What is Eternal Life?
The Bible is a book full of spiritual principles. One of the principle emphasized is about the mystery of cross and resurrection. Have you dreamed about eternal life? Bible says there will be eternal life through death and resurrection. And what is important is about death. There are many philosophers and truth seekers asking questions about eternal life.
When the Greek came to the Lord, Jesus replied them with a simple metaphor in John 12. Unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. This seems to be very normal but it contains the reversed truth. Jesus continues on saying “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Where is the true life? It is by emptying ourselves to serve others that we will gain the true life. It is through dying to ourselves. People may choose to grab others and be the masters of others in this world to live their lives. So the Lord says if you hate the life in this world you will have eternal life. It is like hating your own life to serve others.
Jesus gave himself to us first. And God resurrected him. This is the only way to eternal life. We need to die to ourselves first and then reborn with the new life. If a person just love himself and sacrifice others benefit to keep his own life, he will end up with death and being buried in graves. However, the grave did not confineth the Lord. He resurrected. This is a totally different path of life. He lived a life of becoming the ransom for many. He lived a life of love. What is life? Life came into reality because of love. God created the heaven and earth. He created man because of love. He put his image of love inside of man. And what is eternal life? It lies in the eternal love of God.
I came to understand this idea of eternal love when I understand love. If you truly love someone, you will hope to be with the person forever. You will be sad if you lose your beloved ones. In love, God want to be with us forever. But we first need to truly understand him and love him. If we reject God and turn away from his love, it is hell that we ultimately go to. It will be a place without the love of God and our Lord.
Jesus hopes we can follow the same path with him. When the earth was created, it has followed this kind of law of love. The nature is sustained by the sacrifice and serving of different creature. God created angel and angel was supposed to serve men. God created men and men was supposed to love God, love each other and govern the earth created by God. God created men to help and serve each other. It was the dream of God for the world. It is a place like heaven.
Think about how we can grow up. It is through the sacrifice and serving of many people around us. So the Bible teaches us the way to sacrifice and die to ourselves. It is the way of death and the way toward resurrection. When we die to ourselves and when we suffer, we will bear fruits. No matter what kind of position we are in, we will not suffer like the Lord did for us. So we need to remember we are the one who are first loved by God and he has given his life for us first. Then let us think about what we can give to others. How can I benefit others?
Let us remember we are sinners. We have the root of arrogance inside of us. The way to get rid of the arrogance is through death and resurrection. Jesus walked this path of life for us sinners. This is the grace we have already received. We just try to practise this grace and love when we live our lives.
