This is Vision for Christ World, Toledo, Ohio, USA. My name is Tim Taylor. Can you imagine how sad and empty our lives would be if we thought that these 70 to 90 years of life is all there is? The thought of death would be terrifying. No wonder people with money do all they can to prolong their lives, if this life is all there is. Thank God it is not all there is. There is eternal life to plan and prepare for, and you only have a relatively few years to do this. Eternal life is not a given. It is not automatically granted to anyone, and that is what makes death so horrible to think about. Once you have a real, genuine relationship with God through Jesus Christ, loving God becomes easy. As we read the Bible, we learn more about who God is and what he requires in this relationship. Father God, let me show everyone who you really are and reveal your only Son, Jesus Christ, to those who are listening. Praying in the name of Jesus, Amen. You can find more about us at vision4christworld.com John 3, 16-21 says, For this is how God loved the world. He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in Jesus, the one and only Son of God. And the judgment is based on this fact. The light of God came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light. for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so that others can see that they are doing what God wants. Then in John 17, 3, and this is the way to have eternal life, to know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, the one you sent to earth. 1 Timothy 1, 15 to 17, recounts this. This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and I, Paul, am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they too can believe in Jesus and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever. He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies. He alone is God. Amen. When the Bible speaks of eternal life, it refers to a gift of God that comes only through Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 6.23. This gift is in contrast to the death that is the natural result of sin. The gift of eternal life comes to those who believe in Jesus Christ, who is himself the resurrection and the life. John 11 25. The fact that this life is eternal indicates that it is perpetual life. It goes on and on and on with no end. It is a mistake, however, to view eternal life as simply an unending progression of years. A common New Testament word for eternal carries the idea of quality as well as quantity. In fact, eternal life is not really associated with years at all, as it is independent of time. Eternal life can function outside of and beyond time, as well as within time. For this reason, eternal life can be thought of as something that Christians experience now. Believers in Jesus do not have to wait for eternal life, because it is not something that starts when they die. Rather, eternal life begins the moment a person exercises faith in Christ. it is our current possession. John 3.36 says, whoever believes in the Son has eternal life. Note that the believer has, present tense, this life, and the verb is present tense in the original Greek of the Bible too. We find similar present tense constructions in John 5.24 and John 6.47. The focus of eternal life is not on our future, but on our current standing in Christ. Right now, every sinner is invited to know Christ and to receive eternal life. Let the one who is thirsty come, and let the one who wishes to take the free gift of the water of life come. Revelation 22, 17. How can you know that you have eternal life? First, confess your sin before God. Then accept what Jesus as Savior did for you on your behalf. Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Romans 10 13. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for your sins and he rose again the third day. Believe this good news. Trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior and you will be saved. See Acts 16 31, Romans 10 9 and 10. John puts it so simply, God has given 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. 1 John 5, 11 and 12. Acts 11, 17, and 18, since God gave to the non-Jews the same gift he gave to us after we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I stand against God? When they heard these words, they said nothing more. They thanked God, saying, then God has given eternal life also to the people who are not Jews. They have this new life by repentance, being sorry for their sins and turning from them. John 5, 24, I tell you the truth. Those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 10, 27-29, Jesus speaking here. My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the hand of the Father. The Bible presents a clear path to eternal life. First, we must recognize that we have sinned against God. For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3.23. We have all done things that are displeasing to God, which makes us deserving of punishment. Since all our sins are ultimately against an eternal God, only an eternal punishment is sufficient. The wages of sin is death, eternal death. But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord, Romans 6.23. However, Jesus Christ, the sinless eternal Son of God, became a man and died to pay our penalty. God demonstrates his love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5.8. Jesus Christ died on the cross, taking the punishment that we deserve. Three days later, he rose from the dead, proving his victory over sin and death. In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Faith alone in the finished saving work of Jesus Christ on the cross is the only true path to eternal life, for it is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not by works so that no one can boast about it. Ephesians 2, 8 and 9. If you want to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior, here is a sample prayer. Remember, saying this prayer or any other prayer will not save you. It is only trusting in Christ that can save you from sin. This prayer is simply a way to express to God your faith in Him and to thank Him for providing for your salvation. God, I know I have sinned against you and deserve punishment, but Jesus Christ took the punishment that I deserve so that through faith in him I could be forgiven. I place my trust in you for salvation. Thank you for your wonderful grace and forgiveness, the gift of eternal life. Amen. So then, do you know for certain that you have eternal life and that you will go to heaven when you die? God wants you to be sure. The Bible says, I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5, 13. God is holy and just and must punish sin, yet he loves us and has provided forgiveness for our sin. Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. That's John 14 6. Jesus died for us on the cross. For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous to bring you to God. 1 Peter 3.18. Jesus was resurrected from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Romans 4.25. How can you know for sure that you will go to heaven when you die? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved. Acts 16 31. To all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1.12. You can receive eternal life as a free gift. The gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6.23. You can live a full and meaningful life right now. Jesus said, I have come that they may have life and have it to the full. John 10.10. You can spend eternity with Jesus in heaven, for he promised, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am. John 14 3. Now, let me pray for you. Father God, in the name of your one and only unique Son, Jesus Christ, I ask you to send your Holy Spirit to touch the heart and mind of every person listening to me right now. Cause them to desire to have their sins taken away, to pray and ask to be granted repentance that leads to life by God, and to repent of their sins. Truly, turning away from sin, to have that penalty for sin removed, so that through the faith you give them, they may believe in you, Jesus, and have eternal, never-ending life, starting today by having personal, saving faith in you, Lord Jesus. Amen. Listen to us online at vision4christworld.com Our Vision for Christ broadcast began as a shortwave broadcast from a Florida radio facility to Sub-Saharan Africa, and this is still our primary audience. We have since expanded to Asia on AM medium-wave radio. to Albania, North Macedonia and Greece on FM local area radio, also to Australia and Northern Europe on shortwave. Again, you can hear our program online also at vision4.org. Until the next broadcast, this is Tim Taylor praying the great blessings of God with joy and peace upon your life as you embrace Jesus Christ in personal saving faith. I will leave you today with this text from Titus 3, 4-7. When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Holy Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. Because of His grace, He made us right in His sight and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life.