Hi Christine,

     Jeff mentioned that you two were having discussions about God
and eternal life.  He asked me to contribute to the discussion, and this I
am glad to do.
     Christine, I want you to know that God loves you and wants to a
have a personal relationship with you for all of eternity.  John 3:16 says,
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that
whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.”  How
can this happen for you personally?
     The short answer is: “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall
be saved” (Acts 16:31).  Hey, Christine, if you want to just do this right
now, cool.  Simply pray this to God the Father right now: “Father God, I
believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for my eternal salvation.”  I hope you pray
it!
     However, some people are not ready for the short answer. For
example, in John 3:16 it says: “For God so loved the world.”  Who is this
God?  Or, in John 3:16 it says “that He gave His only begotten Son.”
Who is this “only begotten Son”?  God gave us the Bible to provide
answers about Himself.
     Who is the God of the Bible?  The Bible declares that He is the
Creator of all things and thus has awesome abilities: “For since the
creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine
nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been
made, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).  From the
complexity of biological life to the immensity of the universe; God’s
attributes, power and nature are declared.  Christine, the objective
person knows instinctively that the universe and all that it contains is not
its own cause and effect.  On an instinctive level objective people know
God exists.  Psalm 97:6 says, “The heavens declare His righteousness,
and all peoples have seen His glory.”  The Bible also declares that the
God of the Bible is multidimensional in attributes and Persons. God exists
and functions on a multidimensional basis; beyond length, width, height
and time.  1 Timothy 6:16 says of God, “Who alone possesses
immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen
or can see.  To Him be the honor and eternal dominion!  Amen.”
Christine, the God of the Bible functions apart from time (immortality)
and in dimensions apart from the universe in which we live
(unapproachable light).  The God of the Bible is indeed awesome in His
abilities and characteristics. The Bible also declares that God is
multidimensional in Person: Father, Son and Spirit. 1 Peter 1:2 says,
“According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctifying
work of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with
His blood: May grace and peace be yours in fullest measure.”  Christine,
in John 3:16 when it says “that He gave His only begotten Son,” it means
that God the Father sent God the Son (Jesus Christ) to be the Savior of
the world.  God has provided everything for people to have eternal
salvation and a relationship with Him.  He wants us to believe it.
     That the world needs a Savior is expressed by the  following
passages: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while
we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For Christ also
died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might
bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive by
the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18). “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). Christine,
Jesus Christ,  one of the members of the multidimensional triune God,
became a man and died on the cross to satisfy God’s righteous standards
on our behalf.  He did what we could never do for ourselves: satisfy the
God of the Bible and His righteous standards.  He wants us to believe it.
     Christine, I have given you more to think about in relationship to
God and the potential of your eternal relationship with Him.  Perhaps
you will now want to pray to God the Father this: “Father God, I believe
that Jesus Christ died for my sins, and that He was buried and raised to
give me eternal life. Amen”?

Sincerely,

David H. Enticknap
Pastor-teacher