Jesus said in John 17:3, "This is eternal life: that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." Many people desire to go to heaven or to possess eternal life, but they often ignore one crucial truth: eternal life is a life of relationships—a life of love with God. Without love, eternity would be an "eternal hell." In fact, many of us experience a shadow of that hell on this planet simply because we lack loving connections.
God is love, and heaven is built on relationships. Eternal life means having an everlasting, loving bond with God, Jesus Christ, the angels, and all of creation. We know that sin began in heaven—a place of perfect love. What, then, is sin? Sin is the opposite of love; it is selfishness. It is doing things that destroy our relationship with God for the sake of our own desires.
Lucifer, the covering cherub, was created perfect, meaning he originally had a perfect relationship with the Lord. But he desired to be first. Step by step, he chose his own path over God’s, destroying that bond. The pursuit of selfish desires at the expense of God’s will is what turns a heart toward the path of the Adversary. To enjoy eternal life now, we must put aside selfishness and learn from God what love truly is.
Love is about truly knowing someone. But how do we get to know God? We must learn the definition of love from Him. God shows that He knows us by pursuing us. While I was still in sin and "dead in my trespasses," the Lord Jesus pursued me.
He showed me kindness for my coldness.
He blessed me when I didn't deserve it.
He pleaded with me when I wanted to pursue my own path.
He forgave me when I wronged Him.
Jesus showed me that loving someone means making that person feel as if they are the only one in the world. He didn't just die for the "whole world" in a general sense; He died for me. He would have died for me even if I were the only one who needed saving. That is what it means to love.
To love someone is to know them, and to know someone involves spending time with them, listening to them, and walking with them. But how do we know God if we cannot see Him?
Think about the frustration of feeling misunderstood. People often misjudge us because they haven't made us a priority; they "hear" us speak only to give a response, not to comprehend. God is different. He listens to help us, and He wants us to do the same for Him.
You get to know the Lord Jesus by reading His "text messages" and sending Him your own throughout the day:
Morning Prayer: When you wake up, send Him a "Good Morning text" through prayer. Thank Him for the day, ask Him to wash away your sins, and invite the Spirit to help you understand His heart.
Reading the Word: After you "text" the Lord, read His messages to you. Open the Bible and hear what He has to say to your heart today.
Relationships go two ways: God pursues us, and we pursue Him in return. We speak, and He listens; He speaks, and we listen. Throughout the day, you can "text" the Lord in your mind by speaking to Him about your tasks, and He speaks back by placing holy thoughts and peace in your mind.
The more He pursues me, the more I want to pursue Him. The relationship grows stronger. I start to pray, "Lord, help me to love You as You love me. Help me make You a priority, just as You have never been too busy for me."
Jesus is beautiful. The more time I spend with Him, the more I love Him. The more I know Him, the more alive and beautiful my life becomes. To know God is to know love, and to know love is to have eternal life.
As we learn to love God, we naturally learn how to love others. To love is to know, and to know is to pursue. Love is the language of heaven and the very way of life. Let us learn to love God, and we will finally know how to truly love one another.
Comments