These things have I written unto you … that believe on the name of the Son of God: that ye may know … that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. I John 5:13
This verse is so powerful because it is the most important truth every believer must know, believe and understand. There is only one reason why God gave us Eternal Life and that reason is His glory.
Listen to the words of Jesus Christ as he prays to God about us, right before He went to the cross.
Jesus said these words in John chapter 17. Jesus said, “Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee … As thou has given me power over all flesh, that I should give eternal life to as many as you have given me … And this is life eternal, that they might know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom that has sent … I have glorified you on the earth , I have finished the work you gave me to do … And now O Father, glorify me with thine own self, with the glory I had with you before the world was … And the glory that you gave me, I have given to them … Father, I will that they whom you have given me, be with me where I am: that they may behold my glory, which thou has given me.”
Did you notice the key word in Jesus prayer to God was the word, “Glory” God drew you to his son Jesus Christ because of glory. You have been given eternal life because of glory.
God gave us the message that we have eternal life right now … because of glory.
The bible says in Exodus 16:7…..”you shall see the glory of God. Psalm 19:1 says, the heavens declare the glory of God. Psalm 24 declares Jesus Christ is the King of glory. Psalm 72:19 says the whole earth will be filled with his glory. Psalm 104 says the glory of the Lord shall endure forever! Psalm 145 says for great is the glory of the Lord.
Isaiah said … “Every valley shall be exalted every mountain and hill shall be made low and the crooked shall be made straight and the rough places shall be made plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together.”
Jeremiah said, ”Give glory to the Lord your God.” Ezekiel said, ”The spirit took me up and I heard behind me a great rushing saying, “Blessed be the Glory of the Lord.”
Matthew wrote that the Son of Man shall come in the glory of God. Mark wrote the Lord Jesus comes in the glory of god. Luke wrote, glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will towards men. John wrote, “And the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten son of the father, full of grace and truth.”
Paul said that according as it is written in scripture, He that gloryfieth, let him glory in the Lord.
As I said earlier … the only reason you and I have been given eternal life is because of the glory of God.
And what is the glory of God? The word glory means majestic beauty, majestic splendor, majestic wisdom and majestic power.
The word glory in the bible always means something or someone who deserves great adoration, something or someone who deserves great thanksgivings, something or someone who deserves great honor, and something or someone who is highly worthy to be praised!
You and I have been given the knowledge of the truth .that we have eternal life right now, because God wants us to spend the rest of our days here on earth not trying to get to heaven, but doing everything we can do that will bring to God, great honor, great adoration, great thanksgiving and great praise.
In other words we are to spend the rest of our days, (those of us who know and believe we have eternal life right now) focusing on bringing glory to God … That is why the Apostle Paul exhorted us by saying, whatsoever you do, do it unto the Lord and not unto men.