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How important is eternal life to you? I presume it’s important or you likely wouldn’t be reading this. But let me ask you this: Of what does eternal life consist? How do you get it? I suppose there are different things that might be said about each of these questions, but I want to point you to the words of Jesus.

“¹ Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, ² since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:1-3 ESV).

Jesus was pointing out that eternal life is more than an existence that never ends. Even those who are lost eternally continue to exist, but they don’t have eternal life. Jesus was indicating that eternal life, at least in part, involves having a relationship with God and his Son. That’s what he meant when he talked about knowing both God and the one whom he sent. There is more to this knowledge than being acquainted with certain facts about God and Christ; it involves having a close relationship with them.

The only way we can have this relationship—the only way we can truly know God—is to live our lives in obedience to his will. The apostle John, speaking of Jesus, said, “³ This is how we can be sure that we have come to know him: if we continually keep his commandments. ⁴ The person who says, “I have come to know him,” but does not continually keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in that person” (1 John 2:3-4 ISV). It’s not what we say that determines whether or not we have a relationship with the Lord, but what we do.

Many people claim to know God (or Christ), but their lives betray the fact that they do not. They may claim that they want eternal life, but they also want pursue their own will. To do so, however, contradicts the very concept of eternal life as defined by Jesus.

Let me ask you again: How important is eternal life to you? If it’s important to you, then live your life in keeping with the commandments of Christ. “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence” (2 Peter 1:2-3 ESV).