Proverbs 13:14. The teaching of the wise is a fountain of life, that one may turn away from the snares of death.
The oldest city in America, St. Augustine, Florida, was founded by a Spanish explorer named Ponce de Leon. According to legend, he was searching for the fountain of life. Waters that, if you drank them, would make you live forever.
Of course there is no literal water that can make you live forever, and it is mostly a myth that Ponce de Leon was looking for magic water. But still today many people are trying to make it possible to live very long lives. Big companies like Google and major universities are trying to “solve aging” so that people can live to be 150 years old or older. We live in the age of transhumanism that seeks to break free from all the limits of nature and live longer and “better” lives. Not from wisdom. But from knowledge.
But why? Why do we want to live longer?
When you were young you probably didn’t think too much about wanting to live forever. But as you have gotten older the thought of aging and dying has become less and less avoidable. The book of Hebrews says that Satan’s main weapon against us is our fear of dying. Why do we fear dying? Not only because of the unknown that follows, but because we fear that we have not lived enough. Long enough. Well enough. Have we done enough to be remembered and valued after we’re gone. What kind of legacy will we leave? Will we die with regrets? Will we die before we’ve done all that we wanted to do?
Our proverb says that the way to live forever and avoid the snares of death is to listen to wise teaching (literally torah). Jesus will say essentially the same thing, except that he will equate his teaching with the eternal life of God.
John 3:26. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
The author of Hebrews repeats this same idea:
Hebrews 5:9. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him.
To obey Jesus is to have eternal life. But who can obey Jesus? Honestly, isn’t obeying Jesus even harder than obeying the Torah. Torah was mostly limited to actions, but Jesus commands our deepest hearts.
Torah: Don’t murder. Jesus: Don’t even hate.
Torah: Don’t commit adultery. Jesus: Don’t even lust.
Praise God that the only command of Jesus that will judge us is the command to believe in him. Truly the teaching of the wise is our fountain of life. The command of Christ, to place our faith in him, grants to us the eternal life of Christ. When we receive his full love and forgiveness it is like drinking from the fountain of life. When we trust in Jesus to save us we are turning from the snare of death and entering into everlasting life with God. Have you done that? Have you received Jesus? Will you live forever with him?
You: Do you fear death? Do you fear dying without having lived a full life?
You in Christ: How does the truth of eternal life free us from the fear of regrets?
Christ in you: Eternal life is not our life going on forever. It is Christ’s life in us going on forever. How does this truth make eternal life less scary for you?
Pray: Jesus, you are the fountain of eternal life. May my life in you free me from the fear of death and the fear of living. Amen.
To Live is Christ 