Date: 06/ 05/2023

Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and to Him be the Glory, Power, and Dominion forever and ever and to the Holy Ghost that is yet abiding in the body. This month’s key phrase is “Focus on Eternal Life.”

John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”.  However, many don’t know what the Bible means when it talks about eternal life. Some say, “Eternal life is living forever.” John 3:36 says, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him”. Everlasting life is a present-tense possession. It’s not something that begins when we get to heaven. There are a number of scriptures that speak of everlasting life as something we possess in this life (John 4:14; 5:24; 6:27; 6:40, 47). So, the question remains, “What is everlasting life?” This is very important. John 3:16 says this is the reason that Jesus came.

Many people have mistakenly thought that the goal of salvation is the forgiveness of sin to avoid hell. That’s not what John 3:16 is saying. Sure, not perishing in hell is an important part of what Jesus came to do. He accomplished that by paying the debt for all our sins, past, present, and even the ones we haven’t committed yet. But salvation is much, much more than getting our sins forgiven so we can go to heaven instead of hell. If all you did was ask Jesus to forgive your sins so you wouldn’t perish in hell, then you are missing out on eternal life. Sin was a barrier that stood between us and a holy God. It had to be removed. That’s exactly what Jesus did, and He did it well. Sin is no longer standing between God and man (2 Cor. 5:17). But to what does that entitle us? Sure, it entitles us to live forever with God in heaven. That’s wonderful. But there are tremendous benefits right here, right now, on earth. Eternal life is one of those benefits. Jesus defined eternal life for us in John 17:3. That verse says, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

Brothers and Sisters, eternal life is knowing God. The key lies in understanding what the Bible means by the word  know. When Jesus  said eternal life was knowing God, He was speaking of having an intimate, close, personal relationship with God. Many believe Jesus died to forgive their sins, but they still don’t have a close personal , intimate relationship with the Father. Some maybe content with singing “When we all get to heaven, what a day that will be”. But we are supposed to have eternal life (close, intimate relationship with God our Father and Jesus Christ His Son) now while we are still on the land of living. If all you are doing is believing John 3:16, you are missing out on the eternal life the Lord wants to have with you at this present time.

In closing, why is John 3:16 misunderstood? It is because the church has changed the message of salvation. We have placed a period after the word perish in John 3:16. We have told the world that the reason God sent His Son to die for our sins was so we wouldn’t perish, Period. That excludes the true message of eternal life and intimate relationship  with God as the goal of salvation.  My Brothers and Sisters, there is more to eternal life than what you believe after reading John 3:16. Next week’s message is about Faith in Focusing on Eternal Life. Until next week let us remember, “… with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26b).

In His Service,

Bishop Dr. Calvin Worthem

General Chief Overseer/Senior Bishop