THE GIFT OF ETERNAL LIFE

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What is eternal life? 

  • In Biblical terms, to have "eternal life" means to know the only true God.
    • "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent." John 17:3'
  • The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that to have "eternal life" is to have the knowledge of God.
    • "God put us in the world to know, to love, and to serve him, and so to come to paradise. Beatitude makes us "partakers of the divine nature" and of eternal life." CCC1721
 

The word "KNOW" in the Bible

  • The word "know":
    • knowledge in which personal involvement is always supposed. 
    • knowledge which is the fruit of faith and love
  • So, eternal life refers to "the soul's knowledge of God on a personal basis."

 

Eternal life is divine life 
 
Eternal life is not natural life (psyche), but divine life (zoe) 
 
Divine life is a key concept in the Gospel of John.
  • I am the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:7)
  • I am the Resurrection and the Life (John 11:25)
  • I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10)
  • I am the bread of Life (John 6:35) 
  • Abide in me...because apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:4)

Faith in the Word

We experience divine life by faith in the Word
  • Everyone who believes in Him may not perish but may have eternal life (John 3:16)
  • Any one who hears my word and blieves in Him who sent me has eternal life (John 5:34)
  • Through believing, you may have life in His name (John 20:31)


A life that cannot be destroyed
  • Divine life cannot be destroyed by physical death and so it is eternal. 
  • Eternal Life is a quality of life more than a length of time 
    • And this is the testimony: God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” (1Jn 5:11-12)
  • The basic principle of this life is the Holy Spirit, the breath of God: 
    •  It is the spirit that gives life...the words I have spoken to you are spirit and life” (Jn 6:63) 
  • This gift of the Spirit is associated with Baptism and is nourished by the Eucharist, the flesh and blood of Jesus, i.e., the LIFE of Jesus

 


 (Notes taken mainly from a series of talks by Rev Fr Ambrose Vaz @ CDM, on the Gospel of John)


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