Celebrating Jesus Daily

What is Eternal Life?

Is eternal life a matter of time? Unending bliss? A quantitative experience which never ends?

Or is it rather a quality of life? A union with the Spirit of Christ? A personally discernible relationship with the Almighty? John the revelator recording the words of Jesus gives us the answer.


Joh 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
Joh 3:2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.


“Born again” is better translated “born from above” signifying the qualitative rather than quantitative difference between the natural birth of the flesh and the heavenly rebirth of the human spirit. As natural birth permits entrance to the natural realm so spiritual regeneration provides entrance to the spiritual realm, the kingdom of God.

Joh 3:4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
Joh 3:5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
Joh 3:6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
Joh 3:9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
Joh 3:10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?


The natural person not having been brought into personal contact with the spiritual realm through the regeneration of the Spirit is unable to perceive or understand the things of the Spirit.


Joh 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.
Joh 3:12 If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you of heavenly things?
Joh 3:13 And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.
Joh 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:


Jesus Christ is the final and authoritative Word of God concerning the things of the kingdom of God and the realm of the Spirit.

Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
Joh 3:16 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.
Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Joh 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
Joh 3:20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.
Joh 3:21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.


Jesus Christ is the light of the world and those that believe in Him receive both eternal life and freedom from the condemnation of spiritual darkness. But to reiterate our opening query: what is the true nature of Eternal Life? An extension of natural life or a whole new type of life in the Spirit? We find the answer in the High Priestly Prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ recorded in John’s gospel the seventeenth chapter.


Joh 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:
Joh 17:2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.
Joh 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.


Eternal life, or as the greek text literally reads, “the life eternal”, is personal knowledge of the only true God and Jesus Christ his sent one or “apostello”.

The greek word translated “know” in this verse carries a deeper meaning than simple acknowledgement that there is a God of some sort somewhere.

Know: G1097 ginosko
Thayer Definition:
1) to learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel
1a) to become known
2) to know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of
2a) to understand
2b) to know
3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man and a woman
4) to become acquainted with, to know
Part of Speech: verb

This word "know" is a verb meaning to have personal experiential knowledge of and active participation with the only true God of the Universe and his Son the Lord Jesus Christ.


The proper exposition of the word “true” used in the greek from Thayer’s Lexicon of Greek Words is:

True G228 alethinos
Thayer Definition:
1) that which has not only the name and resemblance, but the real nature corresponding to the name, in every respect corresponding to the idea signified by the name, real, true genuine
1a) opposite to what is fictitious, counterfeit, imaginary, simulated or pretended
1b) it contrasts realities with their semblances
1c) opposite to what is imperfect defective, frail, uncertain


Eternal life is an up close and personal familial relationship with the only true God and his apostle the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who put their faith in Jesus the Christ are born from above through the power of the Spirit of Christ, placed in the family of God and made to be perceivers of the kingdom of God. Set free from all condemnation they are able to enjoy fellowship with God and with each other.

Receive this life eternal today through faith in Christ and the power of the Spirit of God.