Eternal Life!

Eternal Life!

“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, the person who hears My word [the one who heeds My message], and believes and trusts in Him who sent Me, has (possesses now) eternal life [that is, eternal life actually begins—the believer is transformed], and does not come into judgment and condemnation, but has passed [over] from death into life.

John 5:24 AMP

The Context and Focus:

This verse comes from the story of the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda, who had been at that location for thirty eight years. In an earlier verse, Jesus met this man after he had been healed, and warned him to stop sinning, or something worse would happen to him. Just picture the impact of sin in a man's life: sin was able to keep this man in bondage for 38 years, and could have been longer, if not for the grace of God that found him where he was, and he was healed. Just as it was then, so is it now. Sin still has the same effect it has always had: it oppresses, suppresses and depresses. It is a slave master that will not let go without a fight, because its consequences are eternal. The devil who is the promoter of sin knows that his eternal damnation is sealed, but he would want others to join him in his judgment. This is why Jesus was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. The big question then is: Is Jesus the Lord and Saviour of my life now?

The Message:

Just as the man at the pool heard the word and command of Jesus and he was healed, so does the word of the Lord come again to all of us today. The word that came to that man that day, bringing deliverance from sin and permanent healing if he stayed away from sin, is still the same word God sends to us today. The verse above refers to the one 'who hears My word [the one who heeds My message], and believes and trusts in Him who sent Me'. It is not just enough to hear, as there are many who hear, but the difference is in the believing and trusting in God'. I go from just hearing to doing. I apply all that I have heard from the Word and seek to apply it to daily living. It is not enough to form a habit of reading the word daily, which is quite good, and is the foundation of knowledge about God and his will, but I must also ask God for grace to help me apply all that I read and know about Him. 

The Conclusion:

Why seek knowledge, if it does no good in giving me hope of eternal life? What is the end of all the pain and trouble the world brings, if there is hope of a better life than this present one? The verse above makes clear that hearing, believing and trusting in God down here on earth already secures eternal life for me with God in heaven, which means that eternal life is not just what i get at the end, but what i enjoy from now. I have eternal life already; I am only waiting for its actual  manifestation and possession. The life of God in me is the seal of confidence that I am headed in the right direction. The life of God in me is what keeps me from the judgment for sin that is coming to the whole world. Having Jesus as my Lord and Saviour means death no longer has power over me. It cannot just be about head knowledge, but also direct life application. Do you have Him? Does He own you? God's time of favour is here.