What does the Bible say about eternal life?

Bible Topic · WEB

The Bible teaches that eternal life is God’s gracious gift to sinners who trust in Jesus Christ, knowing the true God and His Son forever. John 3:16 declares that God gave His Son so believers will not perish but have eternal life, while Romans 6:23 contrasts this gift with sin’s deserved wage of death. Jesus says in John 5:24 that those who hear and believe have already passed from death to life. This life is grounded in Christ alone, the bread of life who gives Himself for His people (John 6:50-71), and is received by all who call on the Lord in faith (Romans 10:13). Scripture also soberly teaches a final division between eternal life and eternal punishment (Matthew 25:46).

Top passages, ranked by readers

Rankings: OpenBible.info Topical Bible (CC BY) · Scripture: World English Bible

  • John 3:16 6 votes

    For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

  • Romans 6:23 5 votes

    For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

  • John 17:3 4 votes

    This is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and him whom you sent, Jesus Christ.

  • John 5:24 3 votes

    “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

  • Matthew 25:46 3 votes

    These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

  • Romans 10:13 2 votes

    For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

  • John 6:50-71 2 votes

    This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, that anyone may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread which came down out of heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. Yes, the bread which I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.” The Jews therefore contended with one another, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” Jesus therefore said to them, “Most certainly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you don’t have life in yourselves. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood lives in me, and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who feeds on me will also live because of me. This is the bread which came down out of heaven—not as our fathers ate the manna and died. He who eats this bread will live forever.” He said these things in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Therefore many of his disciples, when they heard this, said, “This is a hard saying! Who can listen to it?” But Jesus knowing in himself that his disciples murmured at this, said to them, “Does this cause you to stumble? Then what if you would see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life. But there are some of you who don’t believe.” For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who didn’t believe, and who it was who would betray him. He said, “For this cause I have said to you that no one can come to me, unless it is given to him by my Father.” At this, many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him. Jesus said therefore to the twelve, “You don’t also want to go away, do you?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know that you are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered them, “Didn’t I choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?” Now he spoke of Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, for it was he who would betray him, being one of the twelve.

  • John 3:36 2 votes

    One who believes in the Son has eternal life, but one who disobeys the Son won’t see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

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