In our current series we’ve been going through an old list of questions and answers contained in the Westminster Larger Catechism published in 1648. In previous weeks we’ve seen that God made a ‘covenant of works’ with humans which they broke by sinning. Then we saw that God made a ‘covenant of grace’ with sinful humans. Last week we began to look at the ways God’s grace is shown in that ‘covenant of grace’. We saw that God’s grace is shown by providing a mediator between us and God – the man Jesus Christ. This week I want to show that God’s grace is shown by providing eternal life by that mediator.

One of the marvellous truths of Christianity is that God has in his grace given us life in Jesus Christ. The apostle John says: ‘And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life’ (1 John 5:11-13). Notice that the life that is given in the Son is not just life for a short period of time, but eternal life – true salvation.

Thus in Jesus Christ we can overcome death. The old saying that there are two things certain in life, death and taxes, is rather true. But there is a way to make sure that death is not for eternity.  We can have eternal life through trusting Jesus Christ as our Lord.

So when does this eternal life begin? Jesus says our eternal life in a new body begins on judgement day: ‘For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day’ (John 6:40).

So the fact that we have eternal life through the mediator Jesus is indeed evidence of God’s grace. Because of our sin we do not deserve to have any life, let alone eternal life. But through God’s covenant of grace we can have the eternal life we don’t deserve. Therefore we must flee to Jesus, as Jesus is the only way to eternal life. He said: ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6). Jesus alone is the way to the Father and Jesus alone is the life. And that’s the truth.

So have you recognised the grace of God in providing a mediator between you and God who can give you eternal life? Have you trusted in that mediator so that you have that promised eternal life?

Joel Radford