Everlasting Life: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow
John 3:16 - 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.
Children in Sunday school classes all over the world can recite this Bible verse by heart. The general understanding of this scripture is that through Christ’s death, we can receive everlasting life.
Everlasting life. Now this isn’t just about life after death. Everlasting means eternal. And eternal means the past, the present, and the future. Christ’s pure sacrifice of love as a payment for our offenses was about making every part of our life happy, not later in some future moment after we are dead. Everlasting is about today!
Now to explain life. How many people on this earth can say they are truly happy? The harsh reality is that many people in this world walk around miserable, trapped in their emotions of fear, sadness, guilt, or anger. After listening to a person who has shared their sufferings with me, many times all I can say is, “That is no life. You’re walking around dead inside.” God meant for us to have abundant life, not perish in a slow death. A life filled with peace and happiness. A life of wisdom and understanding. Remember that the greatest joy in life is to love and be loved. Life is about your joy!
So how do we obtain this everlasting life of joy… a life clean from the miseries of the past, filled with peace in the present, and radiating with hope for greater things to come? The answer to this question is found in the next verse, John 3:17 - For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
God did not send Christ to condemn us. We know this because Christ’s life was not about condemnation. Again, Christ was about love, acceptance, compassion, and forgiveness. So why are Christians and non-Christians alike condemning each other, shaming those who are different from them when we are all different from each other? Judging those who have made mistakes when we all have made mistakes? It is this shaming and blaming that makes life on earth a living hell. We have created a world where getting offended and offending others is encouraged. A world where people walk around anxious about what other people think about them. Moreover, because we are not connected to each other, people become more desperate when they have to deal with real troubles … troubles with illness, employment, or overbearing debt collectors.
You know what? Life is life. And regardless of what you look like or where you came from, life is fair. Why? Because everybody suffers.
Be at peace with your fellow man. Live in harmony with the earth and nature. Look for order in the chaos and stay calm in the storm. Live like Christ and you will have a life like Christ’s. I know this to be true because I live this life, a life of strength and joy and love for others, even in the midst of natural suffering. This is Heaven within … the first step to creating Heaven on Earth. Isn’t this what we are all looking for?
