Christ In You | Part 2
“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
John 10:28
If eternal life is the unique selling point of the gospel (USP), what then distinguishes my faith in Christ from any other religious belief ? This ought to be something significant, perhaps much more than just the promise of immortality, much more than what every religion promises that is trouble-free life in a fallen wicked world. In the book of John 16:33 Jesus himself declares:” I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”
Starting from the early Church history to today's news report on religious liberty; it shows that christians are most likely people subject to be persecuted, rejected, stigmatised.. Therefore it has never been yet a popular decision to follow the teachings of the Bible. If so, what then is attractive about christianity ? Perhaps for you, it’s a belief passed on by your parents? Maybe it’s inherited from your country's social traditions ? Beside what’s been described as the faith conversions recorded through the charismatic movement , the amazement of the supernatural encounters etc. Christianity on the surface, seems to outline the same do-good message as everybody else, the same promise of peace and harmony in a better after-life, escapism from hell; like any other religion we know of today!
As for me, this is where the Gospel proposal starts to become fascinating, how faith in Christ rises up head and shoulder above any other beliefs..the clue has been about finding out what Jesus meant by “eternal life”? How about we hear the meaning from of one the first eye witnesses,, Apostle John in 1 John 1: 2 says the following“and the life was made manifest, and we have seen and bear witness, and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was revealed to us--” If well understood what is being promised here seems well above practising, blindly following a set of sacred rules in order to to reach a sort of state of good luck. it’s way beyond the lure of a vague happy life after death. Could it be much deeper than having any spiritual goosebumps experience? God has invited us to manifest the very life and nature of the divine person of Jesus himself; it’s a call to receive an impartation of his incorruptible Spirit in the human spirit, a new creature is born as a result of this exchange. “ God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son; He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.(1 John 5: 11-12)
“In Him was life”( John 1:4)” then how can we explain the death of Calvary? Calvary can only justify as a means to an end, the ransom paid for anyone to have unconditional access to this new life.”He said “I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10: 15). No human , no prophets could make such a claim because the same is true in commercial terms; only 2 items of the same values are exchangeable . The value of one life is only measured by another life; an eye for eye; a tooth for tooth; You don’t” part”exchange a Mercedes for a Renault (sorry!) God found no other equal value than his own life to redeem us from death only by giving himself up for us; a divine exchange happened on the cross. This shows how precious God’s valued your life and my life!! He measures it to his own life-- This is Amazing grace!
“Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death”.( Hebrew 2:14)
And when the winds of this mortal life are contrary, at last let us not forget the word of this wonderful promise is unchanging :” And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true--in His Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5: 20)
“ Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11: 25-26)
Further readings: 1 John 5: 11-20; John 5:21-26; John 6:51; John 17:3; Hebrew 2:14
