knowing Christ, it's loving Christ, it's receiving Christ, it's believing Christ as He's revealed. Revealed in the Word, revealed through the preaching of the Word.

Paul wrote to the Ephesians, he said, to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge. that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Unto him, unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ever ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory.

Unto who? Unto him. Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages. world without end, amen.

Fifth, eternal life, it involves the person and the work of Christ. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should never perish but have everlasting life. He that, what, believeth. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth not shall not see life. But the wrath of God abideth on him.

Our Savior said this. He said, I've come. I've come that you might have life. We read in another place that he came to save sinners. Peter wrote, Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh and quickened by the Spirit.

Six, eternal life is, listen, it's received by faith. We just read that. He that, what? Believeth. He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.

Seventh, election. Election. David wrote, blessed is the man whom thou choosest, whom thou choosest and causes to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts. And he said, we'll be satisfied when with goodness of thy house, even thy holy temple.

And then last, eternal life is the promise, the promise of God. You know, we make promises all the time. And sometimes we keep them and sometimes we don't. Turn with me to one more scripture. Turn to Titus chapter 1. Titus 1, look at verse 1.

a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began. The promise of eternal life.

Well, turn with me back to our text. John 17. These words. These words spake Jesus and he lifted up his eyes to heaven and he said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify thy son that thy son also may glorify thee as thou hast 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 in Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent."

Again, eternal life, it's the gift. It's the gift of God. What do we do with a gift? Somebody gives you a gift, what do you do? We receive it, don't we? I was reminded of that just a few days ago. Sometimes it's, is it hard for you all sometimes to accept a gift? To receive, I shouldn't say accept, to receive a gift? Sometimes our pride will stop us from receiving a gift, won't it? I'm not worthy. I'm not worthy of the gift. You know, if it's a true gift, there's really no worthiness on our part, is there? My hope's not my worthiness, it's his. It's His holiness.

Have you ever thought, well, I'm just too weak. My faith is just too weak. I'd say that's true again, isn't it? But my hope's not in my strength. Where is it? It's in Him. It's in His strength. This thing of eternal life, and I know many have struggled with this, the fear is, I'm going to fail. I'm going to dishonor the Lord. I'm going to bring reproach on Him. And again, that's most likely true of all of us. But it's not my life. It's his. We are dead. We're dead. And our life, it's hid. And it's hid where it can never be found. It's hid with Christ in God.

This is eternal life. These are the words of our Lord himself. This is eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I pray the Lord would comfort us through his word, that he would just cause us to quit looking at ourselves, looking at this world, And look to him. Look to him.

All right. Isaac, come, ladies and gentlemen.