The Difference
This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3 NASB
Eternal life – Let’s not get wrapped up in the Trinitarian implications here. Just remember that Yeshua says (or at least John says that he says) that eternal life is about knowing the One Who sent him. There is a lot of room for discussion in that idea. But let’s leave that alone for the moment. Pay attention to something else. Pay attention to the idea of aionios zoe (Greek for “eternal life”).
What is eternal life? Yeshua prays that his followers may experience such a thing. But what is it? Delitzsch renders the phrase as haya ha-‘olam, perhaps an immediate reminder that the quality of life Yeshua has in mind is fully revealed in the world coming, the ‘olam ha’ba. This helps us realize when it will fully arrive but does that help us understand what it is? Sacks’ comment offers some much-needed clarity:
Judaism has a more challenging view of the human individual than any other faith I know. Where Christianity sees man as in need of being saved, and Islam calls on him to submit to the will of God, Judaism advances the daring idea that man and God are partners in the work of creation. Faith is a call to human responsibility.[1]
What is eternal life? Could it be that it is partnership with God? Can we set aside all that theological history about eternal life in heaven, or about getting “saved” from this world, or about the insipient dualism foisted upon Christianity by its early proponents? Can we pay attention to the exhortation for cooperation?
Consider again Yeshua’s statement. It’s predicated upon knowing. The Hebrew must be yada, a fully-orbed concept that embraces much more than factual information or ritual confessions. To know the One Who sent the son is to be involved in an intimate relationship with Him. It is to embrace Who He is and what He does. It is to be engaged in the ultimate partnership—a partnership with my Creator. Doing what? Waiting to get out of here? Hardly! Is that what the Creator is doing? Sitting around waiting for the day when He will finally announce the return of the Messiah? Not a chance! What is the Creator doing? Creating! Managing the creation to bring about restoration. To know Him is to do what He is doing because He wants our participation. Eternal life begins the moment we take up the task of co-creation, the second we follow in His footsteps and accept the challenge of our responsibility.
If you thought you were waiting for the bus to heaven, you already missed the only real ride. It was the bus back to earth.
Topical Index: eternal life, heaven, dualism, creation, haya ha-‘olam, John 17:3
[1] Jonathan Sacks, Radical Then, Radical Now, p. 97.
“If you thought you were waiting for the bus to heaven,
you already missed the only real ride.
It was the bus back to earth.”
Awesome! That’s going on my new t-shirt!
God designed us with a great capacity to do stuff. There must have been a reason for that.
All heaven is waiting for us to get our act together here. Heaven will get here when we do.
Doesn’t this make “retirement” a biblical absurdity?
not within the modern context of our spiritual milieu, we are stuck in a world rife with unfairness and unjustness, even internally the nature of our being is compromised and maladjusted
keep in mind the many instances of freeing persons from ‘slavery’, whether that was spiritual, intellectual, physical or economical, and in many respects all of these at the same time
the present world partially parallels what we can see and hope for, but in many respects it is a distortion and source of confusion – ‘retirement’ can be beneficial in its own right
You are so right, Teth! I was contemplating yesterday how so many jobs today require you to be immoral in so many ways. It is a soulkiller!
But, it can be scary to quit asking other people for a job, and ask God, instead. You have to be ready for whatever He wants you to do. And then, there is the uncertainty of His pay plan, which is, basically, just enough for the day. It can take some adjusting to. Speaking from a little experience, here….
“To know Him is to do what He is doing because He wants our participation.” That is Eternal life, knowing His purposes and our function, as vessels of blessing and deliverance to others under His direction.
“Eternal life begins the moment we take up the task of co-creation..” to be restored to His name/character living in His ways, His standard, travailing to bring restoration to His creation being our responsibility.
That moment . . .
Eternal life begins the moment we decide to follow His footsteps, Skip writes.
What brings us to that moment of decision?
I believe it’s eternal life Himself!
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go
and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father
in My name He may give to you.”
Bearing the fruit of co-creation. The reason we were created in the first place.
Skip, great one today. Many of us look at what you say as coming from someone who “knows his stuff” and knows how to interpret and relate, from western to eastern thinking, the depths of the bible. We all may study, break out the lexicon, but some of the stuff you write is so rich and full of info. It’s great.
Today’s post confirmed some of my thinking and some messages that I’ve been working on.
Keep up the great work.
Thank you for this; very enriching and clarifying.
Love it!!! When we realize this it gives such meaning to life. It means that our everyday life has significance and purpose. “Whatever you do, work at it from the soul, as for the Lord and not for people. For you know that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as a reward. It is to the Lord Messiah you are giving service.” – Collossians 3:23-24. (TLV)
Craig – Yes for God we have no retirement for our reward is not of this earth.
From an apostolic mindset I believe eternal life is a partnership based on the explanation given in
Matt 25: 44 – 46. This is not about knowing so much, but more about doing without questioning…
The question now is.
Do unconditionally as these enslaved individuals cross our path, will this suffice? I believe the greatest difference we can make is a lifestyle that is an example unto just in the community I live and work in, as these I can assist as I know and witness their concerns.
Yeshua stayed in reasonable proximity of Jerusalem as did the other apostles except for Paul and those separated to assist him… I have not been empowered and controlled as Paul neither the other apostles so to which extent is my outreach to be correctly deemed “partnership”?
“Eternal life begins the moment we take up the task of co-creation, the second we follow in His footsteps and accept the challenge of our responsibility.” Daniel and Isaiah refer to something achieved after death not in this life. Paul however states it slightly different and refers to those waiting patiently will receive it not specifically in this life but yes it is possible…
Catch 22 do believers wait patiently or do they grasp every opportunity to render Matt 25 service in a hope to acquire eternal life – for as the tree falls so shall it remain and its deeds shall follow…
Or is it ALL this at the grace and faithfulness of Yeshua who knows for what purpose we are prepared and called… And we need to deliver accordingly.
Skip referred to this in different strokes and individuals would be better advised to measure themselves on an all inclusive approach than this strict and limited one, as then for sure I am condemned as I do not share this view.
I do agree that we need to perform good works and deeds when called to do them and not stop desiring and asking for better spiritual insight so that we can become fully likened unto Christ. For blessed is he that loses his life (own savings, aspirations and goals) to help another… As there is no greater love than that.
Well put. Amen.
I had to read it twice, the second time very slowly and carefully absorbing each sentence. What a revelation. I feel as if I realised I was ridding the wrong bus and hopped into the the right one, leading me right into eternity. It’s called grace.
Eternal life. Yeshua is the living torah, which is life. Walking in that realm of torah is what living really is. Simple, pure, clean, vital, relational to YHVH. It began in gan eden and was removed from the two originals when they stepped outside of torah, which moves one out of life, out of the garden. The first garden seems to be the essence of the ‘olam ha’ba. Death became the inhibiting item that blocked movement back in to the garden, ‘olam ha’ba. Yeshua killed death. With death no longer blocking life, ‘olam ha’ba awaits those that abide in the atoning actions of YHVH and show it by walking along the path of torah.
Again, quite simple, really.
Do this. Don’t do that. Life results.
Walk in it until you get to the horizon. That’s a long walk. One that lasts on and on and on.
(Just thinking out loud, ya’ll.)
Centered and Complete in Christ
~ So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority ~ (Colossians 2.10)
~ This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. ~ (John 17:3)
Is “eternal life” a quantity or a quality? And the answer is? Yes, it is. (both)
“Shall never die” are the words our Savior used..
~ I AM the resurrection, and the life: he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live..~ (John 11.25)
Got Life?
~The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full ~ (John 10.10)
Got Jesus? (Does He have you?)
~The one who has the Son has life. The one who doesn’t have the Son of God does not have life ~ (1 John 5.12)
Blessed Assurance!!
~ I have written these things to you who believe in the Name of the Son of God, [Why?] – so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life. And this is the confidence that we have before Him: If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.… (1 John 5.13)
Paul, (formerly known as Saul) knew.. ~ for I KNOW whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day ~ (2 Timothy 1.12)
The author (Fanny Crosby) wrote this testimony:
Blessed Assurance
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, – purchase of God,
Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels, descending, bring from above
Echoes of mercy, – whispers of love.
Perfect submission, all is at rest,
I in my Savior am happy and blest.
Watching and waiting, looking above,
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.
– Is this your testimony too?
~ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God! ~
And? ? And if [since] we are [His] children, then we are heirs: heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ!
~ Let the redeemed of the LORD say so!! ~ (Psalm 107.2)
It’s really all about Matthew 25:31-46, isn’t it?
Could it mean finding Enlightment where your subconcious practically swallows your conscious whole if you live by the rules of Proverbs? Otherwise, death to your awakening awaits you.