Eternity Is Now

Dallas Willard, in one of his books, says "Eternity is now in process."  Wow, that is encouraging! How do we eternity this way?  Well, we've discussed here that the Kingdom of God is already here, and will fill the whole earth at the return of Christ. In the same way, eternity is
right now, and come in full when we see Jesus. So, how do we experience 'eternity' now?

Jesus himself said that knowing and believing him and the Father who had sent him, is having eternal life. He said:  “I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live." (John 5:24-25). Those who "listen and believe" were standing around him; and the "dead" who were hearing his voice and listening, were the spiritually dead who were being raised to that eternal life at that very moment. Jesus makes a difference about the future resurrection, in verse 28, saying "Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God’s Son, and they will rise again."

That never-ending age will be full of joy and life, never-ending and always expanding in our love of God and of all his children who are also experiencing that eternal joy with us. But, believing that Jesus is the Son of God, surrendering to him, being filled with the Holy Spirit and experiencing communion with God, is experiencing that eternity, already! We already know the love of God, and experience his forgiveness, his acceptance of us, his power and his joy every day through the Spirit.

We're all still having birthdays. My dad is now 91, and a lot of people I know are in their seventies or eighties. But rather than being sad that we are getting older, that our physical lives are going to end one of these days, we can still be full of courage and joy! We know, already, the love of God that we get to experience throughout eternity. Eternity has already begun, for us, and that eternal living can already -- should already -- be full of that joy and love. As we focus on Jesus, have our minds connected with him, and let him rule in our lives, he will continue to keep us in his peace.

Sound like something you're missing? Then let's talk. Already enjoying it? Then let's encourage each other to continue!