How Does Faith Get Me Eternal Life?
Salvation doesn’t make sense
How does faith in Jesus Christ get me heaven / eternal life?
Why is faith the thing that gets me eternal life? (Why not something else like love, or self sacrifice, or any number of other things?)
And why is that believers (or people who “have faith”) are the only ones who get to experience eternal life? (Why not everyone? Couldn't God have made it so that everyone experiences eternal life regardless of their faith / beliefs?)
What does it mean to “have faith”?
What’s the connection between faith and eternal life?
How does faith get me eternal life??
Redefining “Eternal Life”
FIRST let’s define “eternal life.” Most people define eternal life as "going to heaven," but that's not how Jesus defines eternal life.
When Jesus defines eternal life, he says:
“I AM the bread of LIFE” —John 6:35
“I AM the way, the truth, and the LIFE” —John 14:6
“I AM the resurrection and the LIFE... Everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” —John 11:25–26
So if you want eternal life, heaven isn’t actually what you want. What you really want is Jesus, because Jesus IS eternal life.
Redefining “Faith”
Ok, now let's define “faith.” Most people define faith as “intellectually agreeing” with a claim. For example, if I “have faith” that we landed on the moon, that means I intellectually agree with that claim. But the Bible makes it seem like saving faith is more than just intellectual agreement. James says,
“You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
Demons “intellectually agree” with the claims that:
Jesus exists
Jesus is God
Jesus died
Jesus resurrected
Yet demons don’t inherit salvation, because “intellectual agreement” isn’t the kind of faith that saves.
Saving faith looks more like dependence. So “having faith” in Jesus means “depending on Jesus,” because depending on Jesus unites me to Jesus.
Dependence is a unifying mechanism
When you think about it, that makes sense, because dependence is a unifying mechanism. For example: if a student’s final grade in the class “depends” on his exam score, then his final grade becomes linked or united to his exam score. The exam score sets the pace for the final grade.
If the exam score is HIGH, that pushes UP the final grade.
If the exam score is LOW, that pushes DOWN the final grade.
The grade mimics the exam score because it DEPENDS on the exam score.
Depending on Jesus unites me to Jesus (which unites me to eternal life)
So as you can see, “dependence” is a unifying mechanism. So when I depend on Jesus, that dependence unites me to Jesus. When he moves one way, I mimic, because I depend on him. He sets the pace. He's like the exam score, and I'm like the final grade. I'm linked to him.
If he goes up, then I go up.
If he goes down, then I go down.
If he dies, then I die.
If he lives, then I live.
If he's God’s child, then I’m God’s child.
All these things are true because I’m united to him. And when I’m united to him, I’m united to eternal life, because Jesus IS eternal life.