Topical Bible: Eternal Life: To Know God and Christ Is

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Topical Encyclopedia

Eternal life, as presented in the Christian Scriptures, is fundamentally linked to the knowledge of God and Jesus Christ. This concept is not merely about an unending existence but is deeply rooted in a relational understanding and communion with the divine.

Biblical Foundation

The primary scriptural basis for understanding eternal life as knowing God and Christ is found in the Gospel of John. In John 17:3 , Jesus prays, "Now this is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." This verse highlights that eternal life is not just a future promise but a present reality that begins with a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

The Nature of Knowing God

In the biblical context, "knowing" goes beyond intellectual acknowledgment. It involves an intimate, experiential relationship. The Hebrew and Greek terms for "know" often imply a deep, personal, and covenantal relationship. This is evident in the Old Testament, where knowing God is associated with love, obedience, and faithfulness (Jeremiah 31:33-34, Hosea 6:6).

Jesus Christ as the Revelation of God

Jesus Christ is central to the knowledge of God. In John 14:6-7 , Jesus declares, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you had known Me, you would know My Father as well." Through Christ, believers gain access to the Father, and in Him, the fullness of God is revealed (Colossians 1:19, 2:9).

The Role of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in facilitating this knowledge. According to 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 , "The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God... so that we may understand what God has freely given us." The Spirit illuminates the truth of God’s Word and enables believers to grow in their relationship with Him.

Eternal Life as a Present and Future Reality

Eternal life is both a present possession and a future hope. In John 5:24 , Jesus states, "Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life." This indicates that eternal life begins at the moment of faith and continues into eternity.

Implications for Believers

For believers, eternal life involves a transformative relationship that impacts every aspect of life. It calls for a life of discipleship, characterized by love, obedience, and a growing understanding of God’s nature and will. The Apostle Paul expresses this pursuit in Philippians 3:10 , "I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death."

Conclusion

Eternal life, as defined by Scripture, is intricately connected to knowing God and Jesus Christ. It is a dynamic, relational experience that begins in the present and extends into eternity, offering believers a profound sense of purpose and hope.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 17:3
And this is life eternal, that they might know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Greek

4102. pistis -- faith, faithfulness
... 2. Faith (4102) enables the believer to know God's preferred-will (cf ... faith in each
scene of life – so that ... Our believing has eternal meaning when it becomes ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/4102.htm - 18k

Library

Salvation
... To know God and Jesus Christ; that is eternal life. ... The way to obtain eternal life
is to know God and Jesus Christ; for if we do not, we cannot obtain it.'. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon ii salvation.htm

"And if Christ be in You, the Body is Dead Because of Sin; but the ...
... of Christians more generally, that all may know that these ... a visible character of
the curse of God engraven on ... that is in you hath begun eternal life in your ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxvi and if christ.htm

Robert Hall -- Marks of Love to God
... By parity of reason, we, my brethren, who know God and His Word ... for granted that
we possess the love of God, and are in the way of eternal life: the same ...
/.../kleiser/the worlds great sermons volume 3/robert hall marks of.htm

God in Christ
... many who call themselves Christians seem to know less of ... he shall return, as many
as have eternal life, in the day when Christ the Lord of life shall have ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon i god in christ.htm

Our Lord's Sacerdotal Prayer
... involve: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. "And all ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/xi our lords sacerdotal prayer.htm

"And if Christ be in You, the Body is Dead Because of Sin, but the ...
... his immortal soul"it is truly the greatest misery of sinful men, because it capacitates
them for eternal misery. ... many of you know no other life, than that ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xxix and if christ.htm

The Ideal Man
... lost, because it is a mere conductor to the eternal, a mere ... to be the best." I fancy
we all know pretty well ... best purpose to which we can put our life,"to do ...
//christianbookshelf.org/drummond/a life for a life/the ideal man.htm

The Lord's Prayer.
... itself to him in true discipleship.] 3 And this is life eternal, that they should
know thee the only true God, and him whom thou didst send, even Jesus Christ. ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/cxxii the lords prayer.htm

Death and Life in Christ
... I know not how to express the joy my own heart ... Then God's promise is not true, and
Christ's word is false""I give unto my sheep eternal life, and they ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/death and life in christ.htm

Preface. And as to Christ Thy Lord
... Desirest thou to know Jesus Christ the Lord of life, either according to his eternal
subsistence in the infinite understanding of the Father, as God, or as to ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/preface and as to christ.htm