“This Is Eternal Life”: How John 17:3 Opened My Eyes
“This Is Eternal Life”: How John 17:3 Opened My Eyes
Sometimes the Lord slows us down in ways we don’t expect. What I thought would be a simple Bible study through the book of John has instead become a journey of re‑examining things I once believed without question. I’m sharing these thoughts not as doctrine, but as the path God has been walking me through.
My cousin and I have been getting together for Bible study for quite a while now—usually once a week if we can. Lately we’ve been meeting on Mondays, and since today is Monday, we just finished up a little while ago. We agreed to work through the book of John, but we haven’t made much progress. Before my vision—the one I described in my post “My Beliefs Have Changed”—we probably would have been in great harmony in our beliefs and sailed right through John. The slow pace isn’t because of John; it’s because of my sidetracks.
I used to fit into the “Once Saved, Always Saved” group, you might say. If you had to place my cousin somewhere, I believe he would say he fits that group right now based on his current beliefs.
I don’t want to get into a long debate defining that group, because there are variations within it. But in a nutshell, it’s the belief that once you are in God’s grace, you cannot fall out of it.
Most Christian traditions teach that after this life we enter one of two eternal destinations—heaven or hell. Once you arrive, there is no way out. In a sense, it’s our choice where we end up, determined by how we live and what we believe. “God doesn’t make robots,” as we often hear. I used to believe this too—two separate places, two separate outcomes.
The Bible speaks of hell as a place of great torment. I never liked thinking about hell, and I certainly didn’t want to go there. I had all kinds of frightening images in my mind. Even though it was hard for me to reconcile a God of love with such a place, I accepted it as one of those things beyond my understanding.
But because of the vision I experienced, I had to face the concept of hell again—because in that vision, I was there. At first, I searched the Scriptures and read what others had to say. I soon realized that what I was hearing from others was simply what they believed. And when I searched the Scriptures myself, I saw different things and became confused.
Remembering the Scripture that says we have but one Teacher—Jesus—I turned back to God’s Word and prayer. I kept asking Father God to paint the picture more clearly in my mind. I’m the kind of person who needs to see something internally to understand it. Little by little, He has been painting that picture.
I no longer believe in the hell I used to imagine. I believe the “fire” will be the shame I feel for my unreconciled sin when the veil is lifted and God writes His laws on my mind and heart. I will either see Jesus taking that shame in my place, or I will have to experience it myself.
God has made every effort to spare me from that shame. It is up to me whether I allow Jesus to take it for me.
Everything I’ve written in this blog is what I believe God has revealed to me. Are these things God’s truth? I believe they are—but every faith believes its understanding is the right one. What I can say with certainty is this: whatever is in God’s plan—His will—that is what will come to pass.
I believe that only God—through Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit—can reveal truth to you. So please don’t simply accept what I’ve said. Ask God.
I hope someday my cousin and I will again come into agreement in our beliefs. I love him, and I truly enjoy our conversations even when we don’t see eye to eye. We’ll just have to wait upon the Lord—in one way or another, if you know what I mean.
6/7/26 - There is something personal I should add here. My cousin has since passed away—I don’t remember the exact date—but near the end of his life he called me with a question. He asked, “Where is that verse where Jesus says what eternal life is?”
He was talking about John 17:3.
3 Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
I had mentioned that passage to him during one of our Bible studies, and I could tell at the time that it was new to him. Before I stumbled onto that verse myself, I don’t think I could have told anyone what eternal life truly is if someone had asked me.
That phone call meant a great deal to me. It reminded me that even when we didn’t fully agree, something from our time together stayed with him—something that mattered enough for him to seek out again near the end of his journey.
Father God,
Thank You for Your patience with me as I learn, unlearn, and grow. Thank You for the people You place in my life—like my cousin—who help sharpen my understanding even when we don’t fully agree. Write Your truth on my heart, and guide anyone reading this to seek You for themselves. Let Your Spirit be our Teacher, and let Your love lead us into all truth.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
