Heaven. When Christians think of eternal life in heaven, we may think of the imagery of heaven: gold streets, pearly gates, mansions, other believers, and the presence of God. We may also think of the intangible things eternal life in heaven brings: peace, joy, love, rest, and goodness. But one thing we often try to ignore concerning eternal life in heaven is this: it is a lifetime away from now.
Eternal life to the Christian often feels like it’s beyond this life, out in that ethereal future beyond our final breath. It’s like the Christian hymn says: “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be! When we all see Jesus, we’ll sing and shout the victory!” We long for the day when our sufferings will end and we can be in peace in heaven for eternity. In that moment, when we think about eternal life in heaven, we also have a moment of fear because we feel we may not make it. That fear of not making it to heaven is something every Christian struggles with. It can haunt our words, thoughts, and actions. That fear causes Christians to struggle with burnout, guilt, legalism, fear, joylessness, and even shallow discipleship.
What can we do about this? Aren’t we supposed to live without fear? Aren’t we supposed to trust in God? But we also have our responsibilities that God has given us as a Christian, right? Isn’t faith without works dead? What if I don’t do “the works” right? Or don’t believe all the right things? Or teach people? Or lead anyone to Christ?
Does that sound like you? I would be surprised if you never had those thoughts. It is very common for Christians to think and feel this way.
“Eternal life to the Christian often feels like it’s beyond this life, out in that ethereal future beyond our final breath.”
I want to suggest that the problem here isn’t merely a struggle to be good enough to go to heaven. We all want to be good enough to go to heaven even when we already know we can’t be good enough. Only Christ was good enough and through Him we are justified and sanctified. Because of Christ, we are considered good enough in the eyes of God. So, why do we have this cognitive dissonance of trying to be good enough when we already know we can’t be good enough? I believe the solution starts with a misunderstanding of what eternal life means.
In John 17:1-3, we read, “After Jesus said this, He looked toward heaven and prayed: “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify You. For You granted Him authority over all people that He might give eternal life to all those You have given Him. Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent.”[1]
Wait, what? Eternal life isn’t living in heaven for eternity? Yeah, that’s right: eternal life starts NOW! It starts when we give our allegiance to Christ!
Christians often have the idea that eternal life is far off and we just have to make it to the end of our lives to access eternal life in heaven. But this is a misunderstanding of what eternal life is. It is to know God through Jesus Christ. Period. Full stop.
“Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ.”
Christians sometimes are depressed and given to despair because the goal is too far away, after this life. But that is the wrong goal. The goal is to know God and Christ, to have a relationship with God. For the Christian, heaven is the result of the goal, and the goal is to have a relationship with God.
Let me give you an illustration. Imagine for a moment an organization or business’s sole reason for existing is to make money. How would you feel about their products and services? You probably wouldn’t trust it very deeply. Your relationship with that organization or business would be transactional. According to Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why, money ought to be seen as a result, but is never the reason to exist. The company’s reason, or their “why,” should be a cause, a purpose, something they want to represent or change in the world. Money is just a result of that organization or business pursuing that cause. If they make their “why” only about raising more revenue, bringing more value to their shareholders, and beating the competition, they are focusing on a result and not a purpose.
In the same way as a business that only pursues money, the result, instead of a “why,” a cause or purpose, we Christians will have trouble finding hope when we make only making it to heaven our “why.” We will likely fall into sin, and when life brings its hardships, we will despair and feel unable to make it through. That can be because we are making our relationship with God transactional, not putting our trust in Him, but keeping that trust for ourselves.
“We Christians will have trouble finding hope when we make only making it to heaven our ‘why.'”
But if knowing God and Christ is our “why,” our reason for existing, the purpose we live every day, then we have eternal life already. In that relationship with God, we find peace, joy, love, rest, and goodness; the very things we will get in heaven, but also here and now.
There are more things that living with eternal life now in relationship with God does for us:
Eternal Life Now Means Passing from Death to Life Now
In John 5:24, Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” This is not metaphorical language. Jesus uses completed-action language like “has eternal life,” and “has passed from death to life.” Christians are not spiritually “on probation.” We are already living in resurrection life. Despair comes when Christians tend to think we’re merely surviving until heaven. But biblically, we’ve already crossed the line from death into life. 
Eternal Life Now Means Union with Christ
Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Eternal life is participation in a relationship with God, not merely some kind of philosophy or information. Eternal life is not just knowing about Christ—it is Christ living in you. Because Christ is now our brother with whom we share the inheritance of the kingdom of God, and is also a loving, merciful, and gracious God, He shares His life with us, His obedience becomes our obedience, and His victory becomes our victory.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
Eternal Life Now Means Adoption, Not Just Forgiveness
Romans 8:14-15 says, “For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, ‘Abba, Father.’” Many Christians live forgiven but live life like they are employees. Eternal life is family life. Not employees trying to please a boss, or criminals hoping for acquittal, but children that are learning to trust their Father. Trusting children do not despair and run away when they fail their Father—they run toward their Father.
Eternal Life Now Means Freedom from Condemnation
Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Christians often struggle with despair because of their own self-condemnation. But God no longer condemns us because that condemnation belongs to “the old life.” Eternal life is a condemnation-free life. Conviction based on a relationship with God draws us closer. Condemnation based on our own performance pushes us away. Christians living eternal life now will learn to discern the difference.
Eternal Life Now Means a New Orientation Toward Sin
Romans 6:2,14 says, “How can we who died to sin still live in it?…Sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” Scripture communicates that no legalistic structure can accomplish eternal life. Eternal life doesn’t mean sinless perfection—it means sin no longer defines you. Christians living eternal life now fight sin from victory and not fear, confess and repent quickly, and move forward confidently.
“How can we who died to sin still live in it?…Sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
Eternal Life Now Means Abiding, Not Striving
John 15:4–5 says “Abide in me, and I in you.…whoever abides in me bears much fruit.” Jesus ties eternal life directly to abiding. Fruit is not the goal—it’s the result of abiding in Christ, living in the Spirit. Abiding in a relationship with Christ produces joy that remains eternally (John 15:11), a love that flows naturally in that relationship, and obedience without coercion.
Eternal Life Now Means Eternal Perspective in Present Suffering
2 Corinthians 4:17 says, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory.” Living eternal life now does not remove suffering—but it reframes it. Eternal life gives present suffering meaning, not despair. Suffering is not evidence that eternal life is absent—it is evidence that resurrection life is forming us.
Eternal Life Now Means Assurance, Not Anxiety
1 John 4:18 says, “Perfect love casts out fear.” John emphasizes assurance. Fear-driven faith is incompatible with eternal life. Living eternal life now produces confidence before God, peace in prayer, and stability in trials.
“Perfect love casts out fear.”
Eternal Life Now Means Freedom and the Fruit of the Spirit
Galatians 5:22-25 says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” Imagine your life having conquered sin through Jesus Christ. Living in a close personal relationship with God and producing the fruit of the Spirit will give us the ultimate freedom that is everlasting. No legalistic structure can accomplish that.
If you are reading this article and have never given your life to Christ, you do not have eternal life and are doomed to eternal death. But you can change that and you do not have to wait for it. Place your faith in Jesus by repenting of your sins and being baptized in the name of Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38). If you have believed but have despaired and fallen into sin or even left the Lord, He being a gracious God will gladly take you back and you can have eternal life again.
“Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever 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 5:10-13)
“God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
When Christians misunderstand eternal life as something that begins after death, we will struggle. But when eternal life is understood as a present reality, it restores joy, endurance, confidence, holiness, and mission. This is an amazing gift from God! Let’s taste eternity in heaven today, right now, in relationship with God through Christ Jesus our Savior!
[1] All Scripture quotations are in English Standard Version (ESV).
