In the evangelical churches there are various denominations that came into being because different church leaders held different interpretations of the Bible. People have different understandings on different questions. But there are three truths on which we can make NO compromise. These are truths from which we, as a church, cannot back away. They are foundational to our faith, and if we retreat from them we will lose our identity and no longer be what we are as a church. Satan attacks us in various ways. One of them is liberalism. Liberalism is a philosophical teaching and a kind of theology that has already made its way into the churches. We must guard ourselves against it. We must know what the foundational truths of our faith are and, at all costs, never surrender them, so that we may be protected from liberalism.
The Attack on the Divinity of Christ
The first truth is very simple: Jesus Christ is the Son of God — He is God. There are various attacks against the person of Christ that are gradually creeping into the church. For example, there is a movement in theology called “the Quest for the Historical Jesus.” When you hear “the quest for the historical Jesus,” you might think, “That sounds fine, they want to understand who Jesus was according to history.” But these theologians claim that the Gospels were written by the church in order to meet the church’s own needs. The church, they say, composed the Gospels so that people would believe in God and the church would prosper. According to these theologians, there is a difference between the Jesus described in the Gospels and the real “historical Jesus.” In this way, whether consciously or not, they attack the very foundation of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nothing has been preserved that Jesus wrote personally — no letter or anything else. Studying the Gospels, these theologians attempt a reconstruction (a restoration of what came before) that would supposedly show which of the things written in the Gospels was actually said by the “historical Jesus.” They hold that many of the words attributed to Jesus in the Gospels were in fact invented by the evangelists. In this quest of theirs, these theologians deny the divinity of Jesus and the divinity of the Gospels.
Behind the books of Dan Brown lie the ideas of the quest for the historical Jesus. National Geographic is a channel that shows the beauty of God’s creation. But it also airs films that claim Jesus Christ was merely a man. He had a wife named Mary Magdalene. He also had children. These biblical researchers claim that this is the historical Jesus. He is the real Jesus, they say, and not the one the church created to meet its own needs. We, however, must know that Jesus never married and He had no children. The church — all of us together — are His spiritual children.
These thoughts, agitations, and attacks of liberalism slip into society and into the church through films, through liberal theology, through the debates over how the Bible ought to be read. Many people, even among believers, say, “Let us be more open, more liberal, not so ‘rigid’ in our Christianity.” But as a church, as those who believe in Jesus Christ, we must declare categorically, and never retreat from the position, that Jesus Christ is not merely a man. Jesus Christ of Nazareth is the Son of God; Jesus Christ is God. We must hold this clear position at all costs and not yield from it a single step. Jesus Christ is Lord! This is the shortest creed (confession of faith) of the church. He is the Son of God — He is God.
The Attack on the Divinity of the Bible
The second attack of liberalism creeping into the church is against the Bible. There are various theologians who study the Bible and who know a great deal about what other theologians have written. They are extremely intelligent; they know the original languages — Hebrew and Greek. All of this is good, but the problems begin when they try to answer the question, “How was the Bible written?” Searching for the sources from which the individual biblical books were composed, they go so far as to deny the divine inspiration of Scripture and claim that the biblical books are merely literary works, edited and assembled together by various compilers who used various older sources.
For the New Testament they claim there is a source called “Q” — from the German Quelle, which means “spring” or “source.” No one has ever seen this source, but it is assumed that in this supposed document the sayings of Jesus were recorded, and that the evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke used it when they wrote their Gospels. We do not know how they wrote them, but we are convinced that the Bible is God’s inspired message to us.
For the Old Testament they have not just one but four sources: “JEPD.” The supporters of this so-called “documentary hypothesis” distinguish the sources from which the different parts of the Old Testament books came. They can trace which part comes from which source. But if we follow their reasoning and their critical attitude toward the Bible, we can become so proud that we reduce the Bible to an ordinary human book.
Liberal theologians are like coroners who take the corpse of a deceased person, lay it on the operating table, and begin to dissect it in order to determine the cause of death. Pathologists are physicians who, by examining deceased patients or human cells, tissues, and organs, establish the causes of diseases and death. Liberal theologians have a great deal of knowledge, but their error is this: they take the Bible, which is God’s living and active Word, and lay it out like a dead corpse on the operating table and begin to analyze it in order to work out how it was put together. The problem, however, is that in this way they place themselves in a position of authority over the Bible — and whenever anyone has set himself above the Bible, he has erred.
The Bible is not a human book; it is a God-breathed, divine book. The Bible is not one book. It is a library of books. Made up of 66 books, written by different authors at different times, yet all of them were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and all the biblical books are in full agreement and harmony with one another. This is what makes the Bible God’s Holy Scripture. Although it was written by human beings, it is supernatural.
These are precisely the simple truths from which we cannot retreat and which we defend. The first is that Jesus Christ is God. Jesus Christ is Lord. This was the confession of the early church. In the letter to the Philippians, the apostle Paul writes (Philippians 2:9-11):
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (Philippians 2:9-10)
God permits worship to no one except Himself. If anyone worships someone else, that is idolatry. But in this verse the apostle Paul says that God gave Jesus such a name that all should bow before Him. If they bow before Him, then Jesus Christ is God.
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:11)
Of course, this worship of Jesus does not break the Trinity. It is for the glory of God the Father. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit are one God in three persons. We cannot retreat from the truth that Jesus Christ is God — that He is the Son of God. Nor can we retreat from the truth that the Bible is not an ordinary book — it is not a human book — but God’s book.
The Attack on the Divinity of Salvation
The third truth from which we cannot retreat is the new birth. I know people who join the church for a while but who, sadly, do not leave their sin. Only God is the searcher of hearts and knows our hearts, but I know that in order to be saved, you must be born again. Jesus Christ said:
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)
You cannot even glimpse into the kingdom of heaven, let alone enter it, if you are not born again.
Many people confuse the new birth with reincarnation. To be born again is different from being reincarnated. Many Eastern religions speak of reincarnation. According to them, a person is born and dies, and this repeats over and over again, countless times. You may have been a butterfly, a plant, or a snail, and gradually, through countless reincarnations, you develop and become a human being. Then, as a human with countless reincarnations, you perfect yourself and reach “nirvana.” But God’s Word says clearly:
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment… (Hebrews 9:27)
According to the Bible there is no such thing as “reincarnation.” There is no reincarnation; there is the new birth. That is why we must be very clear about this: a person must be born again. Because if you are not born again, you will remain unsaved and you will go to hell and into the eternal fire.
There are people who simply join the church. Even in the Orthodox church. They say, “I am a believer, I am a Christian.” But ask them, “Are you born again?” These people do what everyone else does — they go to church, they sit in the pew, they listen to the pastor, they sing songs. Some of them are businessmen, they have means, they give donations to good causes. But the fact that you have given money to good causes, that you have been good to others, that you have friends who are born again — that does not make you born again. Only God is the one who can give you the new birth. If you are not born again, you are merely pretending to be a follower of Jesus, but you are not. Such people may even be baptized in water, because they see others doing it; they may even be leaders in the church. You may even be a leader in the church and yet not be born again. Only God knows your heart. But if you want to be saved, you must be born again.
As a pastor, who is responsible for the salvation of your souls, I want every single member of our church to hold to the truths we are speaking about. Let us agree,
- that Jesus Christ is God, He is the Son of God;
- let us agree that the Bible is God’s book, not a human book;
- and let us agree that if anyone is to be saved from sin, if he is to be with God in eternity, he must be born again.
Do you agree? Let us hold to these three simplest of truths, which are supernatural.
The Holy Spirit’s Part in the Divinity of Christ
The meaning, the participation, and the role of the Holy Spirit in each one of these three matters are striking: the divinity of Jesus, the inspiration of the Bible, and the new birth. Perhaps it is no accident, then, that Satan attacks precisely these three foundational truths. The Holy Spirit has a special, very active, and effective role in each one of them. Consider, for example, the divinity of Jesus.
Conceived by the Holy Spirit
Jesus was not merely a man who was conceived in the natural way. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit. In all the world there is no one else conceived by the Holy Spirit but Him. He is the only one conceived by the Holy Spirit, because He Himself is the God-man. See what is said in the Gospel of Luke 1:26-35.
26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, 27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” 29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be. 30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. 31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.” 34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” 35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:26-35)
The Holy Spirit accomplished the incarnation. People’s gossip, even today, says of Mary that she was unfaithful to her betrothed, or that she was violated by a Roman soldier or someone else; but what God’s Word tells us, and what we believe about Jesus, is that the Holy Spirit overshadowed her and performed the miracle of the virgin conception. So when Mary’s baby was born, He was and is the Son of God. Glory to God! For Jesus to be at once God and at once man was something done by the Holy Spirit. For God nothing is impossible.
Raised by the Holy Spirit
Jesus Christ is God, He is the Son of God. No one can call Him Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). The Holy Spirit has a part in the divinity of Jesus, and He has a part in our faith as well. Jesus lived a righteous life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. His resurrection, too, was by the Holy Spirit. In Romans 8:11 the apostle Paul says:
11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)
Glory to God! So Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. When He began His ministry, at His baptism, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove (Matthew 3:16). In the letter to the Hebrews it is said that He offered Himself on the cross through the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14). He rose again by the power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:11). So Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit has a key role in everything that took place in His life on earth and in His divinity.
The Holy Spirit’s Part in the Divinity of the Scriptures
It is the same with the Scriptures. In the Second Letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul encourages the young Timothy to serve God and to take up the baton from him, since he is already about to leave this world and go to the Lord (2 Timothy 4:6). At the time Paul writes this letter, he already knows that he will be condemned to death and will soon depart from this world. In this decisive moment Paul encourages Timothy with these words (2 Timothy 3:14):
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)
The “Holy Scriptures” Paul speaks of are the Old Testament. The Old Testament points to, speaks of, and leads us to Jesus Christ. Then the apostle continues (2 Timothy 3:16):
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
We encourage every single member of our church to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God, He is your Savior, He loves you. You need to talk with Him in prayer. And when you pray, do not only speak to Him, but listen to what He says to you. In this way your prayer will not be one-way but a two-way connection. In such prayer you will have a relationship with Jesus. He is God, the Son of God, who hears your prayers, who answers you, and who keeps you. Through prayer you can have a connection with the living God.
Sometimes doubts come. I have even spoken with pastors who have said to me, “Honestly, what do you think? Is there a God or isn’t there?” Sometimes even pastors ask themselves these questions. The apostle Paul says that faith comes from hearing the word of Christ, but I believe it comes not only from hearing the Word but also from prayer. When you pray, you taste the Lord. He answers you, you have experiences with Him. You cannot doubt Him — He is your friend, with whom you spoke this very morning. If you have a good prayer life, you will not have many doubts. But if you stop praying, you may begin to ask yourself, “Is there a God or not? Maybe Jesus Christ was just a man, and the Bible was put together by some people and is a completely human book.” Prayer increases our faith.
We also encourage you to read the Bible, which is God’s Word. Even though today we increasingly use it in electronic form on our computers and phones, it is still not a human word — it is God’s Word. It is a text unlike any other. It is inspired by God; it is useful; it will help you to be perfected, to be trained, to be instructed, “thoroughly equipped for every good work.” Read the Bible and you will become wise. Live the Bible and you will have blessing in your life.
The Bible I use was given by my grandmother’s sister to her son, who is my cousin. On its cover Aunt Elena wrote for him: “Read, that you may be happy, live, and have eternal life” (John 10:10). Others write like this: “This Book will keep you away from sin, or sin will keep you away from this Book.” If you live according to “this Book,” you will be perfected and sanctified. Little by little you will live an ever more holy life and draw farther and farther from sin. But if sin enters your life, you will not want to read the Bible, you will have no time for it, and then sin will keep you away from “this Book.” So the matter is simple — either you read the Book and it separates you from sin, or sin enters your life and you stop reading “this Book.” So understand: are you reading the Book or not? Has sin entered your life or not? If you want to deal with sin and get away from sin, read the Book, and receive it as God’s word, which God is speaking to you in your life. Begin not merely to read it, but to study it, and, what is more important, to apply it.
In 2 Peter, too, the role of the Holy Spirit in the writing of the Bible is spoken of. In 2 Peter 1:20 the apostle Peter writes, “Above all, you must understand…” This is the most important thing we must know at all costs. The Bible is not merely a human book; it is God’s book. We must know it! The apostle Peter continues: “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things…” The biblical authors did not simply sit down to set out their own thoughts about what they supposed God was saying. They were inspired and “carried along” by the Holy Spirit. The result of their writing is the very words of God (2 Peter 1:20-21).
20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20-21)
The Holy Spirit is the one who takes part in the incarnation, the ministry, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the one who moves people to write the biblical books, so that the Bible is the book of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, if we have the Holy Spirit, we cannot retreat from our faith in Jesus as Lord and in the Bible as God’s Holy Word.
The Holy Spirit’s Part in Our New Birth
In the same way, the Holy Spirit takes part in the new birth as well. The new birth does not just happen on its own; it happens through the Holy Spirit. In John 3:1-6 we read about Nicodemus. Nicodemus was something like a representative of the people. He was a “great man,” a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish national assembly of that time (John 7:50).
1 Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” (John 3:1-2)
3 Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” (John 3:3)
When Jesus says the words “very truly,” it means He is emphasizing that this is a truth which may not seem like a truth to you, but which is in fact true. “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” You must be born “from above,” “again,” or “anew,” as it is rendered in other translations of the Bible. Nicodemus says to Him, “How can an old man be born? You are telling me about birth. I am already old — how am I to be born now, when I am already old? Can I enter a second time into my mother’s womb and be born again?”
4 “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4)
Jesus answered him again with the same words that stress the truth of what He is saying — “very truly I tell you…” — and then explains that this is not about a physical but a spiritual birth, which comes about through “water and the Spirit.”
5 Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. (John 3:5)
When Jesus speaks of “water and the Spirit,” there are various interpretations of what the water in this verse is. What is this water? Some think it is water baptism. What I believe, what I have come to through my studies, is that the water spoken of here is a metaphor for the Holy Spirit. The water is not something separate or additional, but a metaphor or symbol of the Holy Spirit. In His explanation in verse 7 Jesus does not include the water, but speaks only of the Spirit. Why? Perhaps because in this case “the water” and “the Spirit” are one and the same thing.
6 Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (John 3:6)
Simple and clear. If you want to be born again, you must be born of the Spirit.
Someone may say, “What must I do to be born of the Spirit?” The new birth is not something we can do. We cannot give birth to ourselves by the Spirit, because for someone to be born of the Spirit, God must give him the new birth.
God does the new birth, but there are several things that we do. When we do our part, at that same moment God does His part. What must we do in order to be born again? We must believe in Jesus Christ. The first condition for the new birth is faith. When you believe that
- Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
- that He is God,
- that the Bible is God’s word,
then you believe in Christ, and so you fulfill the first condition for the new birth.
After that, you must repent of your sins. This is the second condition for the new birth — repentance. It happens as you remember all the sins you have committed up to this moment and confess them in sincere prayer before God. “Lord, forgive me! I remember that I lied to this person. I remember that I stole this thing. I remember that I gossiped and spoke evil things. I remember that I was unfaithful. I remember that I did this and that…” All the sins you remember, you must speak out before God. This can be done in private prayer that people need not hear. Then you ask God for forgiveness: “Lord, forgive me for all of this, and wash me from all my sins.”
After you believe in Jesus Christ and repent of your sins, comes the turn of confession. You must begin to confess Jesus Christ publicly, because faith includes confession. To confess Him means to stand before people inside the church and outside it and openly declare that you believe Jesus Christ is God. For example, when you are on your way to a worship service and a neighbor asks you, “Where are you going?”, do not say, “I’m going for a walk,” but use the occasion to tell him about Jesus. “I’m going to church, I believe in Jesus Christ.” He may humiliate you: “Oh, have you lost your mind too? Have you joined the sect as well?” But you must stand for your faith: “Think whatever you like about me, but I have a relationship with God. I believe in Jesus and I am not ashamed of Him, because He was not ashamed of me, but went to the cross and sacrificed Himself for my sins.”
When you do these three things — faith, repentance, and confession — while you are doing them, God is doing other things. He justifies you; He credits your faith as righteousness. He makes you righteous, clean from your sins. He takes the righteousness of Christ and places it upon you. He gave His Son as a sacrifice for our sins, so that when you believe in that sacrifice, He justifies you.
Besides this, He gives you the new birth. The new birth is something God does through His Spirit. He works in you and performs a miracle. The new birth is the greatest miracle a person can experience. It is greater than healing and than any other miracle. Yes, we rejoice when God heals someone, when God brings someone back from death, from a hospital bed. Glory to God that He heals. But the greatest miracle God can do in your life is the new birth — to give you the new birth. Because if He gives you the new birth, you have eternal life and access to the kingdom of God. The new birth is equivalent to a spiritual resurrection from the dead (Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13). Glory to God!
The Holy Spirit gives you the new birth, and after He gives you the new birth, God adopts you and makes you His own, His child, His son or daughter. So He places His Spirit in you. In the Gospel of John 1:11-13 it is said:
11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (John 1:11-13)
So you must be born again. When you are born again, God places His Spirit in you and you receive assurance of your salvation. When you believe in Jesus, when you repent of your sins, when you confess Him as your Savior, then God gives you the new birth, justifies you, adopts you, and places His Spirit in you, in your heart (Romans 8:14).
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. (Romans 8:14)
When the new birth happens, it will not be merely a matter of words; it will be plainly seen in your life. You will be changed. You will not want to be with the friends you were with before; you will not want to read the books you read before. Your whole life will change (Romans 8:15).
15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” (Romans 8:15)
Those who are slaves of Satan are afraid; they have fear in their hearts, they do not know what will happen. But if you are born again, you will not have fear in your heart. Through the Spirit of adoption we cry, “Abba, Father!” “Abba” is an expression of the tender, loving affection that only children can have toward their fathers. Not everyone can call me “Daddy.” My children can, because they are my children. We can say “Daddy” to God, because He has adopted us and made us His own. This is a truly amazing privilege. Who is your father? God! Wow! And look at verse 16:
16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. (Romans 8:16)
If you are born again, if you have the Spirit within you, you have this assurance, this testimony from the Spirit in your heart, and you know that you are a child of God.
17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:17)
There is an inheritance. The new birth and adoption make us “heirs of God” and “co-heirs with Christ.” What will we inherit? The whole world (Romans 4:13). If we are co-heirs with Christ, then whatever Christ inherits, we will inherit together with Him.
Conclusion
I find it very striking that liberal theology attacks precisely the truths the Holy Spirit wants us to believe. The Holy Spirit takes part in the divinity of Christ, the inspiration of the Scriptures, and the new birth. And that is exactly where the attack of liberal theology falls, saying, “Jesus Christ? Let us not accept Him as an actual Son of God. Let us accept Him as a thinker. He gives us good principles — to love one another, to be moral. But let us not believe that He is actually ‘God.’ The accounts of Him in the Gospels — those are just myths, so let us not accept that they literally happened, but see what lesson we can draw from them, what we can learn. But not believe that He will do miracles in our lives — that is too radical.” This is liberal theology. It says, “The Bible is not really God’s book. It was put together by human beings who included in it myths and wisdom, but it is not actually ‘the Word of God.’ What are these ‘new births’ and religious extremes… Let us all just love one another. Let there be humanism — ‘everything in the name of man, everything for the good of man.’” Liberal theology attacks these three foundational truths, which the Holy Spirit desires us to remember and which can change our lives.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God; the Bible is God’s inspired Word; to be saved, a person must be born again. These are the three truths on which we cannot compromise, from which we cannot retreat, which we cannot debate, saying, “Now, can we see what we can do with these truths?” No! These are truths from which we cannot retreat: Jesus Christ is God, He is the Son of God, He acts in my life, He is my personal Savior. The Bible is God’s word, not a human word. And then, if you want to be saved, you must be born again. I am born again, because I have in my heart the testimony of the Holy Spirit that I am a child of God. Do you have this testimony in your heart? If you do not have it, then do these things I am telling you: believe in Jesus, in this book; read; repent of your sins and confess Him before others, and you will see what God will do with you. He will justify you, give you the new birth, and adopt you. He will place His Spirit in your heart, you will receive His testimony within you, and you will know: “I am a child of God.”
Prayer
God, we thank You for Your Word. May it enter our hearts, and through it make us new creations. Grant us to have a personal connection with Jesus. May we receive Him as our personal Savior, and in that relationship have the Holy Spirit. As the Holy Spirit took part in the conception of Jesus, in the baptism of Jesus, in the ministry of Jesus, in the crucifixion of Jesus, in the resurrection of Jesus, in the writing of the holy words of the Sacred Scripture, may this same Holy Spirit be in us, to give us the new birth, to make us new creations, to fill us, and to make us witnesses for Christ in this world.
Lord, help us in this way to have eternal life, because You tell us that “this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Lord, we want to know You. Grant us to have Your life in us, to live according to Your will, and may this eternal life of which You speak pass from us to the people around us. Grant us to have this blessed, eternal, divine life. Grant that when our life on this earth is over, we may be with You in eternity. In the name of Jesus! Amen!