Yes, John 17:3 says, "This is eternal life, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ."
But, try to use skillful English comprehension when reading John17:3. Ask yourself the question, Do I have this "Eternal Life" right now on Earth? Well, no you do not. You will have Eternal Life only in Eternity after you recieve your Inheritance from God. Therefore, since you do not at this time actually possess Eternal Life, and are confined to the physical Earth, you cannot "know God." You do not yet have the "this" spoken of by John in 17:3.
Now, ask yourself this question: Do you know anything of God beyond what is given about Him in Scripture? If you do not, then you only know things about Him, and nothing more. Therefore, when someone states they "know God," is there any way they can be correct? Remembet, heart felt sincerity and busy explanations are not a test for Truth.
Stegley, you are wrong about both subjects you presented.
Eternal Life begins here on earth. When you are born again, the Holy Spirit brings your human spirit to Eternal Life never to die again. Becoming born again happens when you quit trying to run your own life your own way, and mourn over your utter sinfulness, willingly surrendering complete control to Jesus Christ as LORD, meaning MASTER. NONE of that can be done out of the will of the human mind between your ears. The Holy Spirit enters your Heart pouring out the LOVE of GOD into your heart. Everything of Value that we do for GOD, spawns out of the "LOVE of GOD" that the Holy Spirit poured into our hearts the moment we were born again.
Romans 5:5 (NKJV)
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5 [/SUP] Now hope does not disappoint, because
the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
"KNOWING HIM", is also an absolute REALITY, that comes after we are born again. My inner personal love relationship with my LORD is very, very REAL. The fact that you doubt that REAL personal Relationship with Jesus Christ as LORD, validates that you are yet to be born again. Like I said, it involves completely surrendering control of your life to HIM. If you are holding back even part of your life for yourself, you are not yet born again. My born again experience came after a third attempt at suicide. OH YES, He is doing a MUCH BETTER JOB of running my life than I ever did.
1 John 5:20 (NASB)
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20 [/SUP] And we know that the Son of God has come, and
has given us understanding so that
we may know Him who is true; and
we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ.
This is the true God and eternal life.
1 John 2:3-5 (NIV)
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3 [/SUP]
We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands.
{The Greek word for obey, is in the Greek primary perfect tense, which we do not have in English. It does not imply perfection despite it's title, it implies a continuous lifestyle of striving to obey as part of our born again changed Nature. In other words, it is now the direction of the Walk of a born again Christian, and not the perfection of his Walk. By the same token, the opposite is true if you are not yet born again.}
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4 [/SUP] The man who says, "
I know him,"
but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.
{Does not continuously strive to do what He commands as part of His Nature.}
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5 [/SUP] But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him.
This is how we know we are in him:
Matthew 7:21-23 (NIV)
[SUP]21 [/SUP] "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
[SUP]22 [/SUP] Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?'
[SUP]23 [/SUP] Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
Matthew 25:11-12 (NIV)
[SUP]11 [/SUP] "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
[SUP]12 [/SUP] "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
"KNOWING HIM" is that inner personal LOVE relationship that comes with submitting to HIM as LORD, meaning MASTER, thereby becoming born again, with an
eternally alive human spirit with a spiritual mind too, that was brought to life by the HOLY SPIRIT.
John 3:6-7 (NIV)
[SUP]6 [/SUP] Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
[SUP]7 [/SUP] You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.'