“And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”
(John 17:3)
A lot of people believe that “dead is dead”, and that there is nothing beyond earthly life. But the Bible clearly teaches us that this is not true. After humans die, they will live on forever. Depending on their relationship with God here on earth, this will either be with God in heaven and on the new earth, or without God in hell – which is so horrible that it is also called “eternal death”.
This reality gives our lives great weight. It really matters how we live, both for the present and for the future.
Today’s text tells us what the key to eternal life is: knowing God and his Son Jesus Christ. “Knowing” not just means “having heard about”, but a personal relationship, like someone knows a good friend or a spouse.
Do you know God? Do you have a personal relationship with him?
(The next couple of devotions will be about God, in order to deepen our knowledge of – and relationship with him.)