The pursuit of a better life dominates our culture. While that goal isn’t inherently wrong, it does often lead us to neglect thinking about the life to come. Dr. Stanley shifts the focus from this fleeting existence we have here on earth to the eternal life God promises to those who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ. For more messages from Charles Stanley, including this week’s broadcast, go to https://intouch.org/tv
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Charles Stanley we are encouraged to
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g/t
in touch the Teaching Ministry of Dr
Charles Stanley reaching the world with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ next on in
touch eternal life do you want
it there is an Ever growing and very
strong interest these days in longevity
that is the duration of our life in fact
if you’ll think about all the emphasis
we hear today on good health and you
look around on the television you see
all these ads about things you can do to
strengthen your life and maybe lengthen
your life the same thing as through the
radio all the presses come book after
book after book about
Health magazine articles are filled with
ideas about health that can prolong your
life supposedly or at least make your
life a higher quality and of course the
environmentalist always telling us
things that are dangerous for us and
they’re probably in fact I’m sure there
are more people buying nutritional
supplements today than ever before in
the history of our nation we have this
awesome sense of interest in living long
which is natural and Living Well of a
high quality of life and so we are more
concerned about the quality of our food
we’re more concerned about our exercise
and more concerned now we’ve added
meditation to it we could have told them
that a long time ago you spend time with
the Lord and being quiet with him of
course a lot of this meditation today
has nothing to do with God but it’s
meditation and somewhere along the way
way someone’s come up with the idea that
this will help lengthen your life or at
least make it a better quality but one
of the things that I’ve noticed about
all of
this all of this emphasis on living and
there’s nothing wrong with that all this
emphasis on living is in the here and
now it’s all sort of Earthbound it’s uh
how can I live better now live longer
now better quality of life now which is
certainly natural and normal but you
know you don’t hear much about about
what about the next life because you see
you’re going to die that is absolutely
inevitable the Bible says it is
appointed the man once to die and after
this the Judgment but there doesn’t seem
to be a whole lot of interest a lot of
people’s minds about that most of their
interest and their time and their
reading and their studying and their
discipline is taken up with the here and
now living good now living long now
living as best as you can but you know
when I read the scriptures
the emphasis is certainly on living a
Godly life now but there’s warning after
warning reminder after reminder that
there’s a life beyond this there is a
life beyond death and the issue is are
we ready for that one or do we have any
real interest in eternal life and so I
would just simply ask you this question
are you interested in eternal life do
you know what it is do you know how to
possess
it do
you realize that once you have it you
can absolutely be sure of it well that’s
what I want to talk about in this
message simply this eternal life do you
want it and I want you to turn if you
will to 1 John chapter
5 John makes it very very clear as to
how you and I can have eternal life if
you’ll notice in verse
11 and the witness is this that God has
given us eternal life and the first
thing I simply want to say is this that
is eternal life is a gift of God eternal
life is a gift of God for example he
says it here and then that passage that
all of us know so well in Romans chapter
6 23 when he says the wages of sin is
death but the gift of God is eternal
life through Jesus Christ Our Lord and
it’s very clear all through the
scriptures that eternal life is a gift
of God it isn’t something we work for
something we pay for something we
worship for it is a gift of God from God
well when I think about the fact that
it’s a gift certainly ought to stir up
somebody’s interest this isn’t listen no
why in the Bible does it
say if you work so many years you will
earn the gift of eternal
life if you pay so much you will be able
to purchase eternal life now listen
carefully not being critical I’m just
saying this is the way it is there’s so
much go there’s so much supposedly truth
that goes on out there that has a subtle
mixture and here’s the mixture you’ll
hear the message is saved by grace not
by works but then if you keep listening
often times the next thing you hear is
the fact though it’s not said but it’s
implied but in order to stay saved
here’s what you got to do you must do
the following things you must give so
much and you must serve God you must do
all these things listen serving God and
giving and praying and worshiping are
all part of the Christian life and it’s
what all of us who have S it’s what we
want to do we love God we want to do
that but how does that listen how does a
person come to eternal life the Bible
says it’s a gift now watch this it
cannot be it cannot be the result of
what I did and a gift at the same time
it’s either going to be a gift or it’s
going to be Wages that’s why the Bible
says the wages of sin is death but the
gift of God is eternal life listen
nowhere does the bible say that you get
it by works not by works of
righteousness which uh which we’ve done
but according to his Mercy his Mercy he
saved us he’s forgiven us and so person
says well sure you mean to tell me that
as wicked as I’ve been that if I ask God
that he’ll give me the gift of eternal
life well let me ask you this what are
you going to do for it you can’t answer
that question how long are you going to
do it how much could you pay how much
could you serve I think there are people
who get into the ministry because they
have such guilt over what has happened
in their past life that somehow they’ve
got to pay God back my friend you can’t
pay God back let me tell you how
absolute that is God has made the
statement so absolute that you can’t pay
him back that’s the reason he sent his
only begotten son who is God in human
flesh walking among men the only perfect
man he sent him as a substitute for you
and me because you and I absolutely
could not pay for our own sin except we
die and be eternally separated from God
he said the soul that sin it it shall
die it just Crystal Clear there’s
nothing foggy and hazy and cloudy about
the scripture it’s just Crystal Clear
Point than a man wants to die after this
the Judgment except a man be born again
he cannot see the kingdom of God believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt
be saved absent from the body present
with the Lord Crystal Clear very very
clear it is man who does not want to
believe the truth that tries to fog it
up and make it foggy and make it hazy
very clear eternal life is a gift that
dur listen that endless duration of life
in the presence of and fellowship with
him and intimacy with almighty God in a
place listen finally in a place called
Heaven because eternal life is the gift
of God when do you get it you get it now
when does it start it begins right now
eternal life isn’t something I’m going
to get at you under after I die eternal
life begins the moment that this
experience I’m about to share the moment
this experience takes place you have it
right then and how long does it last
forever and ever and ever and listen no
one can tamper with your gift of eternal
life otherwise it wouldn’t necessarily
be
Eternal Eternal means it’s never ending
now the big question
is
how how can I possess eternal life
well the two very simple again two
absolutes Bible’s not hazy about this
two absolutes number one in order to
possess eternal life I must agree with
God about who his son
is listen I must agree with God’s
witness about who his son Jesus is now
listen to these passages if you
will verse 10 the one who believes in
the Son of God has the witness in
himself I’m coming back to that now the
one who does not believe God has made
him a liar because he has not believed
in the witness that God has born
concerning his son that is what did God
say about his son and the witness is
this that God has given us eternal life
and this life is in his son he who has
the son has the life he who does not
have the Son of God does not have life
so what is the testimony what is the
witness of almighty God about his son he
says his son listen his son Jesus Christ
is the Son of God Jesus said if you’ve
seen me you’ve seen the father I’m the
father one Jesus is deity even as God
the father is deity and so people who
say to you well now wait a minute you
know I believe in God you mean to tell
me that if I believe in God and I don’t
believe in Jesus that I don’t have
eternal life well you listen to what he
said he who has the son has life he who
does does not have the Son of God does
not have
life that doesn’t leave any question
there can be no doubt about that
whatsoever what what he’s saying here is
this in order for me to have the gift of
eternal life I must agree with God about
who he says his son is and he says his
son Jesus Christ is his son his eternal
son the Son of God Jesus confessed to
being the Son of God Peter said Thou Art
the Christ the son of the Living God
and all through the gospels he was
identified as the Son of God if you’ve
seen me he says you’ve seen the father
I’m the father one if you’ve seen him
you’ve seen the father he and the father
were one he is
deity and when a person says well I I I
do believe in God but I don’t believe in
Jesus then my friend no matter what else
you believe in life if you do not
believe that Jesus Christ is divine that
he is deity if you do not believe that
he is the Eternal Son of God then let me
ask you a
question why did he die
because if he were just the man he had
to be a sinner now listen to this you
can’t have it the way the world wants it
you just can’t have it this way let me
show you why you can’t have it that
Jesus was a good man wonderful man good
teacher great philosopher healer uh a
great a great person in history but he
was not the Son of God and he certainly
was not God now if you you can’t have it
that way you say yes I can no you can’t
because Jesus Christ could not be a good
man he could not be just a philosoph he
couldn’t be all of that if he’s not the
Son of God and if he is not God walking
in human flesh if he is not seated the
father’s right hand making intercession
for us then he was a liar he was an
impostor he was a counterfeit he was a
fraud you can’t have a good Jesus unless
he’s God the resurrection go listen the
father’s way of of putting value and
absolute certainty but before the whole
world this is not just another religious
leader not just the philosopher not just
the teacher not just the preacher not
just the Theologian this is the Living
God coming out listen coming out of that
tomb because death could not hold God
the son validating everything he said
and giving you and me the assurance that
we need that when we when the Bible says
absent from the body present with the
Lord suppose he was still in the grave
suppose he’s like all other religious
leaders we’d have no assurance
whatsoever we have absolute Assurance
Rose from the grave validated gave us
Blessed assurance that he’s everything
he says is well first of all you got to
believe who he is he’s the son of God
the Eternal Son of God who came in the
world to die on the cross know that your
sins and mine may be forgiven but
there’s a second thing the second thing
is you must be willing to accept him as
your personal savior you must be willing
to accept him as your personal savior
now when I think about um the whole idea
of accepting him as your personal Savior
and what people think about that
so I I I believe in Jesus well I want
you to think about
something eternal life is
irretrievably
irrevocably
immutably linked to the person of Jesus
you can’t have one without having the
other listen to this he who has the son
has the light not just life but the the
life that’s eternal life he who does not
have the Son of God does not have the
life now you say well here’s what I
believe that has nothing to do with it
God says that in order for you to have
eternal life you must have the
son it’s not a matter whether I like it
not whether I I could question all kind
of things he who has the son has the
life he who does not have the Son of God
does not have the life period that’s
it so the reason I make this emphasis is
because people say well now let me tell
you something I believe in God I live a
good life and I believe that when I die
I’m going to heaven because I’ve lived a
good life notice what they say I believe
I believe I believe I believe if you ask
me here’s what I’m going to tell you
here’s what God says you say is that
just your interpretation well you’re
welcome to read it here’s what it says
he who has the son has life he who does
not have the Son of God does not have
life period it’s not what I said it’s
what God
Said So what does it what are we talking
about when we talk about this whole idea
of believing he
says to as many as believed in him to
them gave he the right the authority the
power to become the sons of
God as many as believed in him receive
him as many as received him by faith now
what does it mean to receive Jesus it
mean watch this carefully it means that
I accept the testimony of God the Father
God the son I accept the testimony of
scripture about who he is
that he is man’s only hope that he’s
man’s savior that that’s the way
forgiveness comes if I receive Jesus
Christ as my personal savior that means
I accept personally that his that who he
is is Christ’s son God the father Jesus
his his the father son Jesus Christ I
accept who he is I accept what he did in
my behalf that he died for my sins I
accept that and apply that to my own
life by faith I accept who he is and I
accept what he did and I accept the fact
that God said if I do so if I believe
him I’ll be saved so let me Define what
believe means to believe in Jesus means
that I have a confident
conviction it means that I have a
confident
conviction that Jesus is who he says he
is listen I have a confident conviction
that Jesus is who he says he
is and upon placing my trust in
him
as my
savior I enter
into a personal and eternal relationship
with
him it is a confident conviction that
Jesus is who he says he is and upon
placing my trust in him I believe you
who you say you
are placing my trust in
him which would include that I believe
what he did at Calvary my behalf I enter
into by faith I enter into a personal
Eternal relationship with him therefore
when a person says well I believe about
Jesus that’s not believing in Jesus one
of these days you’re going to come to
the end of
life what you’ve believed all these
years isn’t going to make any difference
whatsoever if you have rejected Jesus
all these
years you see I understand this may be a
little difficult for you because maybe
somewhere you’ve come from in Life or
whatever your religion may be I have
nothing personal in
mind I’m interested in one thing that
you simply know the truth that when it
comes the time when you close your eyes
on this
life and you open them on the next one I
just want you to be
sure that it will not be a fearful
time a tragic
time a tormenting
moment a
moment when you become
hysterically
uncontrollable because you know when you
take your last breath you’re going into
an
endless uncertain
unknown
eternity that you know nothing
about there’s only one way to to avoid
that this is the way it
is to accept what God the father said
about his son there’s only one
Jesus he’s God the father’s only
begotten son who came into this world
and his sinless Perfection for the
purpose of dying for your sins so that
the moment you ask him to forgive you of
your
sin on the basis of who he is the great
forgiver the basis of what he did he
paid you sin debt and full placing your
trust in him you become a child of God
your Eternal future is secure forever he
comes to live on the inside of you to
enable you to live a very Godly life
that’s what this is all about the gift
of eternal life is yours for the asking
and yours for the believing do you want
it if you’re wise you’ll take it I’m
simply going to pray a short prayer but
it’ll be sufficient if you want to pray
this prayer and mean it with all of your
heart no matter who you are mean it with
all of your heart if you’re uncertain
you can make certain just like that if
you know in your heart you’ve never
received the gift of eternal life you
can have it in these next few moments if
you will accept the fact the truth that
God’s son is who we’ve said he is he is
indeed the Son of God Jesus the
Christ if you willing to believe that
the testimony of scripture about him in
these next few moments listen your
whole future Destiny can be
changed the moment you say yes I do
believe that Jesus Christ is a Son of
God and died on the cross for my sin and
I accept him as my personal savior let’s
pray
father I pray the Holy
Spirit has penetrated every single
single
heart that has heard this
message for those who are full of doubts
we want to ask you to settle those
doubts right now for those who know in
their heart there’s never been a time
when they made this momentous decision
that affects their whole
Destiny grant them the courage and the
simple Faith to pray this prayer to you
believing with all their heart because
there’s no reason to doubt it that
you’ve
heard and that you’ve answered even
while they’re
praying if you will pray this prayer
heavenly
father I know I’ve sinned against
you I’m asking you to forgive me of my
sin I do believe that Jesus Christ is
your
son I believe that when he went to the
cross at
Calvary he paid my sin debt in
full by
faith I receive Jesus as my personal
savior here and now I accept your
forgiveness and the gift of eternal
life through Jesus Christ
Christ the lord and now my Lord in his
name I
pray
amen if you prayed that prayer you can
ever be the
same and my friends you don’t have to
worry about
death because when it hits you things
are going to get better instantly
because you have the gift of eternal
life
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