Thoughts on Eternal Life: Beyond Dracula, Twilight or Wolverine

The most memorized verse in the Bible is John 3:16. Together now, say it with me: 

"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." 

Eternal life. Because of all these vampire films and my adoration for time-travel themed stories, and of course reading Romans 6 which prompted this entry, I've spent some time pondering on it. 


Eternal life. I was trying to make it more real and personal (and practical too) for me, since in every teaching, we are trained to always have a practical application to do at the end. This is of course to make sure that what you learned, you apply.


So I was thinking: God gives us eternal life. Almost anyone knows that. His gift is eternal life, for those who believe in Him. But most of the time, we think, or at least I used to think, that this gift of eternal or everlasting life is only something we will receive when we die or when the end of the world comes. 

Because obviously, I don't have eternal life now. I'm no Dracula who can live forever, or some kind of Wolverine whose body heals and heals, preventing age and death. I would only finally receive that gift of everlasting life when I die and I go to heaven and live there forever. 


But I realized this wasn't the case. There's more. So much more.


The gift of everlasting life has been given to me and the gift starts NOW. This kind of everlasting life is already at work even now, here on earth, while I am still living. I have been given the gift to have Life, real Life and "life to the full" (John 10:10). 


Not death. We know that death is not simply the literal death of the body, but there is also death of the soul and spirit, which is worse, cause it's a living death- progressing, evolving, infecting. A man who decides life is not worth living and lets hopelessness and depression eat up his soul is already dead. A woman who is imprisoned in a place of long-term abuse, losing hope of ever escaping that life is already dead. 


Death doesn't only come when we stop breathing and end up six feet under. It can happen to us even today, as we go on with our everyday, mundane routines. More than just using it as an expression, everyone knows that there can be "hell on earth".


On the other hand, Life is not simply breathing and existing. Life is growth. I remember back in my elementary days when we'd have science projects of planting little seedlings and caring for them until they grow. We'd water them and make sure they have enough sunlight for a few weeks. Each week we list down its changes- when it's taller, greener, sprouting new leaves or buds. And eventually, when a flower blooms or a fruit finally appears, we are ecstatic.

Why is it that when we are on vacation, communing with nature, relaxing on the beach, feeling the fresh air and smelling the sea water, we say "This is the life!"? For me, when I'm in nature, especially up in the mountains, I feel most alive, because I am surrounded by trees, birds, plants, rivers, mountains. I feel them breathing around me. I feel them growing around me. I think that when we relax, clear our minds, allow ourselves to feel the wind and the water, beyond all this concrete, we feel that growth, that life all around us. 


To be able to live "life to the full" may mean different things to different people, but I know it doesn't mean perfection, as though from beginning to end you are comfortable. It is actually the complete opposite. 

It is to have an adventure. To be able to see the world and make something wonderful of it. To create good things. To use your God-given abilities and talents to influence, to bring joy and peace. To experience danger, risks, obstacles, hardships, to ride out a storm, to slay a dragon, to jump from a waterfall...an adventure that will bring out the best in you. 


Life to the full is fulfilling who you were meant to be, here and now.


Everlasting life is not a gift from God that I'll only receive when I die, this gift is already working in me now. This is not like the most popular take on "eternal life" nowadays, which is the vampire version of it- living forever and ever, but living in hiding, running from enemies, living in fear, hiding your identity, living in sorrow and loss. 


This kind of eternal life is an overflow and abundance of being completely ALIVE--- in body, mind, soul and spirit. To live life to its fullest. To fulfill my God-given destiny. And after this lifetime, there is the greatest pleasure of being with the Creator and Father who led me through this very personal journey, holding my hand, giving me His words, caring for me and loving me. 


Everlasting life in Heaven is something that is so wonderful that my mind can't even begin to grasp it, but I know everlasting LIFE here on earth is already happening, through Him who is Life itself. 


Don't miss out on this.