John 3:14-16 (NKJV)

14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Abundance of LifeJohn 3:14-16

Abundance of Life

• We wrap up our study concerning our theme for 2014

• We have looked at many of God’s blessings upon those who are children of His

• These blessings have been spiritual in nature

Abundance of Life

• There is one particular blessing that comes to the children of God that we have not discussed yet

• It is undoubtedly the greatest blessing that God could offer to those who belong to Him

• It is the blessing of Eternal Life

Eternal Life From Eternal God

• We must realize first that the prospect for eternal life comes to us because our Creator is Himself eternal

• This doesn’t just mean that God is eternal from now on, but that He has always existed

• He is eternal forwards and backwards

Eternal Life From Eternal God

• “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever You had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God” (Ps. 90:2)

• God was called the “eternal God” by Moses (Deut. 33:27)

Eternal Life From Eternal God

• Jesus said He is the “Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last” (Rev. 1:8, 11)

• It’s hard to fathom the idea that God always was

• However, that’s because time as we know it was created by God (Ti. 1:2)

Eternal Life In The Beginning

• The idea of God extending eternal life to His most prized creation was there in the beginning

• In the garden, there was only one tree that was not to be touched (tree of knowledge of good and evil – Gen. 2:16-17)

Eternal Life In The Beginning

• We see in Genesis 3:22 that there was another tree in that garden that man had access to

• That was the tree of life, and if man ate of it, he would live forever

• So the potential was there from the beginning

Eternal Life In The Beginning

• Man could no longer have free access to that tree (vs. 23-24)

• We see the tree of life reappear in Revelation 22:2 in heaven

• Solomon said, however, that eternity is in the hearts of man (Ecc. 3:11)

Eternal Life In The Beginning

• It is interesting because in the Gospels we see those who asked Jesus about how to attain eternal life

• The Rich Young Ruler asked (Matt. 19:16; Mk. 10:17; Lk. 18:18)

• A lawyer asked the same prompting the story of the Good Samaritan (Lk. 10:25)

Offering of Eternal Life

• God has indeed offered eternal life to those who would have it

• Man once had free access to it in the garden, but God kept man away from it

• However, it is being offered to man, but with stipulations

Offering of Eternal Life

• “…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23)

• “in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began” (Ti. 1:2)

• “And this is the promise that He has promised us – eternal life” (I Jn. 2:25)

Offering of Eternal Life

• Notice this offer is through Jesus

• “to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:21)

• “eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 6:23)

• “this life is in His Son” (I Jn. 5:11)

Receiving Eternal Life

• So who will be blessed with eternal life?

• The Bible tells us that not all will enter into eternal life (Matt. 7:13-14)

• God’s word also shows us what kind of individual will be blessed with life eternal

Receiving Eternal Life• These will receive eternal life:

– Those with faith – Jn. 3:15-16; I Jn. 5:13

– The justified by grace – Titus 3:7

– Those in the Son – I Jn. 5:11

– Righteous – Matt. 25:46

– Those who serve/do good – Matt. 25:45-46; Rom. 2:7; Gal. 6:8