This is the final installment of my 5-part series on the privileges that come with membership in the family of God. The greatest membership benefit we have as believers is eternal life! Romans 6:23 (NCV) says, “The payment for sin is death. But God gives us the free gift of life forever in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Let me summarize this benefit like this: We deserved the worst (hell), but God gave us the best (heaven)!
We deserved hell because Romans 3:23 (NIV) tells us, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin is disobedience to God, and disobedience requires punishment. Just as an earthly father punishes his children when they disobey, our Heavenly Father will punish us when we disobey.
God’s punishment is spiritual death, where a person is permanently separated from God and spends the rest of eternity in hell. Revelation 20:15 (NIV) states, “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.” (To clarify, “hell” and the “lake of fire” refer to the same place. Also, our names are written in the book of life when we believe in Jesus Christ.) Revelation 20:10 (NIV) says those in the lake of fire “will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Some people don’t like to talk about hell, but the more we understand how terrible hell will be, the more we will appreciate God’s gift of eternal life.
Even though God has to punish those who sin, He loves us and does not want anyone to experience spiritual death. So, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die in our place. God then raised Jesus from the dead to show that He had accepted Jesus’ death as payment for all of our sins—past, present, and future.
Anyone who believes in Jesus’ death and resurrection is saved from spiritual death and saved to live with God in heaven forever. Romans 10:9 (NIV) says, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 6:23 (referenced earlier) tells us that eternal life with God is a free gift. That means there is nothing we can do to earn it; it has been graciously given to us by God. Let us praise and thank God every day for granting us the privilege to live with Him forever!
In what specific ways will you express your gratitude to God for giving you this undeserved gift of eternal life? Tell me in the comments.
For other benefits that I have discussed in this series, see the following links:
- Unlimited Access to the Master: https://joeyaperry.com/unlimited-access-to-the-master/
- The Ultimate Helper: https://joeyaperry.com/the-ultimate-helper/
- Support for the Journey: https://joeyaperry.com/support-for-the-journey/
- God Wants to Talk to You: https://joeyaperry.com/god-wants-to-talk-to-you/
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