John 5:24 KJV
[24] 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.
The story behind the verse above comes from the healing of a man who had been ill for 38 years. Think of that: about half of the man's life had been spent bedridden and unable to do anything else except wait for the troubling of the water. There was always someone fast enough to get into the pool before this man, but there came a day when the One who heals came visiting and without any troubling of the water, healed this man who had been ill for 38 years. Indeed, there is nothing that Jesus cannot do. It is actually not fine to accept that Jesus can heal, and then want to deny the fact that He is also God. You cannot take one fact and reject the other; both are equally true and relevant to the identity, purpose and mission of Jesus. This was the dilemma the Jews of Jesus' time found themselves in: how would they deal with this man whose father they thought they knew, and who was also claiming to be God, and could heal the sick?
As it was then, so is it now. People keep finding convenient facts to support whatever position they want to take, but this does not in any way deny the truth of who Jesus is. I can argue with whatever information I am given, or I can ask the Holy Spirit to help me gain an understanding of what I have been told and the best way to apply it. The verse above sheds some light in this regard: I must hear the right message and also believe in the One who is God. It is not enough to just seek to hear or know; it is very important to apply what I know the right way. If what I know does not promote Jesus as Lord, Saviour, King and God, then that which I hold on to is not the real deal. Jesus was quite sure of who He is, and as you read the Gospel of John, you find deep nuggets about His person and identity. He is God; my view or acceptance of this truth is not for His benefit, but for mine. Accepting Him as Lord and Saviour is for my good; He remains God even when the heaven and the earth pass away.
It is almost as if all who hear and believe have placed themselves in a unique position where they have access to all that Jesus is and has before the actual inheritance is offered on a permanent basis. The verse above says that all who believe have passed on from death to life. That is a deep truth; they are still in the flesh, and if the Lord tarries long enough, they will experience physical death, but it is just a translation into the real life that has been promised. Physical death is just a passage into the full measure of life that is in Jesus, and there is no condemnation for all who are in Christ. The full measure may not be made manifest on this side of eternity, but be sure that you already have it, as long as you have believed on the Son Jesus Christ. Read this part just before the verse above: "all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father". If eternal life is the goal and the pursuit, the way to go is through the Son. Do you have Him? God's time of favour is here.
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