“The gift of God is eternal life.” This short phrase, made of such simple words, ought to energize leaps for joy. However, it’s entirely possible we overlook their impact.

In fact, during these times, we might fall into cynicism, and ask why we would want eternal life. Sometimes we get shortsighted. There’s a secular song containing the phrase “Who wants to live forever?” A glance at the other lyrics quickly proves that the songwriter is falsely convinced that in this world in its broken state is the only place someone could live. Let alone live forever.

This mistaken view does not change the fact that the gift of God is eternal life.

Our faith and knowledge rest on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time (Titus 1:2). What proof do we have of this?

Adam named all but two trees in the Garden of Eden. The tree of life, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The only tree denied to Adam was the tree of knowledge of good and evil. If he’d kept God’s command, Adam could eat fruit from the tree of life.

Solomon received more evidence of God’s intentions, and noted in Ecclesiastes that God put eternity in the hearts of men (3:11). Eternal life is given after death, and that that life happens elsewhere than here, because those who have died believing God’s promises go home (12:5-7).

Because God put eternity in the hearts of men, and disobedience lost it for us, we want to get it back.

The New Testament is full of examples of people who encounter Jesus and ask what to do to gain eternal life. The Apostle John lays it out clearly in his Gospel and Epistles: Christ himself is the gift of God, is eternal life, and we share in eternal life by believing in him.

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