2016 picture of Ray Sparre

Insightful Musings on the Scriptures

by

Raymond P. Sparre
Northwest University class of '67


Wed Nov 24, 2021

Morning, Zane.

Beautiful morning out there so far—clear and cold—with a bunch of work calling for my hurry. I had better send this—and run off to the mill.

Blessings on your day. Love and prayers—Tua (Ray)

24 November
John 17
Focus: “Now this is eternal life...” (John 17:3)

As I move through this chapter of Jesus’ special prayer to the Father, I’m trying to give careful attention to the ideas presented. One of the results of this effort has been to formulate a list of the various qualities Jesus presents as describing those to whom He ascribes ETERNAL LIFE. I’ve come up with ten of them. Besides serving as a kind of recipe that lists the ingredients for ETERNAL LIFE, I think it can serve as a checklist to help us identify our own status in relation to this goal. Now, just a minute—I think I didn’t say that quite right. The fact is that people don’t inherit heaven and ETERNAL LIFE just because they focus on the pursuit of heaven and ETERNAL LIFE. More accurately, these wonderful benefits are automatic by-products of pursuing a love for God—A HEART AFTER GOD.

  1. PERSONAL KNOWLEDGE (v.3). “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” This is a personal interactive relationship, fueled by personal seeking, personal belief, and personal love. (See also vv. 8, 25-26)
  2. OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD (v. 6). . “They have obeyed your word.”
  3. GLORIFY JESUS (v. 10). “And glory has come to me through them.”
  4. UNITED WITH OTHER BELIEVERS (vv. 11, 22-23). “…so that they may be one as we are one.”
  5. JOY (v. 13). “…so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.”
  6. HATED BY THE WORLD (v. 14). “I have given them your word and the world has hated them.”
  7. NON –CONFORMING TO THE WORLD (vv. 14-16). “They are not of the world even as I am not of it.”
  8. SANCTIFIED (vv. 17-18). “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
  9. COMMISSIONED (v. 18). “As you have sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.”
  10. DESTINED FOR GLORY (v. 24). “Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory.”

“Error is often dressed up in the garb of truth.”