All That Matters (Part 6): The Gift of Eternal Life!

Photo by Jenny Venturo

Jesus, God in the flesh, died in the place of guilty sinners. He was buried but rose again. Turn from your sin and trust Jesus alone for the gift of eternal life.

Last week, we looked at repentance ("turn from your sin") and faith ("trust Jesus alone"). Today we learn about Christ's amazing gift--the gift of eternal life!

For the Gift: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast” (Eph. 2:8-9). “ . . . the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).

Eternal life—a free gift offered by the amazing grace of God. Once again, there is nothing we can do to earn it. We can only accept it, with awe and gratitude. For the Gift.

Of Eternal Life: “And if the Spirit of Him Who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He Who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit Who lives in you” (Rom. 8:11). “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:1-4). “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and His servants will serve Him. They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads. . . . And they will reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 22:3-4;5b). “‘Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city’” (Rev. 22:14).

Our real home, our inheritance, is not here on earth. It is in the new heaven and the new earth, for all eternity. Our Savior has defeated death, and now we may live forever with Him.

 What a gift! What a message! How can it ever grow old! I hope you have spent some time to really ponder and meditate on the incredible message of the cross. When you really start thinking about the Gospel and about eternity, the things of this life—the hopes, dreams, disappointments, failures, quarrels—suddenly don’t seem so important anymore. So take your eyes off them and look to the cross. Keep your eyes on the cross, on Jesus. Never look away, never get distracted, because it’s all that matters.

Read the entire series here.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers, Used by permission.  All rights reserved.