November 15.
A Never Ending Gift

John 17:2

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

Thou has given him power over aft flesh. The Greek word for power is authority. Now if I had had the power, the prestige, and the position at the age that Jesus had it, perhaps I wouldn’t have given God credit for that. But Jesus always gave the credit to his Father. We often hate to give credit to other folk. We want people to think that it was our idea. But God is the mind regulator, so don’t take credit for whatever little idea you have. The government passes out budgets, the school system passes out books, but God passes out brains. If it took thinking to get it, you’ve got to give God the credit for it. Even if you decide not to do something you knew was wrong, you’ve got to give the Holy Spirit credit for convicting you.

That he should give eternal life. Some teach that you must earn eternal life. One movement believes that baptism saves you, but if you’re not saved before you get baptized you’re not saved after you get baptized. If you go in the water a sinner, you come out a sinner. If water could save you, we wouldn’t need Jesus. His salvation is a gift. He gave us eternal life. If it is a gift; I didn’t earn it. If I earned it, it’s not a gift. It’s a gift, but once you are saved, you ought to work. I’m not working to get saved; I’m working because I am saved.

Eternal life is not just duration of time, but it’s also a quality of life. You move to another level. You move from earth’s brutality to heaven’s blessings. From earth’s fury to heaven’s favor. From earth’s killings to heaven’s kindness. From earth’s liars to heaven’s lovers. From earth’s miseries to heaven’s majesty. From earth’s pains to heaven’s praises. You move from earth’s wounds and weariness to heaven’s worshipping. Aren’t you glad that when you leave here you’ve got another place to go?