We have life when we are in Jesus and live with the life that is from Jesus.

We have something that is most important in our possession which we gained when we believed in Jesus. It is the most valuable thing we have, that we cannot let anything take it away from us. And that is life.. This life is real, and since itself is power it can never be destroyed by any other force. Hence nothing can destroy those who possess this life.

Sometimes insects or animals can still move around for a little while even after their heads are cut off. Even though they are moving, we do not consider them to be living. Likewise, we were without life in the past. There are two different kinds of life. One is the life of the body and the other is the life of the spirit. Even after the death of our body, our existence ceases not and must enter to the next world. In order to pass through the door to the next world, we need life, and that life only comes from God.

Man received life when he was first created, but he lost it as a result of his disobedience. The life that Christians have today is different to the life God had given to man in the beginning. The life Christians have is the life of God (Gal. 2:20). God did not distribute life to each one of us individually. Instead, we abide in Jesus and live with the life of Jesus. Therefore, it is very dangerous to be apart from Jesus.

It is truly amazing that the life of God is in us. We, in turn, are too lowly to contain the life in us. However, nothing in the world can take this life from us. “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, neither any powers, neither height nor depth, or anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38~39). This word of God applies the same to our relationship with the life given by God.

Given that we have the life as those who are in Christ, we are different from the people of the world. Therefore, we ought to rejoice and be proud. We must not treat ourselves recklessly or stumble over trifle matters. When you ask yourself in the morning, “Who is Jesus Christ to me?” can you reply, “Jesus Christ is my Savior!”? Are you confident that when you face hardships and afflictions, you will guard your mind in peace because of the fact that Jesus is your Lord? Those who have life will surely be able to answer “Yes” to this question. Unlike the many unbelieving people on the streets, we are a special being who have the life of God.

Since we have received life, let us embark on eternal life.

Since we have God’s life, our way of living should be different from before. We must not seek God whilst still dwelling in the life seeking sinful desires of the flesh. It is not for the benefit of our fleshly well-being that Jesus saved us, but that we gain life and that we attain to eternal life through it. Just as new wine must be poured into new wineskin, new life must be poured into a new way of life.

One thing we must be clear about is the fact that salvation itself does not equal eternal life. Jesus said, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times a much and will inherit eternal life.” (Mat. 25:41~46). We can learn from the scripture that faith is one thing and the eternal life is another.

It says in John 6:27, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” As the scripture reads, in order to receive eternal life, one must work for food that endures to eternal life. John 12:25 also says, “Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life” while Romans 2:6-7 reads, “God will repay each person according to what they have done. To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life.” Galatians 6:8-9 says “Whoever sows to please the flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” As we can see from these passages, by seeking to finish the divine work and the glory of God, not the cravings of flesh, we will receive eternal life.

Jude 1:21 says, “Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.” It takes endurance and time to keep oneself in God’s love. We need the mercy of God in order to attain eternal life, which also requires waiting patiently. In other words, salvation is not the final destination of our journey. Since it takes time to attain eternal life, we need to keep our faith and wait for God’s mercy until then.

However, what would become of a person if he or she is so stingy to even give offerings to God and runs out of the worship service as soon as it ends to hang out with his worldly friends? Volunteering church work and serving other people are not foolish. They are the normal way of life of any person who has the life of God. It is a misunderstanding to think that we have already acquired eternal life along with salvation. Once a person has received life, then it is time to wait for God’s mercy as he or she undertakes the holy works of God.

The way to eternal life is to spread the life.

While we carry out God’s work, God helps our soul, life and family. As we work for the church of God, it edifies our relationship with God. God is precise and prompt. Therefore, being reluctant to use your energy and your concentration for the church or even grieving about the condition of your life in the world will not be appropriate. We must make sure our lives are pleasing to God.

In the past, we used to be those who miserably yearned for eternal life but had no right to ask God. Now that we have the way to eternal life straightened before us, what can stop us from walking alongside our Lord? The church is a gathering of people who spread the life of the Lord. The work of the church is to impart the life of God to people and bring them to salvation, and this is the way to eternal life.

This process requires the church to be united as one and work strategically. It cannot be done efficiently nor is it proper to do it individually. Romans 12:5 says, “So in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” For us to become one body in Christ means that each member belongs to the rest of the members. Therefore, the church of the Lord should be united and connected with each other just all the blood vessels inside our body are connected.

Let us build our character to be worthy as servants who pass on the life of God.

We are on our way to eternal life. That is, we are experiencing the life of God every moment in real time. What an amazing experience! In addition to that, we have been called to be representatives of God. As God’s representatives, we need to build our character worthy of God. Because our character is like the wineskin, God’s inspiration is poured in our character and the commission is carried out through our character.

In order for the church to carry out its mission, the whole congregation needs to participate in dedication and care for each other. Sometimes, one single selfish member can cause many hindrances and difficulties for the church. Some say they want to care for others but they don’t know how to. If one have been raised in a culture where being considerate of others is not a common practice, he or she may actually find it difficult. Caring for others can be compared to having a crush on somebody. You would not be rude or mean but always try to be kind to the other person, and this is the way we care for other saints.

As a Christian, we need to live a life that is totally different from the life we used to live. Whether we are inside or outside the church, we have the duty to care for and love people without limit. This is Christ’s commandment. If one cannot fulfill the duty of loving on a daily basis due to hardships and troubles he is facing, then he should at least practice caring for others inside the church. Since we were not born with this character, we need to cultivate our character with discipline and practice.

Let me show you a testimony of someone as an example: “There was a soul I was taking care of, and not long later, he began to have this confidence that the church loved him. So he started attending our church and now, he has become a Christian serving the church willingly on his own. He is serving the church more fervently than me! I support him with all my heart.” When we give such testimonies like this, God will say, “Take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.”

We must not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Rom.12:2), so that we can complete the work that God plans to fulfill through us. Many people followed Jesus after they had seen the miracle of five loaves and two fish, but most of them disappointed the Lord. They fell short because they sought only for the good of the flesh while Jesus came to the earth to give them the life of heaven. Jesus said to them, “Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life. I am the bread that came from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever”. It is our Lord’s will that we have eternal life. To accomplish this, we must cherish life and carry out our duty by the power of God.