What is Eternal Life?

SHORT DEFINITION:
Jesus clearly defined eternal life in John 17:3, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Knowledge, however, is not to be confused with our modern day concept of acquiring information. The greek word used here for "know" is "ginosko" which expresses an intimate knowledge like that of husband and wife. Thayer and Smith says it is a "Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman." This knowledge is a union with the Lord wherein His Spirit communes with our Spirit. We live because He lives.

LONG DEFINITION:
Many confuse the understanding of the statement "eternal life". We don't have an understanding of what "eternity" or "life" means from God's viewpoint. We think about these words from an earthly point of view. We think of eternity linearly, like a straight line that goes on forever from one point. We think of life as being alive and have consciousness. We don't often view life as reasonable and meaningful. Life, from an earthly viewpoint, is about living. We awake each day and try to survive.

It is true that eternity goes on forever and that life is being conscious or awake. However, eternity and life is far more than just this.

Eternity describes the truly complete and perfect nature of God. He is complete and whole within Himself. He doesn't need anything. He doesn't depend on anyone. You cannot add anything to God and neither can you subtract anything from God. He is eternal. And in fact, He is the only truly eternal being. It is not possible to have two or more eternities. If God truly goes on forever, there is no place where God stops and another being could start. God is omnipresent. He is every where.

Eternal life for human beings, then, is a life that is complete in God. We are not eternal. We are created beings. This means that if we are to be eternal, we must find eternity within God. If we are to be perfect and complete, God must supply that from His being, from Himself. Eternity for humanity means that we are perfect and complete in God who is the source of perfection. We are whole by being connected to God. And so, when we speak of eternal life, we are speaking of a life that is complete. We are talking about a life that is lacking in nother. It is a rich and abundant life for it is a life that knows no want. All our needs are met. We are perfectly content, complete and whole.

Life describes being and existence in God. God is alive. He has true being. His being is complete and perfect and eternally existent. As such, for us to have life, it must be imparted to us from God. God gives life. It comes forth from Him. Paul said in Acts 17:28, "For in him we live and move and have our being." To be alive means that we are filled with God. We are full of Him who is life.

When God created life, He had a purpose for life. He didn't just flip on the light switch for no reason. When we turn on the light, we do so for a good reason. We turn on the light so that we may see. God, likewise, had a reason for giving life. It was that He might be seen and known.

Eternal Life is the knowledge of God. The meaning of life is to know God so that we might reflect His image. Genesis 1:27 says that humanity was "created in the image of God." In other words, we were created to reflect the image of God, not to be the image of God, but to share in who God is. God is love. And so, this is seen by a loving relationship where God rules as a Father over His children, and His children display the qualities and characteristics of their Father. In other words, eternal life is loving God and loving one another. This happens only when we know God in truth.

When we truly know God, He comes to dwell within us. He is the source of our being and existence. We live, because He lives. And because God is love, we are also loving. We love because God first loves us. His loves lives within us and is poured from us into others.

Eternal life, therefore, is a meaningful life. It is a complete life that lacks nothing. It is true fulfillment, peace, and joy. As Christ said in John 10:10, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. "