We Already Live in Eternity / Guest Post by George Smith

Have you ever stopped to consider what it means to be eternal?

Scripture tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:11 that God “…has set eternity in the human heart…"

Every person, whether they believe in God or not, has an innate awareness of something beyond this life—an understanding that there is more beyond the grave.

But have you really stopped to think about eternity? What happens when I die? Will I be in heaven? What will eternity be like? These are serious questions, even for mature believers.

When I was young and striving to excel in sports, I pushed these kinds of thoughts out of my mind. Like many young people, I was consumed by the pursuit of success—particularly in football and the dream of going pro. Over time, the nagging thoughts of God, His laws, and His judgments were so far removed that they had no bearing on my daily life.

That changed when Jesus became my reality, and peace with God became mine!

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — Romans 5:1

But the question of eternity remains. When does it begin? What does it look like?

In these later years of life, I’ve developed a desire to pass along some of the core truths of our faith to my 19 grandchildren. In one of our recent group text conversations, we were reflecting on a devotional that said:

“When this life ends, you will spend eternity in heaven with Jesus.”

It’s a beautiful and comforting thought—but is it accurate? Do we live our lives here on earth and then begin eternity after we die? In one sense, yes. It appears we experience this life now and then move on to the next phase in heaven.

But here’s a deeper truth we often overlook: Eternity doesn’t start when we die. We already live in eternity! The moment we come to know Jesus, our eternity with Him starts—not someday, but now.

Jesus made this clear when He said in John 14:20:

“In that day you will realize that I am in the Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.”

And again in Matthew 28:20:

…“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

So, we don’t wait, slogging through life, hoping everything works out and then we’ll get to be with Jesus one day. No—the reality is far more powerful: Our eternal life has already started!

If we belong to Jesus, we are already living in eternity—with Him through the Holy Spirit!

We are eternal beings. Eternally saved. And Jesus gives us many blessings for this part of eternity:

• Peace in life’s struggles
• Comfort in our sorrows
• Spiritual gifts to equip and empower us
• Loving relationships with family and friends
• Provision for our needs—home, food, clothing, and more

As 2 Peter 1:3 says:

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of Him…”

So enjoy today—this part of eternity—with Jesus. Walk closely with Him. Live with the awareness that you’re not waiting for eternity to begin. You’re already in it.