Is This Eternal Life?

by Katie Harding on August 21, 2023

Jesus defined eternal life so differently from the way we often do. “And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3).

He didn’t say eternal life is about living on heaven’s shore. Although that doesn’t mean we won’t spend eternity in God’s presence. For Jesus said, “I will raise them up [all who believe in the Son] on the last day.”  

Years ago, I learned the word “know” in the Greek is ginosko, which means to understand, perceive, or be sure of. A Catholic monk I once met actually defined it as to know intimately or understand fully. We know God intimately through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate (Helper), to be with you forever…You will know him, because he abides with you, and he will be in you” (John 14:16-17). And Paul said it is through the Spirit that we will cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Galatians 4:6).

Jesus said He wants to give eternal life to all those the Father has given Him (John 17:2). When I think about that in conjunction with the fact that eternal life will give us intimate knowledge of our one true God and Jesus Christ, whom He sent, I can’t help but wonder if eternal life is not really about a place we will go as much as the Person we receive — the Holy Spirit — God’s living and abiding Spirit. Just a thought to ponder.