FEATURED MEMBER ARTICLE: by Storico

[Trout]

Do We Really Want to Live Forever?

by Storico.

It's a question I asked out loud, years ago, as a young teenager trying to comprehend what "forever" really meant. It seemed to be an interesting idea, but it was one that puzzled me. I knew from an early age that life could get very difficult, that many people experienced pain, and that sometimes, God seemed so far away and eternity seemed further still. I knew that many I'd talked to spoke of the hardships as well as the joys in this lifetime, and also knew that many of them longed for it to be over so they could "go home" to God. My late grandmother told me, not long before she passed away, that she was "looking forward to spending eternity in peace". This whole "being with God forever" thing seemed attractive to quite a few folks. Frankly, I had mixed ideas on the subject. On one hand, I secretly and quietly thought that doing anything forever would eventually get boring. On the other hand, this *was* God we were talking about, so if anything could ever be completely delightful for all time, being with Him would be it.

Making the idea of eternity applicable to my own life was one I wrestled with. It seemed a long way off, and even if it would be absolutely blissful, restful and wonderful, it seemed like something I'd be safe to set aside for a while and deal with later. After all, I thought, it was eternity: it's not like it was going to happen very soon. God's kingdom didn't seem to be real and present to me. I always imagined it as something that would come later, maybe after seventy or eighty years here. That's probably why Christianity didn't stick with me, as a teenager. I drifted away for quite a while, and on coming back to it last year, I dusted off an old Bible and something jumped out at me: Jesus had a message for me, and for us all.

It was a prayer he spoke aloud. It was right before His death.

John 17:1-3 ESV

John 17:1 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
John 17:2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him.
John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.

And it hit me like a ton of bricks, because it was something I'd somehow missed the first time around: eternal life isn't irrelevant. It isn't something that happens later. It isn't something we worry about just before we die. It's here, and it's now, and if we're with Christ, we are already participating in the eternity God has planned for us. The Kingdom is here. God gave Christ the authority to give eternal life. To participate in this life, we need to know God, and know Christ. If we do that, we're with Him. When that sank into my head and when I considered it, somehow I knew the wait was over and the gap was closed. Eternity seemed very applicable to me now. Heaven seemed only a prayer away. Knowledge of God seemed as close as the knowledge of Christ.

The idea that eternity, or life forever, was boring left my mind. I realized that we're given forever with God for probably one reason alone: it will take that long for us to completely know and love Him, and it will take that long for Him to complete the work He has done in us, and the love He has given us. It's ongoing. It starts now. Every time we learn something new about Christ, every time we grow spiritually, every time we reach out a helping hand to someone in need of God's lifegiving salvation, and every time we confess and then follow Christ, we are living life eternally, with Heaven in mind. I've always been a keen student. But I know it'll take me forever to learn how best to serve God. I believe many people would wholeheartedly admit that. That's the miraculous thing about it: the time that we need is exactly the time we've been given. Eternal life isn't something that happens to us after death, it's something we can participate in today.

Do we really want to live forever? Do we really want to live eternally? To know Christ and to know the Father is to say "yes" to those questions. May we do so with gratitude for the life given to us.

[JonLanceBarker]

[ApologiaPhoenix]

Well said Storico. Eschatology is not just about your take of future events (Or if you consider them future even), but your take on how you will live your life in the here and now.

I like how Gary Habermas says Paul talks about the resurrection in 1 Cor. 15 and how death is conquered and the next thing is "I'd like to talk to you all about an offering that needs to be taken for the church in need."

I think the two go together. Eschatology and ethics.

[Teluog]

Well said, Laura.

[GKC_fan]

Thanks Storico, great thoughts!

[Spiritus Naturae]

Great thoughts, Storico!

[Bill the Cat]

[Kelp]

[Trout]

[JonLanceBarker]

[SpinyNorman]

Wow...

[Clubbaseal]

I wish I could have spoken to Storico directly about this. My focus in life is moving in God's grace, and not what happens afterwards. If the love of Christ is eternal, that means right now! Eternity is not something that starts later. It's not something you wait for. And why postpone eternal love?

I'm glad she returned, and found this love and contentment.