Is Jesus Enough for Eternal Life?

Recently, our team was in Idaho Falls, Idaho asking community members a simple question: What gives you confidence to stand before God? If you received a short piece from us, this article expands on the Bible’s answer to that question—and what it means to be in Christ.

The Question That Reveals Everything

If you stood before Heavenly Father and he asked you this question,

“Why should I let you into eternal life with me?”

What would you say?

Would you talk about the life you tried to live?
Your faith?
Your obedience?
Your sincerity?
Your efforts to follow Jesus?

Or would you say something else?

That question matters because it reveals what you’re really trusting in. When everything is stripped away, what is your faith actually resting in?

Jesus speaks both comforting and convicting words in John 3:36, where he addresses this question and what brings about eternal life:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

At first, you may hear that and think, “That warning must be for someone else.”

Maybe someone who mocks Jesus.
Maybe someone who wants nothing to do with him.
Maybe someone who is openly rebellious.

But that’s exactly why we need to slow down and look again at that word: rejects.

What It Means to Reject the Son

When Jesus speaks of rejecting the Son in John 3:36, he’s not only talking about open hostility. He’s also talking about refusing what he came to do for us.

We may speak warmly about Jesus. We may love his name, honor his example, and want to follow him seriously. We may think we have a solid relationship with him. But if, in the end, our answer to the question, “Why should I let you into eternal life with me?” is really about our worthiness, our obedience, our covenant keeping, our progress, or our merit, then in a very real way we are rejecting Jesus and what he came to do for us.

Why?

Because we’re still saying that when we stand before God, we’ll stand there at least partly because of us.

But Jesus didn’t come merely to assist our righteousness. Jesus came to be our righteousness. He came to stand in our place and provide the righteousness we need before God.

That’s why the warning at the end of John 3:36 is so serious: “whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.”

The Wrath That Remains

That’s what the firestorm in the picture represents.

It represents the wrath of God, his holy, settled, righteous judgment against sin that results in eternal separation from him. Outside of Christ, that wrath remains.

That’s hard for us to grasp, especially if we have been taught that almost everyone goes to a good place when they die. Because of that, it can be easy to assume that John 3:36 must be describing somebody else.

But Jesus won’t let us think that way.

If we are rejecting what he came to do for us, then we are still outside of him. And outside of Christ, wrath remains.

That’s why the issue isn’t simply whether Jesus matters to us.

The issue is whether Jesus is enough for us.

The Only Safe Place

That’s where the apostle Paul speaks words that are almost too good to be true. In Romans 8:1, he says,

“There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Notice the only safe place in that verse:

in Christ Jesus.

That’s where there is safety.
That’s where there is surety.

That’s where there is security.

Not near Christ.
Not inspired by Christ.
Not helped by Christ.
Not partly in Christ and partly in ourselves.

In Christ.

That is the only safe place to stand.

And once that becomes clear, the next question becomes unavoidable:

How can sinners like us stand there?

What Jesus Came to Do

The answer is found at the cross.

Jesus stepped into the place where we deserve to stand.

The firestorm that should have fallen on us fell on him instead.

We can almost picture him stepping in front of us and saying, “I’ll take the hit for you.”

Jesus entered into our condemnation so that we would never enter into it.

Jesus took the full wrath of God for us so that we would never have to face it.

He stood where we deserve to stand.
He was treated as the condemned one.
He bore the judgment our sins deserve.

And because he did, those who are in him will never be condemned.

But the picture shows us something even more.

The red coming from Jesus’ hands and side isn’t some of God’s wrath getting through. It’s his blood covering the person standing behind the cross.

That matters because Jesus not only takes something away. He also gives something in return.

He not only takes our sin.
He gives us his righteousness.

He not only removes the wrong.
He provides the right.

So the good news isn’t just that Jesus takes away what condemns us. It’s also that he gives us what we need to stand before God without fear.

That’s why being in Christ is so precious. We are covered by his blood and clothed in his righteousness. We don’t stand before God in our merit, but in his.

What It Means to Believe

That brings us back to the beginning of John 3:36. Jesus says,

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.”

So what does it mean to believe?

It means to trust.

Not just agreement.
Not just admiration.
Not just affection.

But trust.

Trust not in our wills.
Trust not in our works.
Trust not in our worthiness.

Trust only in the person and work of Christ for us.

Faith doesn’t save because it’s a worthy work. Faith saves because it receives a worthy Savior.

Abraham is such a powerful example of this. Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). He was looking ahead in trust to what God would provide. We look back in trust to what Christ has done. In both cases, faith is the Holy Spirit leading us away from confidence in our own works and our own worthiness, and teaching us to find peace and protection from the wrath of God in Christ’s work and Christ’s worthiness alone.

That is what faith is.

Faith is rejecting our own self-salvation or exaltation projects and resting in Christ alone.

So if we are still trusting in our merit, then we are doing exactly what Jesus warns about in John 3:36. We are rejecting the Son and standing outside of him.

But if we are trusting in Christ alone, then we are standing where wrath has already fallen, where condemnation has already been carried, and where righteousness has already been given.

The Marvel of Being in Christ

And now we come back one more time to the promise at the beginning of John 3:36:

“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.”

Has.

Not might have.
Not could have.
Not will have if he proves himself worthy enough.

“Has eternal life.”

Has it now.
Has it already.
Has it because Christ has already done everything necessary to bring us to God.

That means if we are in Christ, then for life and for death, everything has changed.

In Christ, wrath is behind us.
In Christ, condemnation is gone.
In Christ, righteousness covers us.
In Christ, eternal life is ours.

In Christ, we don’t have to wonder whether we’ve done enough.
In Christ, we don’t have to keep building a case for ourselves.
In Christ, we don’t have to carry the crushing burden of trying to be our own savior.

We are safe.
We are sure.

We are secure.

Not because we are strong enough.
Not because we are sincere enough.
Not because we are striving enough.

But because Christ is enough.

So if Heavenly Father asked you, “Why should I let you into eternal life with me?” the only safe answer is this:

“Because Jesus took my condemnation and gave me his righteousness. I don’t stand before you in my worthiness, but in his. My trust is not in myself or in what I have done for you, but only in the person and work of Christ for me.”

That is the only safe place to stand.

In Christ, and in Christ alone, there is no condemnation.

In Christ alone who took on flesh;
fullness of God in helpless babe.
This gift of love and righteousness
scorned by the ones He came to save;
’til on that cross as Jesus died
the wrath of God was satisfied;
for ev’ry sin on Him was laid;
here in the death of Christ I live.

In Christ Alone
Keith Getty & Stuart Townend