Inheriting eternal life is something every believer desires. It is a cause to be thankful and give praise to God! When I was twenty-two years old, I had a coworker of the same age who died in a traffic accident. Did he know Jesus as his Savior? I don’t know.
As we journey through life, sometimes we think we have time to consider eternity tomorrow. We don’t see a need to contemplate our relationship with Jesus. Yet, the Bible tells us that life is uncertain, and we don’t know when our last day on earth will be. The Holy Spirit will bring a desire to learn more about eternity because God wants to give salvation to all people.
What Must I Do to Inherit Eternal Life?
As Jesus was going to Jerusalem, a man came running up to Him with a pressing question about eternal life. Mark 10:17Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? [1] The Holy Spirit had been working on his heart to seek out Jesus with such a question. Some may think I must do enough good to make up for the bad things I have done to inherit eternal life. No amount of good deeds will ever enable a person to inherit eternal life.
The only way to inherit eternal life is to place our faith in Jesus as our Savior. Jesus tells this to Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader. John 3:16For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.[2] One must simply believe in Jesus as Savior to receive eternal life.
Eternal Life Begins Now and Extends into Eternity
Eternal life begins when people place their faith in Jesus and extends into eternity. Scripture tells us that eternal life begins not in eternity but when you believe. John 5:24 I (Jesus) tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. [3] As we become believers in Jesus, the Lord transforms us like a master potter.
Life Gives us an Opportunity to Come to Jesus in Faith
If we fail to come to Jesus in faith and are successful in every other aspect of life, we have failed. There is no escape for the person who turns away from God and enters eternity without Jesus as their Savior. Unlike animals, the Lord has created us as living souls in His image. When our bodies die, our souls live with the Lord in heaven or separated from Him in hell. Paul tells us about the wonders of heaven.1 Corinthians. 2:9No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. [4] The Lord has a wonderful life for us in this lifetime and the next as we come to Him in faith.
To hear about inheriting eternal life, listen here:
https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/mark-when-riches-rob-you-of-jesus
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Tyndale House Publishers.