Have you ever thought about eternal life? Have you realized, that you can go to heaven and not go to hell? Have you realized that you can have a perfect and wonderful life in heaven with God, without sorrow or pain, and that all of this can be received as a gift? If you have not given this much thought, it is worth while thinking about it now in the light of the next verses. They show the reality of this new life and the way you can receive it:
- (Rev 21:3-6) And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.
4. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
5. He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."
6. He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.
HOW CAN YOU RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE?
Although eternal life and heaven exist, it doesn’t mean that its possible to automatically receive both. For even though all of this is made ready from God’s part (Luke 14:17: " Come, for everything is now ready") and eternal life is received as a gift, you must personally want to turn to God, to give up your sins and receive this gift. You must understand, that the salvation of everyones soul, including your own, is the most important thing. As Jesus said:
- (Matt 16:26) What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
If until now you have been apart from God and want to turn to Him and receive His love and eternal life, it is possible. It is quite simple. Consider the following:
You will be welcomed. Firstly, it is important to understand that if you turn to God, He will welcome you. The account of the Prodigal Son in the gospel of Luke clearly indicates how when the son turned to his father, he immediately received mercy. His sins, even though he had lived deep in them, didn’t prevent him from receiving his father’s approval. The moment he came to his father, he was accepted. The same is still true when you turn to God. He will welcome you immediately:
- (Luke 15:18-20) I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
19. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.
20. So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
Life in Jesus Christ. The second important thing to understand is that a way has already been made to eternal life through Jesus Christ. The Bible indicates, that Jesus has already bridged the gap between God and man; He paid the full price for our sins by his own blood and has become our Mediator (Hebr 8:6). The forgiveness of sins and eternal life can only be received through Him. We don’t need to earn forgiveness and eternal life, we can have these as a gift through Jesus. Therefore, turn to Jesus and you will receive forgiveness and eternal life because He is the only way to the Father and to the heavenly kingdom:
- (John 14:1-6) ““Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
2. In my Father’’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
4. You know the way to the place where I am going.””
5. Thomas said to him, ““Lord, we don’’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?””
6. Jesus answered, ““I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.
- (John 10:9) I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture.
- (John 5:40) yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
- (Acts 13:38) ““Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you.
- (Acts 4:11-12) He is ‘‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone.’’
12. Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.””under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
Receiving. The third thing is as simple as to receive. As eternal life can be received as a gift through the Son of God, Jesus, we must receive Him into our lives (in other words you could simply say: "Lord Jesus, come into my life!”). According to the Bible, He already stands behind the door of our heart, waiting to step into our life:
- (Rev 3:20) Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.
If you have done this, God has then, according to the Scriptures, adopted you and given you the gift of eternal life. This you have despite the way you feel at this moment. Do not base the certainty of salvation on your ever changing emotions, but on the Bible and Jesus Christ - just as the anchor of the ship is never thrown inside the ship but always outside.
- (John 1:12) Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-
- (1 John 5:11-13) And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
13. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
THE PRAYER OF SALVATION:
Lord, Jesus, I turn to you. I admit that I have committed sin against You and I have not lived according to Your will. However, I want to turn from my sins and follow You with all my heart. I also believe, that my sins have been forgiven by Your atonement and I have eternal life through You. I thank You for salvation, which you have given me. Amen