How does one gain eternal life?

How does one gain eternal life?

In the religion of Christianity, it is sometimes assumed, by some individuals, that in order to receive eternal life one must say a prayer; asking Jesus into their heart and stating that they believe in Him and receive His forgiveness. However, I believe that these individuals may be mistaken. These are often very positive steps to take, however, this is not what the Bible says is the way to gain eternal life. If we fully understood what, "Christ living in our hearts", means, then many would realize that it is much different than just a prayer with our verbal words, void of any true understanding, surrender, repentance, and a continual following of God's ways.

Christ is life (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., John 14:6). Christ was the tree of life, which the Bible states was in the garden of Eden. In the beginning, when God created Adam and Eve, God placed them both in the garden of Eden. In the middle of the garden were two trees: the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and the tree of life (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., Genesis 2:9). After Adam and Eve had eaten from the forbidden tree, "the Lord God said, the man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever" (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., Genesis 3:22). Humanity could no longer have access to eternal life (Christ), because of their sin. So, humanity was temporarily banned from accessing the tree of life (Christ) (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., Genesis 3:23-24).

The only way to receive eternal life would be to gain access back to the tree of life, which is Christ. And then, after being allowed access to the source, the tree of life (Christ), we then would have to do three more things: reach out our hand, take from the tree, and eat. The beginning of this process was done for us by Jesus (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., Hebrews 12:24). He made a way for man to go to God, by His sacrifice upon the cross. The next steps have to do with our choices and actions. In order to receive the eternal life that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ gave us access to, we must not only believe that we have access, but we must make our way to that tree. Just as Eve had seen the forbidden fruit, reached for it, held it, and then ate it, these steps need to be done with the tree of life (Christ) and its fruit (love) (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., Genesis 3:6).

Similar to a tree is a vine and its branches. Jesus used a metaphor of the vine, stating that he is the vine, and we are the branches. The only way for us to have eternal life flowing through us is to remain in him (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., John 15:1 17). This "remaining in him" reference is similar to the symbolism of eating the fruit from the tree of life. The fruit from the forbidden tree resulted in death (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., Genesis 2:17). The fruit from the tree of life results in life. These mentioned results do not happen if the tree and its fruit are only looked at. Nor do the consequences, of either life or death, occur from merely touching or holding the fruit. Even if a person was very firm in their belief and knowledge about what the fruit can do, unless a person eats from the tree, allowing the fruit to enter you, to digest, and to become your very being, then that individual will not gain the consequence of that fruit.

In order to gain eternal life, an individual must make their way back to the center of the garden, which is now allowed because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. This is done within our hearts as we approach God, through prayer, meditation, reading the Bible, etc. We must then look at the fruits of the tree of life. The tree of life is Christ, and the fruits are the love, works, and commands of Christ. As we look upon Christ's love, his works that are done out of love, and his commands which tell us to love, (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., John 1:17), then we must reach out and grab them. We must grab his love, his deeds of love, and his commands to love; and then we must consume them.

The initial consumption of the fruit symbolizes an individual accepting Christ's love, deeds, and commands to love, within their logical minds. When one initially accepts these things about Christ within their logical minds, they will begin to show signs of obedience to the teachings of Christ. However, this is only the beginning of the process of ingestion. If this symbolic process of chewing and swallowing is completed, then the process of digestion begins. The process of the digestion of the fruit symbolizes Christ's love, his deeds, and his commands to love, sinking deeper into our emotions and our subconscious (soul). When the fruit of life (Christ) begins to digest and spread its nutrients within our souls his love begins to heal us in the areas of our emotions and subconscious (soul).

When a human consumes food, in order for us to remain alive, there is a minimal amount of food that we must consume. Also, we can only go without food for a limited amount of time, meaning that there is a consistency of consumption that must occur. We do not eat once and then stay alive for the rest of our years. Likewise, the fruit of Christ, who is love (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., 1 John 4:8 & 16), must be continually consumed. Since the day that we were born, until the present day, the food that we consume becomes us. Our food is consumed, digested, and the food becomes our natural body, which we often refer to as us. Our food becomes us. In this same way, in order to gain eternal life, we must first approach God (the tree of life), which is possible because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Then we must look at the fruit of Christ (love). We must grab the fruit and ingest it. The fruit gives life. As we eat from this tree, which is Christ, we become Him. We are in Christ and in God, Christ is in God, and Christ is in us, we become one. Jesus said it this way, while praying out loud to God, "Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and [me, the anointed one] Jesus Christ...My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us...that they may be one as we are one - I in them and you in me…" (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., John 17:3, 20-23).

To gain eternal life we must know God, know Christ, and know love. All three of these are One (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., 1 John 4:8; John 17:20-23). To know something we must be near it often. To gain eternal life we must remain near the tree (Christ), consuming his fruits of love, allowing love to become us, and us to become love. “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them. This is how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: In this world we are like Jesus. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love” (The Holy Bible, New International Version, 2011/n.d., 1 John 4:16-18).

References

The Holy Bible, New International Version. (n.d.). Bible Gateway. https://www.biblegateway.com/versions/New-International-Version-NIV-Bible/#booklist