October 2023

Eternal LIfe
"Very truly, I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." John 5:24 NIV

If you want to know the answer to your question: how can I obtain eternal life? Look no further. Your answer can be found in the gospel book of John. But why do I see other than eternal life as the answer to people's prayers whenever I turn to observe whom I believe to be fellow believers? What entails from this scripture that John had written it so well, so entirely, that a person has to act upon it to get this? I don't see that from modern Christians. There isn't any gap between the lifestyles, qualities and traits of a Christian and those of nonbelievers. They all look the same from the inside and out. 

Let us look further into this "acting on faith." The book of James argued that faith without works "is dead and useless." (James 2:17b, NLT) Many claimed they were Christians, but their actions proved them otherwise. "What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?" (James 2:14, NLT)

We who believe know that the Holy Bible is infallible. There is all truth in God because He cannot be anything else. If He is anything else, He cannot create the world out of nothing, as in the scriptures (see Genesis, chapter 1). We can see eternal life in Him and coming from Himself. Apostle John had written in summation based on God as the Creator, the Provider, and the Sustainer of life. There can be no life without God. Hence, eternal life can only be from God through His power, authority, and holiness. But His people don't tell the story He wanted them to express as His witnesses. Even now, I see many Judases standing at corners, ready to strike the next victim. Judas, in the days of Jesus, was willing to point an accusing finger at Jesus so he could collect his thirty pieces of silver. We read from the four gospels that he once had questioned Mary's use of an expensive perfume. "'Why wasn't this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year's wages.' He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." (John 12:5 - 6 NIV) They knew who Judas was, and now the whole world knows, too. 

The Apostle John witnessed Jesus telling the Jewish leaders as they persecuted Him that He had the right to work on the Sabbath because "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working." (John 5:17). From the above scripture, we know that Jesus defended Himself from their accusations, leaving us to believe that Jesus is God with the authority on the Torah, not just the Holy Bible. Let us look at our parents. We know that they worked hard daily to care for us in our younger days until our adulthood. They don't stop watching us even at their retirement age. We know God goes beyond watching over us, even in our later years. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God." (John 3:16 - 21 NIV) This passage is just the beginning. We know God has a plan. Do you want to be in that plan, or are you just on the verge of committing another crime? The choice is yours. I want to ask you one thing: Don't blame the messenger for your wrong choice! 

Despite their persistent accusations, the Jewish leaders could not disprove Jesus' act of kindness and mercy to the man He healed on the Sabbath. They could not cure this invalid who, for thirty-eight years, was lying on the ground waiting for someone to help him get into the stirring pool in Bethesda. They could only tell this man what their law was. These leaders' knowledge was limited. They could not see the whole picture God had given them. They only saw and understood the Torah for the Jews to follow, as in a classroom setting, not the street sense of life's survival. Even in the eyes of Jesus, they did not follow God's word. They only taught the commandments that they had been taught. No amount of teaching can immerse them into credibility unless they have experienced it for themselves. And unless they act upon God's commandments and surrender fully to God, they will forever lead without that personal touch from our Lord. It is this acting on faith that these Jewish leaders lacked. The scripture says people who are blind cannot show blind people because both will fall into the ditch. They were hypocrites and made up what they could not understand from the Torah. They were no better than those who were legalistic in their faith; Thus, they became legalistic in the same manners of faith. They followed what their teachers and leaders said. They were so dependent on the writings and teachings of the hypocritical Jewish leaders that they became one instead. They did not seek our Father God's leadership and approval to condemn Jesus' followers. They felt obligated to charge and stone them because of their hardened hearts. 

Jesus gave them all reasonings to prove He is the real deal the prophets of old foretold about Him. They had to believe. The one thing that will bring a spark of light, a silver lining into their darkness, is their belief. It will be like a boat rudder steering them in the right direction. So, what is this faith that will help one to believe who "will not be judged?" We know you cannot buy it and hope to win it like a lottery or change into it like clothing. Faith is a gift that God gave to everyone. The problem is that they abused the Lord's name to suit their comfort level. I had mentioned this before; these modern Christians believed baptism had saved them. All they did was read the Holy Bible and pray whenever needed. They acted like the name of Jesus is their genie in a bottle. But what about studying God's word? What about seeking God and His will? Before you read further into God's extraordinary wisdom, let us look into the story of this rich young ruler in John 18:18 - 30, NIV. 

"A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. You know the commandments: 'You shall not commit adultery; you shall not murder; you shall not steal; you shall not give false testimony; honour your father and mother.'"
"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said.
When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him and said, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God."
Those who heard this asked, "Who then can be saved?"
Jesus replied, "What is impossible with man is possible with God."
Peter said to him, "We have left all we had to follow you!"
"Truly I tell you," Jesus said to them, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life."
John 18:18 - 30 NIV

I remember hearing the Ligonier Ministries' podcasts with Dr. R.C. Sproul one day, and he talked about the subject of "carnal Christian." He mentioned this because someone from his classroom told him. Whatever Dr. Sproul's question was, the student answered that he would not because he was a carnal Christian. It was Dr. Sproul's first time hearing this, and he mentioned it on his podcast. I don't remember why this student had come up with this as his answer, but Dr. Sproul said there is no such thing as a "carnal Christian." I agree with Dr. Sproul. 
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