Key Bible Verses on the Hope of Eternal Life

• Titus 1:2 (ESV): “In hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began”.
• John 3:16 (ESV): “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life”.
• Romans 6:23 (ESV): “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord”.
• John 17:3 (ESV): “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent”.
• 1 John 5:11 (ESV): “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son”.
• Romans 8:24-25 (ESV): “For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope… But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience”.
• 1 Peter 1:3 (NLT): “…Now we live with great expectation, and this is because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead”.
• John 10:28 (ESV): “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand”.
• 1 John 2:25 (ESV): “And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life”.
• Titus 3:7 (ESV): “…so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life

What will it be like if there is no life after death? I recently talked to a very nice man in his 30’s with a wife and 3 teenage children. He said that he was not into talking about life after death. I told him that I wanted to live eternally with my family and that was important to me. I told him that I did not want to simply die and cease to exist for eternity. He said, “we didn’t exist for millions of years so it’s no big deal if we cease to exist for eternity after we die.” The idea of ceasing to exist didn’t bother him. He had no hope of anything good after death. He added, “If there is life after death, I have been a pretty good person and that will be enough.”

I feel bad using that conversation b/c it might seem that I am trying to capitalize on it to do a blog article. But the conversation impacted me a lot. I gave a mini testimony to the man, which he said did not offend him, about the hope of eternal life for those who trust in Jesus’ death for our sins and belief that He was raised from the dead to give us eternal life. I pray that God will open the man’s heart so we can talk more.

The conversation got me thinking about my hope of eternal life. My children believe in Jesus and have the hope of eternal life. We all hope that one day we will all be together in heaven (wherever that is) enjoying eternal life with God, Jesus the Lamb, and other believers in Jesus. I look forward to seeing my mom and dad there, and my wife’s dad. Her mom is stil living at 96.

Read all those verses above. Add 1 John 5:¹³ These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.” Those living before Jesus defeated spiritual death in 70 AD were still living for the “hope of eternal life” b/c the fulfillment of that hope was still in their future. After Jesus defeated spiritual death in 70 AD, believers after that have eternal life. Now look at John 8:²¹ Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother (Lazarus) would not have died. ²² Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” ²³ Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.” ²⁴ Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” ²⁵ Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, ²⁶ and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” ²⁷ She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the ^[i]Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.” There was a resurrection in the future when Jesus said this, but notice closer what Jesus said. Jesus said that the resurrection and living eternally was not just about some judgment day and resurrection day. He himself is the resurrection. Believe in Him and you will live even if you die physically. You will never die again spiritually. Some part of you will receive an eternal spiritual body when you become a Christian and you will continue to live eternally with God and Jesus after you die.

1 Corinthians 15 tells us a lot about immortality and eternal life. First of all Paul tells us that our resurrected body will be spiritual not physical. I am amazed at all the Bible scholars who say that someday we will be raised with an eternal physical body. Paul taught just the opposite of that. Secondly Paul tells us that some of those that Paul was writing to would still be alive when the resurrection woud happen. Thirdly Paul tells us that whether dead or alive when that resurrection would happen that all believers would receive immortality, which is the same as eternal life. Paul said that Jesus would destroy spiritual death which would allow for believers to have immortality. Now I believe that resurrection happened in 70 AD just as Daniel predicted in Daniel 12:1-2. All the Old Testament dead, whether wicked or rightesous would be raised to receive their eternal fate of immortality or of destruction. Paul had said in Acts 24:15 that there was “about to be” a resurrection at the time he was speaking. But even if you think the resurrection is still in our future at some point, the lesson in 1 Corinthians 15 is still the same. Believers receive immortality today when they accept Jesus and become Christians. Ephesians 2:1-3 says that they are raised from the dead and made alive spiritually.

The thought of dying still scares me, I must admit, although it shouldn’t. When doubt arises, I try to think about Jesus’ resurrection. The same power of God that raised Jesus from the dead will give me an eternal, immortal part that will live on after death. I hope that those reading this article have that hope. The only way to get that hope is to believe in Jesus (John 3:16). He died to give you that hope. Don’t reject him.