In my last post I said reading the Bible is the first step in becoming a disciple.  I probably should have said it is the next step because the first step is being a believer in Jesus Christ for everlasting life.  Because the truly lasting benefits of discipleship fall to those who have believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life.  Whatever good you can derive from living as a disciple without everlasting life is lost when you die.  To make the absolute most of being a disciple you must be reborn with the everlasting life Jesus Christ offers everyone who believes in Him for it.  That’s the message of John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

Yesterday, I was asked what is everlasting life.  The person asking rightly pointed out that even people in hell are still alive.  Is that not living forever?  It is certainly life in the sense of continuation of existence.  But the Bible also calls it the second death.  That gives us some insight into what God considers life and death.  The Biblical use of death carries the sense of separation.  Physical death is separation from the body and the material world.  Spiritual death is separation from God. 

In John Chapter 3 Jesus Christ referred to receiving everlasting life as being born again, a 2nd birth. He was defining everlasting life as being united with God. It bridges the gulf that separates people from God.  So, in answer to the question of what is everlasting life, it is simply this:  Everlasting life is being forever united with God.  It is living forever in His Eternal Kingdom.   
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The second death defines what awaits people who fail to believe the message of life everlasting promised by Jesus Christ.  They will continue to exist after separation from this world, but will be forever separated from God in Hell.  Death is not annihilation of existence; it is a permanent separation from God.  It is possible that means complete isolation of self.  It is certainly far worse than how it is portrayed in comics and literature.
Jesus Christ’s offer of everlasting life is by far the best option.  He keeps His promises.  

At Trego Community Church I tend to nag a little about Bible reading.  OK, I nag about it a lot.  But in a nice way.  The challenge is to read at least 4 chapters a day.  If you do that you can get through the entire Bible in just under 10 months.  And in doing that you have the chance to learn about God.  See how He interacts with His Creation.  You can learn what His plan is for the Human race.  And best of all you can get a snap shot of what He has in store for those who believe in Jesus Christ for everlasting life. 
The main reason I stress Bible reading is because it is the first step in becoming a disciple.  John 8:30-32 As He spoke these words, many believed in Him. 31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

You can’t abide in His word if you haven’t read it and learned what He has said.  Abide means to dwell or maybe better - set up camp in His word.  Or as the Apostle Paul put in Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom.  We are saved by faith and we are to live by faith.  We are to live by belief in the promises found in God’s word.  But you can’t believe what you do not know.  Living by what I teach or any other pastor teaches at church is not the same thing as living by what you have learned for yourself from reading the Bible. 

With the Bible you have 24/7 access to God’s revealed truth.  It is His word you can look up and read anytime you wish.  And the best part is you will get to know the God who is in a truly personal way.  He speaks through His written word.  He can use it to make you wise.  Psalm 119:98
You, through Your commandments, make me wiser than my enemies; For they are ever with me.
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So, why not take up the challenge?  Get in the habit of reading at least 4 chapters a day.  You can download a reading plan or do what I do.  Start at the beginning and read through to the end.  Then start over.  

Have you read Romans 7:7-12?  If so, how would you sum up what he said in one sentence?  OK, that is not fair because there is more than one lesson to draw from that passage.  Here is one thing I hope you took from what he wrote: ‘focusing on what I should not do doesn’t translate into doing what I should do.’   That is the weakness of religious law.  It kind of works like a wet paint sign, you are invariably struck with the urge to touch it just to make sure. 

Romans 12:1&2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

It is kind of like this, the best way to avoid thinking about pink rabbits is to concentrate on purple elephants.  That is the principle behind the renewal of your mind Paul mentions in Romans 12:2. You have to replace the old way of thinking with a new methodology.  What I’ll call a new mindset.  That is actually what the Bible calls for, a total change of mindset. Our natural or instinctive mindset is tied to the material universe in which we live.  Renewing our mind requires new knowledge.  Thus, the command to work at studying the Bible, filling your mind with new information.  So, here is another great Bible verse on this subject.

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.

Because the righteous one must live by faith (Romans 1:17) we need to know the source of that faith.  Faith must have an object and for the believer that is the Bible, God’s word.  You can’t believe in something you don’t know.  So, we have Romans 10:17 “So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” 
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If you have believed in Jesus Christ for everlasting life the next step towards being a disciple is renewing your mind by reading and studying God’s word.  2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  True knowledge of God’s Word may not change your life, but it will change you.