1 John 5:10-13 - We Can Know We Have Eternal Life

Today, Tuesday September 14 We Can Know We Have Eternal Life 1 John 5:10-13 “Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life. A key word in this little epistle of 1 John, is the word “know”, and it appears at least eight times in this last chapter. It’s as if John is wanting to make sure that we personally have the assurance that our relationship with God is real and we truly are in fellowship with Him. When we “know” certain things about God and His Son Jesus Christ, we can also “know” that we have eternal life. The key word in 1 John 5:6-10 is witness, sometimes translated "record" or "testifies." God gave witness to His Son, but He has also given witness to His sons—to individual believers. We know that we have eternal life! Not only is there the witness of the Spirit within; but there is the witness of the Word of God. "These things have I written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, in order that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13). Eternal life is a gift; it is not something that we earn (John 10:27-29; Eph. 2:8-9). But this gift is a Person—Jesus Christ. We receive eternal life not only from Christ, but in Christ. "He who has the Son has the life" (1 John 5:12). Not just "life" but "the life"—the life "which is life indeed" (1 Tim. 6:19). This gift is received by faith. God has gone on record in His Word as offering eternal life to those who will believe on Jesus Christ. Millions of Christians have proved that God's record is true. Not to believe it is to make God a liar. And if God is a liar, nothing is certain. God wants His children to know that they belong to Him. John was inspired by the Spirit to write his Gospel to assure us that "Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God" (John 20:31). He wrote this epistle so that we may be sure that we are the children of God (1 John 5:13). Eternal life is not just a span of time and living forever and forever in a wonderful place called heaven. For sure it includes all that, but it is more! In Jesus High Priestly prayer in John 17:3, He tells us what eternal life is. “And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.” Eternal life is a present tense possession that we receive the moment we believe and put our faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God! It’s all about a relationship with God and not about a religion. Have you ever had that moment when that happened to you? If not, why not right now believe and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior! God bless!