The Bible says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV emphasis added).

 

The Bible defines eternal life for us. In John 17:3, it says, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent" (NIV).

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The word eternal means forever. Eternal life does mean living forever with God. But, according to the Bible, eternal life also means knowing God and Jesus. This Greek word for know (in John 17:3) is the same word used in Matthew 1:25 that says, "and [Joseph] did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name Jesus" (NKJV emphasis and brackets added). Eternal life means knowing God now (present tense) in a close, personal way. Out of His love, God made us so we can have a relationship with Him.

 

This is possible the moment you put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. We do not have to wait for Heaven to experience eternal life.

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Now, think of two people.

 

Person Number One:  Think of a person you know a lot about and spend a lot of time with.

Person Number Two:  Think of a person who does not live with you and you don't see very often (but you know their name). 

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Now try to answer these same questions for both people. What are their favorite things to do? What foods do they like best? Do you know some things that make them excited or happy? What are some things that make them upset?

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It's obviously easier to answer questions about a person you see every day and frequently spend time with. This is because you have a better relationship with the person you spend a lot of time with. You know that person in a close, personal way. It’s more than just knowing their name and a few facts about them. A relationship connects you with another person.

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​As God was preparing to make Adam, the first man, He said, "Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness…” (Gen. 1:26 NIV). Creating us in His image means God made us to be like Him. This does not mean that He was making another God and it doesn’t mean that we look exactly like Him.  But on the outside, in many ways, we look like God. We don’t look like sharks or rhinos or spiders. Although God is a Spirit and does not have lungs to breathe, He created us to look like Him. We are also made in His likeness. This means we have certain qualities and abilities that other creation does not have.

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God made us unique, and He did it for a reason. God made us to be like Him so we have the ability to have a relationship with Him. Unlike animals, people can talk, think, reason, and make choices. God wants us to choose to spend time with Him and get to know who He is. He loves us and wants us to love Him. He wants us to be able to enjoy knowing Him, and He wants to spend eternity with us in Heaven.

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Your relationship with God is the most important relationship you will ever have. The first step to having a relationship with God is believing in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 NIV). Only those who choose to believe in Jesus as Lord and Savior can have a relationship with God.

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In order to know God, you must spend time with Him. Like any relationship, the more time you spend with Him the better you will know Him. Even though we can’t see Him with our eyes, God is always with us. We can spend time with Him by talking to Him and reading His Word.

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It’s important that we don’t just know facts about God, but we know Him in a close, personal way.