The Hope Of Everlasting Life

What a wonderful prospect awaits faithful ones, to know that God will forever shower down on them an overflow of spiritual and material benefits! The psalmist rightly said: "You are opening your hand and satisfying the [proper] desire of every living thing." (Psalm 145:16) Jehovah encourages those of the earthly class to have this hope of life in Paradise as part of their faith in him. While the issue of Jehovah's sovereignty ismoe important, he does not ask people to serve him with no prospect of a reward. Throughout the Bible, loyalty to God and the hope of eternal life are inseparably bound together as necessary parts of a Christian's faith in God. "He that approaches God must believe that he is an dthat he becomes the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him." - Hebrews 11:6.

Jesus said: "This means everlasting life, their taking in knowledge of you, the only true God, and of the one whom you sent forth, Jesus Christ." (John 17:3) Here he tied in knowing God and his purposes with the reward that this brings. As an example, when a wrongdoer asked to be remembered after Jesus came into his Kingdom, Jesus said: " You will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43) He did not tell the man to have faith even if he did not get a reward. He knew that Jehovah wants his servants to have the hope of everlasting life on a paradise earth to help sustain them as they meet with various trials in this world. Thus, looking forward to the reward is a vital help in enduring as a Christian.

Next time: The Future Of The Kingdom