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Itchy Ears
Sin is I-centered. It is all about me and my desires. Ad people capitalize on this idea with slogans like, “You deserve a break today”, “We do it all for you”, and “Get the ___ you deserve.” Some megachurches have also embraced this philosophy. The sermon is centered around the audience and not around God. Songs exalt the person and not the Savior. Some churches even refer to themselves as “seeker-sensitive” rather than “Gospel-focused” or “Bible-preaching”. However, even the gospel is twisted in these churches. In these churches, the gospel is “me-focused” and not “God-focused.”
As Paul told Timothy in his second epistle, the time would come when people will stop listening to and receiving sound, biblical doctrine, but having ears that want to be tickled, they will seek after people who will tell them what they want to hear (2 Timothy 4:3). This is why the social and the prosperity gospels are so popular. There is no holiness of God in it. There is no sin or sinfulness of man in it. There is no call for repentance or accountability in it. There is also no power in it. You get as much out of these types of sermons as you would going to an Amway convention.
The Gospel should be all about God. We did nothing. We contributed nothing. We did not save ourselves. We did not lift ourselves up spiritually by our own bootstraps. God did it ALL. He came up with the Plan of Salvation before man was even created. He sent His Son to be the Sacrifice. He initiated reconciliation. He calls us into a relationship with Him. He gives us the faith to believe. He has promised to heal us, seal us, and redeem us. What, in this scenario, did we contribute? The only thing we did was believed, which is all God commanded us to do.
In these me-gospel churches, it is about us. God loved us, God needed us, so He sent His Son to die for us. ‘We are the apple of His eye.’ ‘God has a reckless kind of love for us.’ ‘God broke the law to save us.’ All these are lies, heresy, even blasphemy. Yes, God loves us. Yes, Israel is called the apple of God’s eye. God does not need us to be complete. He was complete before He created us.
So, why did He create us? He created us so He could display to us and the angels His great grace, mercy, love, and compassion. He knew we were going to mess up before He created us. Yet, He created us anyway. He knew we would need a savior before the world was. This is why 1 Peter 1:20 says, “[Jesus] indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 say this: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. “ And that not of yourselves…this tells us that there was nothing in us that would cause God to desire us. We were rebellious. We were His enemies. We were full of sin—a stench in His nostrils. Yet, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).
The Gospel is for us but it is not about us. It is about God. To Him be the glory.
The Crucifixion and the Resurrection
- The Crucifixion and the Resurrection The Crucifixion and the resurrection are central to the Christian faith. Without the crucifixion and the resurrection, Christianity would not exist. Christianity would have been another fly-by-night religion, and Jesus would have been another long-forgotten zealot. Why are the crucifixion and the resurrection central to the Christian faith? It is because, through them, everything stands.
- Why is the Crucifixion important?
- Only in the Christian faith has God condescended to become like His creation, suffered with His creation, and died for His creation. In every other religion, man attempt to reach up and please their god. Only in Christianity does God reach down to man. Not only did He reach down to man, but He also died for man.
- The crucifixion was the worst form of torture invented by man. It was so bad that the Romans did not even practice it on their own citizens (except in extreme situations). When Romans crucified a criminal, they would bind them to a crossbeam which they would carry to the crucifixion site. Once at the site, the beam would be removed from their shoulders then nailed to the center beam by a long spike.
- Next, the criminal would be laid on the cross. He may have his hands bound to the crossbeam and his feet bound to the center beam. He would then have long spikes driven through the wrists of his arms/hands into the crossbeam. They would then place one foot on top of another and drive a longer spike through the top of the top foot, through the bottom of the top foot, through the top of the bottom foot, through the bottom of the bottom foot, and into the center beam.
- The soldiers would then take a rope and tie it around the crossbeams. They would use the rope to raise the cross from the ground (like with some lifting as well) until the cross was upright and fell into the hole that was dug fo it. When the cross hit the bottom of the hole, the body on the cross would convulse with pain as the limbs jarred against the spikes in them.
- There, the person would hang on the cross, suspended between heaven and earth. The only way they could breathe would be to push up on the nails in their wrists, while simultaneously pushing down on the spikes in their feet. When they could no longer take the pain, they would slowly lower themselves down. Sometimes, they would last for days. This crucifixion was a special situation. The Sabbath was approaching and the dead could not hang on the cross on the Sabbath. So, the soldiers went around breaking the legs of the men upon the cross to prevent them from pushing up; therefore suffocating to death.
- When they came to Jesus, they saw that He was already dead so they did not break His legs (fulfilling scripture). Yes, they took a spear and pierced His side for good measure. This is what Jesus endured…and much more.
- What did Jesus endure?
- After Jesus was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, He was taken to the house of Caiaphas, the high priest. There He was interrogated and assaulted (Matthew 26:57, Luke 22:63-65). He was taken to Pilate where the Jews demanded He be crucified. Seeking to rid his hands of Jesus, Pilate handed Him off to Herod. Herod soon grew tired of Jesus and sent Him back to Pilate. Seeking still to free Jesus, Pilate ordered Jesus to be scourged (John 19:1). Essentially, Jesus was stripped and beat with a whip, called a cat of nine tails. It is believed it was laced with bone and rock which would rip the flesh off Jesus with every strike. Some theologians believe that His internal organs may have been visible by the time they were finished.
- There, the soldiers placed a scarlet robe on Him and a twisted crown of thorns was placed on His head. He was then mocked and smacked. They added harm to injury by pulling the robe off Him likely removing more skin and aggravating His wounds where the blood started to clot (Matthew 27:27-31). After this, the crossbeam was placed on his back and He was forced to carry it uphill to Calvary.
- This does not include any spiritual assault Jesus may have been going through. Is there any wonder He sweated drops of blood the night before?
- Has it occurred to you that Jesus was nailed to the cross made of iron that He placed in the mountains to be mined? Or have you thought about the fact that He planted the trees that would provide the wood that would compose His cross?
- Why is the Resurrection important?
- If Jesus had died, He would have just been another dead martyr. But He did not stay dead. He rose again. Or more correctly, God the
Father raised Him from the dead. This is important because it should three things:
- It showed that Jesus was Who He said He was. If He was not, God would have left Him in the grave because He would have been a liar or a lunatic. Neither of those has been raised from the dead by God. No. Jesus claimed to be the Son of God. He claimed to be the Messiah. He claimed He was the One who would take away the sin of the world. God raised Him from the dead to show that He was telling the truth.
- Second, it showed that God accepted His sacrifice. Jesus lived a sinless life for two reasons: 1) to be the perfect sacrifice, He had to be without blemish, and 2) the perfect life He lived would be imputed (credited) to us when we put our trust in Him.
- Paul said it like this in 1 Corinthians 15: 12- Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty. 15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise. 16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.
- Third, it showed what will happen to us should Jesus tarry. Just as Jesus has risen from the grace, so will we if death calls before the Lord returns.
- Again, Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4: 13
- But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.
This is why the crucifixion and the resurrection are central tenets (truths) of the faith. Without them, Christianity falls apart and it becomes like every other works-based religion.
“He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
I’ve always wondered what that phrase meant. I understood it in part but God gave me an opportunity to learn more fully what it means. As an outlet for writing, I’ve started publishing on Hubpages.com. From time to time I’ve visited the forums, a place where other ‘hubbers’ could discuss topics. One such topic was “Christianity Questions”. This, of course, drew my attention. Most of the posts there were from people who were decidedly unbelievers. The same is true of another post, “Did You Really Think Human Beings Evolve from Primates?” In fact, most of these people were downright nasty. One person called the Bible a book of fantasy. That was the least harsh of the comments.
One of the posters I engaged said that he was willing to discuss my point of view logically if I would reason with him with facts. I attempted to do so. He response was most illogical. It did not question my logic or my response. Instead, he proceeded to insult me and my faith. My response to him was that he seemed to have more insults than sense and that he needed to research before he argues. Again, in an attempt to appeal to his rational side, I tried to address some of his comments. Knowing he would come back with more insults, I decided that I would cease responding to him.
As I was lying in bed, I tried to think of how I would end my correspondence with him. The only thought that came to me was “I don’t know why you don’t believe in the Bible because you are in there.” Then I would quote Romans 1:22, “Professing to be wise, they became fools….” Then the Lord spoke to me. He said you cannot teach someone who will not listen. Then came the verse, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Jesus often used this phrase after He taught something difficult to grasp. The first time was when He told them that John the Baptist was the Elijah that was prophesied (Matthew 11:15). The next time was after the Parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:9). The third time was after He taught about Hell and Heaven (Matthew 13:43). The final time it is used in the Gospels is when Jesus taught about being salt and the value of worthless salt (Luke 14:35). A similar phrase appears in Revelation where John writes, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
What does this phrase mean? As one who preaches that Jesus always spoke spiritually, I don’t see how I missed the fact that it was not physical ears that Jesus was referring to, but spiritual ears. He who has spiritual ears (understanding), understand. It means let him (or her) who has a teachable spirit receive what is being taught. Let him who is willing to accept it, receive the Word. There are some people who, because they have a closed mind, will not believe some things regardless of the evidence that is produced. Jesus taught us this. This is why He did not spend time arguing with the Pharisees. He knew that no matter what He said or what proof they saw, they would not be convinced. They didn’t believe what they already had and what they already knew.
The same was true of the rich man’s brothers. If they would not believe God, why would they believe someone who supposedly rose from the dead? Jesus said to some it was given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven and to others it was not (Matthew 13:11, Luke 8:10).
What does it mean to have ears to hear? Jesus again gives us the answer in Matthew 13:14b-15
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should heal them.’
Having ears to hear means that one will understand with their heart, turn and follow God in response.
So what did I learn from this encounter? Proverbs 26:4 says “Do not answer the foolish arguments of fools or you will become as foolish as they are (NLT).” In other words, we should attempt to rebuke and correct, but when you see your answers falling on deaf ears, cease and move on. They do not have ears to hear so you are just wasting your breath and/or time.
Legalism Today
Your righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees or you will not enter God’s kingdom. What does that mean to us today? There are no Pharisees today.
The Pharisees did not live by faith in God but faith in themselves. They made rules that they had to keep that would ensure them of eternal life. This is legalism. Legalism is what the Pharisee practiced and it made them an enemy of God. They were relying on their own righteousness and their ability to keep their laws, making the Law of God of no effect.
Today, some also rely on their own ability to keep laws they’ve made for themselves or someone else has passed down to them. You can know you are a legalistic person if your answer to God’s question of why He should let you into His Kingdom starts with “I”. “I did this” or “I did that.” Jesus spoke of this in Matthew 7 as some destined for hell tried to justify themselves to Him.
What does God require of us? God calls us to believe Jesus was God’s Son who died for our sins and rose from the dead. As a result, you will repent of your sins (and sinfulness) and confess Jesus Christ as Lord.-Romans 10.
There’s no command to say a prayer, be baptized, speak in tongues, or to go to church to be saved. Only to believe.
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.”
John 3:14-16, 18 ESV
https://www.bible.com/59/jhn.3.14-16,18.esv
Will you believe today and be saved?
In Uncertain Times, We Serve a Certain God
We are living not only in interesting times but uncertain times. Businesses are closing and laying people off until the Coronavirus pandemic is over. Then, there is a question of if they can reopen after it is over. Hospitals are becoming overwhelmed. People are called to shelter in place and enact ‘social distancing’. Workplaces are activating business continuity plans by having employees work from home. All of this is being done in the name of safety and in an attempt to protract the virus’s effect. Many are saying that they’ve never seen anything like this before. They are calling these times, unprecedented.
Though these times may be new to us, they are not unprecedented.
They have happened before. Our ancestors saw them with smallpox and the Black
Plague. While these times are new to us and may have caught us off guard, they
did not take God by surprise. (For more on this, check out my blog, “God and the Coronavirus”.) What is His message to us? We are not to be afraid for He is
with us. This message will only appeal to those who are with Him because those
are the only ones to whom it is true.
The Bible records many times in Israel’s history that the Lord had
to encourage His people in times of trouble. There were times when He told them
to ‘fear not for I am with you’. Other times, He merely demonstrated His power
to show His presence. One such time was the parting of the Red Sea, as
recounted in Exodus 14.
As the Hebrews marched from Egypt to the Red Sea, they later
learned that they were being pursued by Pharaoh and the Egyptian army. Fearful,
they approached Moses and asked why he brought them out there to die. “Were
there not graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the
wilderness?” Moses tried to comfort the people by telling them that the
Egyptians they feared today would never be seen again. Then the Lord told Moses
to command the people to go forward and to stretch out his staff and divide the
Sea. The Sea parted. The people crossed. The Egyptians drowned. That day, God
gained glory. The Hebrews feared the Lord.
Isaiah 7 recounts an attempted overthrow of Jerusalem. The Lord
had to comfort His people during the attack on the city, which was led by the
northern kingdom, Israel, and their neighbor, Damascus. The city was
surrounded. Supplies were cut off. King Ahaz was assured defeat was inevitable.
(Put yourself in their shoes. Can you imagine how you would have felt having
your city/town surrounded by an army that meant you harm, and no one was
willing to help you? Can you imagine the fear, the uncertainty? Even the king
felt defeated.) Isaiah went to King Ahaz and told him to be strong because the
Lord was with him and that he could ask for a sign. Adopting false humility,
Ahaz refused to ask for a sign. So, Isaiah gave him a sign anyway:
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and
shall call His name Immanuel.[i] 15 Curds and
honey He shall eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good. 16 For before the Child shall know to refuse the
evil and choose the good, the land that you dread will be forsaken by both
her kings. 17 The Lord will bring the king of Assyria upon you and
your people and your father’s house—days that have not come since the day
that Ephraim departed from Judah.”
The child was to be named Immanuel. The child’s name and presence
were physical proof that God was with them. He was fighting for them. What a
comfort this should have been to Ahaz.
Today’s believers have that same comfort. We have the Holy Spirit
living within us. He is God with us. Paul reminds us that “God has not given us
a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind (1 Timothy 1:7).” Again
in Philippians 4:6-7, Paul instructs us not to worry or stress out over
anything, “but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving,
make [our] request known to God; and the peace of God will guard [our] hearts
and minds through Christ Jesus.” (I’ll write more about God’s peace next week.)
History has shown time and time again that God has been there for His
people. He has protected Israel
though many have tried to eradicate her. The church still exists though many
have tried to bring about her demise. Nations have come and gone. Viruses and
plagues have come and gone. Disasters have come and gone. The one thing that
has remained constant: God, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He is Jehovah, the Great I AM. He is the Ancient of Days. He is
sovereign. He is in control. He is the Lover and Pursuer of our souls. He is a
God of grace and mercy. He is the same; yesterday, today, and forever. He does
not change. He will be with us. He is a Sure God in these unsure times. He is a
God of consistency in times that are ever changing.
Turn to Him. He is a sure bet. He is a firm
Foundation in unstable times.
God and the Coronavirus
Here is a controversial question for you: Did God send the Coronavirus? The short answer is yes. I will give you two reasons why.
First, God is sovereign. He is in control of every molecule in this universe. If it was not His will that the virus come, it would not have come. So, whether He sent it or allowed it (to me, it’s semantics), He is the reason it is here. (See my blog: God Is Ultimately Responsible for All Suffering.)
Second, God did send plagues in the Old Testament. Exodus 8-12 records nine plagues the Lord sent through the land of Egypt when Pharaoh would not let the Israelites go. Exodus 32 records God sending a plague among the Israelites after they worshiped the Golden Calf. In Numbers 16, the Lord sent a plague among the people in response to their rebellion against Moses and Aaron. It only stopped after Aaron put incense from the altar into a censer and went and stood in the midst of the congregation. Even then, over 14,000 people had died.
One particular plague I want to draw your attention to is Numbers 21. It is arguable if this could be called a plague, but the effects are the same. Because the people spoke against God and against Moses, God sent fiery serpents among them to bite them. Every, or nearly every, person who was bit, died. When the people repented, the Lord told Moses how to stop the plague. He was to create a bronze serpent and place it on a pole. Whenever a person was bitten, if they looked at the bronze serpent, they would be healed and live.
Jesus referred to this incident in John 3. “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Why did He refer to this incident in speaking of Himself?
Just as there were likely some in the Wilderness who were bitten and who did not look to the bronze serpent to be healed, there are many now who are under sins judgment and who will not look to Jesus Christ to be saved. Looking at the Bronze Serpent was the only remedy God provided as a cure for the bite of the fiery serpents. By looking at the Bronze Serpent, they would live and not die. There was no salve, no magic incantation that would help them. Only looking at the Bronze Serpent would save them.
Similarly, looking to Jesus Christ is the only Remedy God provided as a cure for the sting of sin. By looking to Jesus Christ, we would live eternally and not perish. There are no good works nor good nature that will help us. Only looking to Jesus Christ will save us.
Did God send (or allow) the Plague? Yes. Why? It is hard to say. No one here knows fully the mind of God. But He may have done it for the same reasons He did it to the Egyptians and the Israelites—disobedience and rebellion. He may have sent it as punishment and as a warning. Our world is becoming so full of people rebelling against the command and the Person of God. Therefore, He sent a plague among us to call us to repentance before it is too late. Leviticus 26:21 says, “Then, if you walk contrary to Me, and are not willing to obey Me, I will bring on you seven time more plagues, according to your sins.”
One thing the Coronavirus has done is to cause people to reach out to God. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.” Could a worldwide revival be on the way? Possibly. Or sadly, we may miss the warning God has sent us and do as we did after 9/11, go back to our sinful ways once the crisis passes.
Reach out to God while it is not too late. Recognize we are facing eternal death because of sin and only Jesus Christ is the cure. Trust that when He died 2000+ years ago on the cross, He paid the penalty for our sins. All we have to do is believe that He was Who He said He was and that He did what He said He came to do—to give His life as a ransom for many.
Look to Jesus and receive the only Remedy God has provided us to escape eternal death and receive eternal life.
Jesus is the Reason
First, I will concede that no one knows the exact day or month or season of Jesus’ birth. There are things in the Bible that hint towards the time, such as the decree from Quirinius which can be dated, but beyond that the Bible is silent. I say that to say, December 25 is the date selected by early church fathers to celebrate the day of Christ’s birth. It is not likely His actual birthday.
Why do we celebrate Christmas on December 25th? The History Channel provides a possible reason. It was to counter pagan celebrations and entice them to accept Christianity as a recognized Roman religion.
Regardless as to when Jesus was born, the important thing is that He was. As Isaiah pointed out, “Unto us a child is born; unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder… (Isaiah 9:6). A ‘Child is born’ signifies His birth, his humanity. As the writer of Hebrews pointed out, “[Jesus] had to be made like His brothers in every respect, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. Because He Himself has suffered when tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. (Hebrews 2:17-18).
A ‘Son is given’ refers to His deity. Jesus was fully God as the scriptures point out: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1).” “For in Him (Jesus) dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Colossians 2:9).
So why did Jesus come? What is significant about His birth? His birth was significant because it was the fulfillment of scripture (Genesis 3:15) where God promised that He would send someone who would avenge mankind against the devil and would redeem His people from the curse. Jesus was the promised Messiah the Jews looked for for centuries. He lived the perfect life and died a sacrificial and substitutionary death. His death was sacrificial in that the sins (disobedience) of the world were placed on Him. The Israelites of the Old Testament would transfer their sins to the animals they sacrificed during their yearly atonement ceremony. This was a foreshadowing of Jesus’ sacrificial death. Jesus was the final sacrificial Lamb. His death was substitutionary in that He died in our place. He took the punishment of wrath and spiritual death so we would not have to. “Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many (Hebrews 9:28a).”
This why Jesus made the comment in John 14:6: “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father but through Me.” He is the only remedy for sin. His blood was the atonement. His death paid the price for our redemption. He was the One God the Father sent to redeem us from His wrath. When we trust in Him, His perfect, sinless life is accredited to us. Therefore, if we reject so great an offering, then we will need to pay the price of disobedience ourselves.
Jesus was born to die. Though it is true of all of us, it was certainly true of Him. His death was determined before the world was made. So, let us remember as we celebrate Christmas this December that the Babe in the manger will one day be the King on the Cross.
Share if you agree and let’s get the Gospel spread around the world!
A thought
Eternal Life (Part II)
God is interested in having a relationship with us not in rituals and works. Most religions are concerned with working your way to Heaven. But it is the internal heart change God is interested in not outward pretending.
Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3 that one must be born again or they cannot see or enter the Kingdom. Being born again means having spiritual heart surgery. Jesus also told The Samaritan woman in John 4 that the Father is looking for people who will worship Him in spirit and truth. In spirit means relationally, spirit to Spirit. Truth means sincerely, not just outwardly.
Read Genesis 4. Compare the lives of Cain and Abel. Read 1 and 2 Samuel and compare the lives of King Saul and King David. In each group, one person was more concerned with works than with relationship. What was their fate?
As the Bible says, “Let us reason together.” If I were to do something to seriously offend you to the point that it destroyed our relationship, what good works could I do to restore it? How much of a donation to your favorite charity would it take?
What does God want? He wants a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51). He wants someone who is repentant over their sin. Repentant means hating the sinful lifestyle to the point you want to stop. You then want to submit to God and His rule over your life because you see the futility of sin.
Has God been just God to you or your Father? Will you work on your relationship with Him today?
Eternal Life (Part 1)
I believe most people want to go to Heaven simply because they don’t want to go to Hell. Heaven is being in God’s presence and having a relationship with Him. Therefore, it is not about works. There is nothing we can do to make ourselves worthy of Heaven. If you do not want a relationship with God now, why would you want to spend eternity with Him?
Most of us are familiar with John 3:16. It reads, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son and that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” What is everlasting (or eternal) life? Is it just living forever?
I don’t think so since we are ALL going to live forever somewhere—either in God’s presence or apart from Him.
Jesus defined eternal life as “knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ, Whom He had sent” (John 17:3). So, eternal life is knowing God, not just knowing about Him. It is experiencing Him in a relationship.
This is why Jesus emphasized the concept of God as Father. The Jews saw God as God but Jesus wanted them (and us) to know Him as a Father who wants a personal relationship with His children.
Cyber-Discipleship 