In His Son

Eternal life in heaven above and an abundant life in the here and now are made possible by none other than Jesus Christ. Do you know him?

Eternal life in heaven above and an abundant life in the here and now are made possible by none other than Jesus Christ. Do you know him? In His Son ". . . and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life." (1 John 5:11-12) Eternal life in heaven above and an abundant life in the here and now are made possible by none other than Jesus Christ. John 10:10 states that Jesus gives us this abundant life. It is pretty straightforward; it is not hard to understand. John the beloved apostle of Jesus Christ, who knew Him, walked with Him, and wrote a large part of the New Testament, declares in a way a child can understand that Jesus is the answer to eternal life; he writes in verse 11, "and this life is in His Son." Verse 12 splits everyone on the planet into two categories: you either have the Son or you do not. What does it mean to have the Son? To have the Son means you have a relationship with Jesus Christ. You have been born again by the Holy Spirit. God lives within you. You have accepted Christ as the Lord and Savior of your life and you have surrendered your life to Him. There is a difference between knowing someone and knowing about someone. For example, I know about Michael Jordan. I am enjoying watching the documentary on his life and the Chicago Bulls 1997-98 championship season, "The Last Dance". (I like the ESPN 2 version a lot better, as it has a lot less offensive language.) If I were to walk up to Michael Jordan and say, "Hey, how's it going? What time do you want to get together and hang out?" I'm sure he would look at me rather oddly and ask who in the world I am. Why would this be his reaction? It is because I simply do not know or have a relationship with Michael Jordan. By the way, a pastor friend of mine, James Merritt, shared the Gospel with Jordan on the golf course and asked him, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul?" Jordan received it well and even had tears in his eyes as Pastor James shared Jesus with him! In John's words, those who do not have the Son of God do not have eternal life. To not have Jesus means you do not know Him, you do not have a relationship with Him, though He desires for you to know Him. John Stott's commentaries on the Epistles of John are outstanding. Commenting on the second part of verse 12, he writes: The alternative is clear and uncompromising. We cannot escape its logic. Eternal life is in God's Son and may be found nowhere else. It is as impossible to have life without having Christ as it is to have Christ without thereby having life also. This is because the Son is the life (1:2; John 11:25; 14:6). Three important truths are taught in these verses about eternal life. First, it is not a prize which we have earned or could earn but an undeserved gift. Secondly, it is found in Christ, so that, in order to give us life, God both gave and gives us his Son. Thirdly, this gift of life in Christ is a present possession. True, it is further described as eternal, aiōnios, which means literally 'belonging to the age', i.e. the age to come. But since the age to come has broken into this present age, the life of the age to come, namely 'eternal life', can be received and enjoyed here and now. God offers us eternal life, and this life is in His Son Jesus. Do you know Him? If you do know Him, let us praise the Lord together! If you do not have the Son, receive Him today, and begin living the abundant, eternal life Jesus has promised to all who trust Him and turn to Him and away from sin for salvation. Podcast of the Week 10 Principles for Effective Living: Perseverance Pastor Danny focuses this episode on the principle of Perseverance, delving into the stories of many inspiring historical figures who remained steadfast in the face of severe adversity. Download on iTunes Listen on Stitcher Watch on YouTube Facebook Twitter Instagram Website Spotify SoundCloud Share Tweet Fwd Copyright © 2020 Danny Forshee Evangelistic Association, All rights reserved.