SECURE IN LIFE ETERNAL

JOHN 10:28 | I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand.

Life — what is it? Many people have different definitions of life, especially in this day and age. In scientific terms, life begins at the point of conception and ends with our last earthly breath. For some people, it would be something much less — but as Christians, we believe it’s so much more. We believe that life is eternal, and that our souls live on forever in eternity with Christ for those who have accepted Him as their Savior and Lord.

For a long time in the Old Testament, the coming of the Messiah seemed so far away because the people had hardened their hearts. They believed in the stories of God. They believed that Moses was their leader, that Abraham was their father, and that God was Almighty. Yet time and time again, they chose not to serve Him. When you think about all the prophets who came to help Israel find the truth and lead them back to God, it almost seemed pointless. The Israelites refused to listen and take heed of the warnings.

They believed, they served, and then they got tired of waiting. Inevitably, they got tired of serving and started serving themselves. Then came conviction, frustration, and anger toward God. The cycle repeated — turning away, suffering consequences, growing desperate, and finally returning to God. And then the waiting began again.

What are you waiting for in this life?

This life truly is wonderful. But what makes it wonderful? What makes it worth living? Is it a fancy house, a nice car, a great family, or lots of friends? Or is it something more?

Having the joy and the privilege of serving the one true, living God is what makes this life wonderful. Yet so many people are missing it. Why? What are our responsibilities as the church and as followers of God’s Word?

John 1:14–15 says, “The Word became flesh and made His home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness, and we have seen His glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.”

But too often, we turn away. We’re like sheep who have gone our own way. We get lost along the path because we’re not paying attention to our heavenly Father — the One who loves us dearly, the One who sent His Son to die for us.

And in this wonderful, yet sometimes not-so-wonderful life, we sometimes ask, what’s the point? Many people are on the outside looking in — just wanting truth, just wanting the grace that comes from knowing there is a Savior. Are we pointing people to Jesus, or are we turning them away?

John the Baptist was always pointing people to Jesus. His entire life was about preparing the way for the Savior. Even in the womb, he leapt for joy because Jesus was there. He knew his Savior! He wanted all people to know Him too.

When people wanted to follow John, he made it clear: “I’m not the one.” He shouted to the crowds when he saw Jesus and said, “This is the one I was talking about when I said someone is coming after me who is far greater than I am, for He existed long before me.”

And in John 10:27–28, Jesus said, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me.”

I love that. Because I’m a sheep, and you’re a sheep — we are the sheep of His pasture. Isn’t it an incredible joy to know that our heavenly Father has given us to Jesus, and that He is more powerful than anyone else? Our Father in heaven is the most powerful being, and He longs for us to surrender to Him — so He can work in our lives and show us what a truly wonderful life looks like.

The way we experience this wonderful life is by having the Holy Spirit dwell in us. We don’t have to wait until we die to see Jesus. Giving our lives to Christ means giving them now — walking with Him, talking with Him daily, and listening to His voice.

As His sheep, we have the privilege of following Him, of knowing that we are safe in His hands, and of sharing that hope with others. His perfect gift of eternal life is something we can share this season — and always.

That is what this wonderful life is all about.

Amen.