Eternity Pt: 2 – When and Then Living

Eternity Pt 2 – When and Then Living

Introduction: Procrastination and Spiritual Living

• Many believers model their spiritual approach after classic cartoon figures:
  • Wimpy (J. Wellington Wimpy): Seeks immediate gratification, avoids responsibility, postpones kingdom work (“I’ll take care of it Tuesday”).
    • This attitude leads to spiritual procrastination and neglect of God’s calling in the present.
  • Popeye: Grows strong when he eats spinach (Spirit’s power), but sometimes delays embracing that power.
    • Delay leads to defeat until Popeye acts.
  • Lessons:
    • Don’t chase pleasure now and put off God’s work for later.
    • Don’t procrastinate on receiving spiritual empowerment​—“eat your spinach” today.
    • The enemy advances while God’s people delay action.
    • The call is to step into faith and Kingdom-building now, not someday or “next week”.

When Does Eternity Begin for People?

• Not everyone experiences eternal life—only those who put faith in Christ and obey Him.
• Timing:
  • Eternal life begins the moment one puts trust in the Lordship of Jesus—not after death.
    • John 5:24: Whoever hears and believes has eternal life, passed from death to life—already, not pending.
  • The common misunderstanding: “Eternal life means living forever.”
    • Correction: All souls continue after death, but only believers possess true life.
  • John 11:23-26: Jesus reveals resurrection and life are in Himself, and believers will never die (in the ultimate sense).

Understanding Eternal Life

• Nature of Eternal Life:
  • John 3:36: Present-tense possession—whoever believes has eternal life.
  • Eternal life is not “when and then,” but “here and now” for the believer.
  • Key passages: John 4:14; 5:24; 6:27, 6:40, 6:47.
• Relational, Not Informational:
  • True faith is defined by obedience, not just information (“believing there is a Son” does not suffice).
  • Disobedience results in living death, not true life—life is defined by a relationship with the Son.
  • Walking in the Spirit (faith and obedience) brings eternal life now, not just later.
• Implications for Identity and Living:
  • The believer’s identity shapes belief, which defines action and daily living—a profound impact.
    • If eternal life is postponed, true spiritual living is also postponed (“Eternity is not now, it’s when I die”). This is not biblical living.
  • Living with present eternal life means freedom from fear of death, persecution, and loss.
  • Genuine eternal life reshapes desire—no love for the world or its systems (1 John 2:15-17).

Kingdom on Earth and Prayer

• Believers are actively building God’s Kingdom now, not simply awaiting it.
  • Matthew 6:9-10: The Lord’s Prayer is about God’s Kingdom coming on earth as in heaven—a present reality for those in Christ.
    • Not a “someday” prayer, but the proclamation of the herald (kerygma).
  • The Church’s role echoes John the Baptist’s: preparing for the coming King, building the Kingdom in the present (John 1:23).
  • Evidence of Kingdom priority: How one spends time, resources, and what one talks about (“Checkbook, Calendar, Conversations”).

What Is Everlasting Life?

• John 3:16: The central goal is not just forgiveness of sin to avoid hell, but “everlasting life”—true relationship with God.
  • Mistake: Placing a period after “perish” in John 3:16, missing continued relationship and connection with God.
  • True salvation is not “fire insurance,” but abundant life now and forever.
• Biblical Definition:
  • John 17:3: “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
    • Knowing God: Intimacy and ongoing relationship, not mere intellectual assent.
  • Greek distinctions:
    • οἶδα (oida): Intellectual or factual knowing.
    • γινώσκω (ginósko): Experiential, relational knowledge.
  • Hebrew terms:
    • Bin (בִּין): Informational, understanding structures or ideas.
    • Yada (יָדַע): Relational, deep personal experience (e.g., Adam “knew” Eve).
  • The heart of eternal life is knowing God intimately, an experience open now to the believer.
• “Steak on your plate while you wait” — not just “pie in the sky by and by”:.
  • Salvation is intended to manifest in present relationship, not just future hope.

Where Is Eternal Life?

• Eternal life is not simply “in heaven” forever—this is a common but mistaken view.
  • The final destination for believers is not “heaven” as popularly understood.
• True Biblical Hope:
  • Salvation’s goal is living with Jesus—wherever He dwells. The final eternal home is on a renewed earth, not a distant heaven.
  • When Jesus returns, His Kingdom is fully established on earth (Matthew 19:28; Revelation 21:5).
    • “The renewal of all things”: making all things new.
  • Heaven is not abandoned; it is merged with creation, fulfilling God’s design for earth restored.

Living with the Promise: Practical Impacts

• Misunderstanding “where” and “when” leads to “bucket list” living:
  • Rushing to fulfill all earthly desires out of fear, this is the only chance before eternity begins elsewhere.
    • This leads to worldliness and a pursuit of fleeting experiences.
  • The biblical promise: What is denied for Christ’s sake now will be restored perfectly in the new creation.
    • Missed earthly experiences will be enjoyed fully and perfectly in eternity.
• God redeems not just people, but creation itself:
  • Those who long to see places, enjoy beauty, or rest in God’s goodness will find it fulfilled—perfected and without decay—in the new heavens and new earth.
  • Nothing in this world is truly missed; all will be made whole in God’s consummated kingdom.

Key Scriptures

• John 11:23–26: Jesus is resurrection and life; believers never die.
• John 5:24: Believers have eternal life now.
• John 3:36, 4:14, 5:24, 6:27, 6:40, 6:47: Eternal life as present possession.
• 1 John 2:15–17: A heart for God rather than the world.
• Matthew 6:9–10: Praying for God’s Kingdom on earth.
• John 17:3: Knowing God as the definition of eternal life.
• John 3:16: God’s love and the gift of everlasting life.
• Matthew 19:28, Revelation 21:5: Renewal and restoration of all creation.

Summary Points

• Believers are called to reject procrastination and spiritual delay, choosing present obedience and empowerment.
• Eternal life starts the moment one trusts Christ, marked by intimacy, obedience, and Spirit-filled living.
• Our hope is not in escape to a distant heaven but in Christ’s return, creation renewed, and eternal joy restored.
• Every missed good will be redeemed; every act for Christ echoes in eternity.