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(11) And this is the testimony: that God has given
us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. (12) He who has the Son has life;
he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. (13) These things I have
written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that
you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name
of the Son of God. New
King James Version Change your email Bible version
When God gave us eternal life, He gave us something unique, a life different
from the one we were living before our calling. At that time, we were "dead" in
trespasses and sins because we were living a life that produced death. Those
still in the
world continue to live this kind of life by nature. Do they have fellowship
with God? Do they walk with Him as friends because they agree with Him about how
to live and to remain at His side endlessly?
Understanding this fellowship aspect is important to understanding eternal
life. "Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?" (Amos 3:3). God created humanity for fellowship, and by
nature, we seek it out on many levels. Many find it through hobbies, the arts,
politics, intellectual pursuits, social organizations, and sports. The greatest
and highest form of fellowship, though, is with God and others who share the
common desire to live like God always and whom He is transforming to that end.
This fellowship is reserved for those whom God summons.
This means an independent
Christian is a contradiction in terms. The Christian church is a community
fellowship comparable to a body of which Christ is the Head (I Corinthians 12:12-31). Hebrews 10:25 commands us not to forsake the assembling of
ourselves together. Fellowship is not just friendly conversation and geniality.
The Bible's writers show plainly it is a tightly knit relationship marked by
self-sacrificial love
manifested in mutual service, concern, prayer,
labor, and helpfulness.
— John W. Ritenbaugh
To learn more, see:
The Elements of Motivation (Part Six): Eternal
Life
Related Topics:
Eternal Life
Fellowship
Fellowship with God
Living as God Lives
Quality of Life
Relationship With God
Relationships with Brethren
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