Eternal Victory
Eternal life is sharing Jesus' victory over death. To understand how we can share that victory, start with Jesus' own words:
"Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life." (John 5:24)
"For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him, should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day." (John 6:40)
We might know lots of facts about Jesus, even that He rose from the dead, but only those who believe in Him have eternal life.
But what specifically are you to believe, or accept as true by faith, to receive eternal life?
You must first acknowledge that no amount of good work can save you from the second death (Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5), any more than a convicted mass murderer could escape the justice of the death penalty by doing a lot of community service. You must agree with God that you cannot do anything to deliver yourself from the eternal consequences for your sin. In a word, you repent, which means you turn away from sin and give up any attempt to make yourself right before God.
You then put your personal trust in the amazing truth that Jesus’ death was in your place—He was completely innocent, but He took the punishment that belonged to you (Isaiah 53:5,6). God loved you so much that He offered Jesus as a substitute for you when He died on the cross (Romans 5:8). By faith you accept what God freely offers, forgiveness for your sins (Acts 10:43) and the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23).
This is just the start. If you believe in Jesus Christ in this way, you enter a new life as a child of God (John 1:12). You are made a new person on the inside (II Corinthians 5:17), receiving righteousness, or spiritual purity, as a free gift from God (Romans 5:17). You receive the Holy Spirit--God Himself living inside you and confirming to you that you are indeed His child (Romans 8:15,16). God’s call to His children is to be progressively changed so that our day-to-day lives reflect a new inner reality (Romans 12:1,2).
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