Eternal Life: The Gift of Knowing God

Eternal life isn't simply about how long we live. It's also about Who we have the privilege of knowing.

There are so many passages in Scripture that tell us about the extraordinary access we have to God and everything that has become available to us through Jesus Christ. Most Christians would probably agree that eternal life is one of the greatest gifts we receive through Jesus. But I wonder whether we sometimes think of eternal life primarily in terms of what happens after we die, rather than appreciating what it means for our relationship with God today.

Of course, eternal life includes the wonderful hope of resurrection and the life to come. We must never lose sight of that promise. But Jesus described eternal life in a way that reveals something particularly beautiful about God's heart. In John 17:3, Jesus identifies eternal life with knowing the Father, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom He sent.

Think about that for a moment. Eternal life isn't simply about how long we live. It's also about who we have the privilege of knowing. And we don't have to wait until the new heavens and new earth to enjoy that relationship. Through Jesus Christ, we can begin enjoying it now.

More than knowing about God

When I first became a Christian, one of the most wonderful discoveries I made was that God wasn't simply someone I needed to believe in, learn about or serve. He was someone I could actually know. Of course, learning about God is enormously important. The more we understand His character, His Word and His ways, the richer our relationship with Him can become. But there is a difference between gathering information about someone and enjoying a relationship with them.

Consider someone famous, for example. You might read their autobiography, follow them on social media, watch their interviews and discover all sorts of interesting details about their life. You might know where they grew up, what they enjoy doing and even something about their personality.

Yet, if they walked past you in the street, they probably wouldn't recognise you. You might feel that you know them, but you don't actually share a relationship. I sometimes think about this in relation to my marriage. Imagine if I spent all my time reading about my wife, asking other people what she was like and studying everything she had ever written, but rarely spent any meaningful time with her. Something rather important would be missing!

Naturally, the comparison has its limitations. Unlike another person's autobiography, Scripture is God's inspired Word, and reading it is itself one of the ways we can genuinely come to know Him. Nevertheless, relationships involve more than accumulating information. They involve trust, communication, love and shared life. And this is what makes the invitation to know God so extraordinary.

Knowing Him through His Word and Spirit

Over the centuries, countless books have been written about God by Christians who have studied Scripture, experienced His faithfulness and sought to understand His character. We can learn a tremendous amount from those who have gone before us. Their writings, testimonies and theological insights can be enormously helpful, particularly when they encourage us to engage with Scripture more deeply.

But none of us needs to depend entirely upon someone else's relationship with God.

We have been invited into that relationship ourselves. And one of the greatest privileges we have is that God has given us His Word. When we open our Bibles, we are not merely reading information about God or studying the experiences of people who knew Him thousands of years ago. We are encountering God's inspired revelation, through which He continues to teach us about Himself, His character and His purposes.

I still believe that the Holy Spirit guides us personally. He may bring Scripture to mind, illuminate particular passages, prompt us to pray or help us recognise how biblical teaching applies to our circumstances. But we don't need to continually search for some additional revelation before we can confidently say that God has spoken to us. He has already given us His Word.

And any personal impressions we believe we receive should be carefully considered and weighed against Scripture. Our relationship with God should never become an anxious search for the next spiritual experience or instruction. Instead, we have the wonderful privilege of growing in our understanding of God, becoming increasingly familiar with His character and learning to recognise what reflects His heart.

The Shepherd who knows His sheep

Jesus used a beautiful picture to describe His relationship with those who follow Him.

In John 10:27, He speaks of His sheep listening to His voice, being known by Him and following Him.

I love this picture because it reminds us that our relationship with Jesus isn't one-sided.

We are invited to know Him, but wonderfully, He already knows us. Within the wider passage, Jesus is describing Himself as the Good Shepherd. His sheep recognise and respond to Him, and He promises them eternal life and security in His care.

The emphasis isn't primarily upon receiving a continual stream of individual spiritual messages. It is about recognising Jesus, trusting Him and following Him as our Shepherd. Indeed, the promise that follows is wonderfully reassuring: His sheep belong to Him, and no one can snatch them from His hand.

What a wonderful foundation for our relationship with God. We don't have to earn our way into His attention or demonstrate a particular level of spiritual maturity before He will care for us. We belong to Him. And the more we grow in our relationship with Him, the more we learn to recognise His character, understand His teaching and follow His ways.

The privilege of knowing Christ

The apostle Paul expressed something of this desire in Philippians 3. Despite his considerable religious credentials, achievements and knowledge, Paul came to recognise that nothing compared with knowing Jesus Christ.

The Amplified Bible, Classic Edition describes this as the priceless privilege of knowing Christ. I particularly appreciate that expression, because it captures something of the extraordinary value Paul placed upon his relationship with Jesus.

Yet, Paul's words become even more meaningful when we read the surrounding passage.

He wasn't simply describing a desire for greater spiritual experiences. He was explaining how everything he previously relied upon had become secondary to knowing Christ, being found in Him and receiving the righteousness that comes through faith rather than his own achievements. What an important reminder.

Our relationship with God is not something we achieve through sufficient religious activity, theological knowledge or spiritual experiences. It is made possible through Jesus Christ.

And while we should certainly desire to grow in that relationship, we don't need to live under the pressure of constantly proving how close we are to God.

We can approach Him with confidence because of what Jesus has already accomplished.

The writer of Hebrews describes the extraordinary privilege believers have of drawing near to God through Jesus (Hebrews 10:19–22). Through Christ, access to God has been opened to us. We are invited to enjoy fellowship with our heavenly Father, knowing that we are welcomed because of Jesus, not because we have successfully achieved a particular level of spiritual intimacy.

An invitation worth accepting

II sometimes wonder whether we underestimate what Jesus has made possible for us. There are so many worthwhile things we can pursue in life, including our families, careers, ministries and personal ambitions. But none of these should replace the relationship from which our Christian life is intended to flow.

Knowing Jesus isn't simply the beginning of our Christian journey. It is central to the whole of it. And there is always more for us to discover. We can grow in our understanding of Scripture, become increasingly familiar with God's character, enjoy His presence and learn to recognise the promptings of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Sometimes that relationship will involve extraordinary moments of joy and a powerful awareness of God's presence. I also believe that God's peace and joy should be part of our normal expectation as Christians, rather than something we regard as rare or reserved for a privileged few. After all, Scripture speaks of God's peace guarding our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:7), and of being filled with joy and peace as we trust in Him (Romans 15:13).

Yet I also recognise that life isn't always experienced quite like that. There have been seasons when I've struggled to sense His presence, peace or comfort as I might have hoped. At times, I've simply had to press on in faith, trusting in His character and promises even when my feelings seemed to tell a different story. But I don't believe we should settle for an expectation of spiritual distance or a Christian life largely devoid of God's peace and joy. These are wonderful gifts that Scripture encourages us to experience, and I want to continue growing in my enjoyment of them.

At the same time, we need to extend grace to ourselves and others during difficult seasons. Even Jesus experienced deep distress in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:37–39). Paul described being perplexed, but not in despair (2 Corinthians 4:8), while Elijah became so overwhelmed and exhausted that he wanted to die (1 Kings 19:4).

Their experiences remind us that genuine faith and a relationship with God do not make us immune to sorrow, distress or seasons of struggle. Yet neither should these experiences define our expectations of the Christian life. God's peace, comfort and joy remain wonderful realities to seek, receive and grow in, even when our immediate experience seems far removed from them.

In the end, neither our spiritual experiences nor our feelings determine whether God loves us or whether we belong to Him. Our confidence rests in Jesus Christ. But that confidence also gives us every reason to continue seeking Him, trusting His promises and enjoying all that He has made available to us.

And perhaps that's one of the most wonderful things about eternal life. It isn't simply the promise that one day we will live for ever in God's presence. It's the extraordinary gift of knowing Him now, even as we look forward to experiencing the fullness of that life in His presence, free from suffering and sorrow.

Of all the things we might pursue in life, may we never lose sight of the One who loved us enough to make this relationship possible.

© 2021 Darren Roy