Crossover!

Crossover!

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. John 5:24 KJV

Context and Charge:

Jesus speaks here yet again, this time to the Jews of his time. This is interesting because these were his townspeople, who knew his history, family and life journey, and so should relate. Unfortunately, they could not understand how the son of Joseph, the carpenter, could make such claims as being God's child, and making himself equal with God. I must be careful of actions I take due to ignorance òr incomplete information. For the Jews of Jesus' time, and for us today, the message remains the same: it is not enough to know or hear about Jesus, or be familiar with the tokens that are associated with Him; those extra steps of believing in and then obeying him are very important. Don't settle for only head knowledge, as it is not enough to guarantee you eternal life. You must take the extra step of believing and obeying that which you have come to know.

Hearing is important; believing and obeying must follow. The seed only becomes active when it is put in the ground where it can yield increase. You can admire the seed, but if you do not put it to work, in the right environment and conditions, with nurturing and care, you will never see the full capacity of that seed. Until it is applied the right way, it remains dormant with all its capacity. You can make as many demands as you want, but if that seed is not put in the right ground and given all that it needs, it will be wasted. The same applies to us; unless and until we apply the Word we hear to our daily lives, allowing it to impact our actions and decisions, it will not do us good. Some may argue that the Word may not be effective then, but the question would be whether I have made the free choice to allow the Word do His work in me. He does not force Himself on anyone. 

Conviction and Conclusion:

The end of the right process is eternal life. This is important to know, particularly when you consider the temporary nature of the world we live in, and the false promises behind power, position, possession, privilege and politics. The one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God and has accepted Him as Lord and Saviour is the one who has received eternal life. Note that ALL men will be judged but the one who has Jesus as Saviour has already had sin judged in him/her and will therefore not be subject to the judgment of condemnation. Life in Jesus is eternal; in and by Him was death permanently dealt with. I cannot therefore be in Christ and at the same time still be subject to the operation of sin. I am now a partaker of the life of God in Jesus, and also entitled to all that Jesus is and has. Is there anything better than these? Is there anything more valuable than a life that has no end? God's time of favour is here.