John 5:24 How to know you have eternal life

My original spiritual birthday, the day I received Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, was November 7, 1953.

That makes today my 57th anniversary!

Don’t feel bad if you don’t know the exact date and circumstance of your own spiritual birthday. That piece of knowledge is not a requirement for salvation!

But I must say, if you don’t know if you’ve ever had a spiritual birthday or not, that is something you really need to check into.

Jesus said we MUST be born again, so having a spiritual birthday is not optional (John 3:7).

Joh 3:7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.

There are some religious organizations, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who misunderstand and deny this verse. That is dangerous false doctrine! They think only a special group of 144,000, mentioned in the book of Revelation, are the “little flock,” and only this group can experience the new birth that Jesus spoke about. Well, if you read Revelation 1:19, the author of Revelation spells out his outline, and the part of Revelation that speaks of the 144,000 is clearly the portion of the book that is future prophecy that has not even yet been fulfilled. Further, there is absolutely no basis in Scripture to equate the 144,000 with the so-called “little flock” mentioned in Luke 12:32.

Luk 12:32 Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Many other religious groups, including some mainline Protestant churches, as well as the Roman Catholic Church, are mistaken in thinking that a person is born again when they are water baptized. The Bible nowhere teaches this idea. The doctrine of baptismal regeneration, as it is called in theology, is absolutely false. It is not taught in the Bible.

The Bible does declare that it is possible for you to ABSOLUTELY KNOW FOR SURE here in and during this life that you are saved, that you are born again, that you NOW HAVE eternal life.

John 5:24 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.

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

If you don’t know for sure, that is a sure sign you have not been properly reading and studying and believing your Bible.

Notice that John 5:24 directly states that those who hear Christ’s word, and believe on him that sent Christ, HAVE eternal life. That means have right now, NOT “hope to have,” or “I’ll find out for sure after I die.” At that point, it is too late to change your eternal destination (Hebrews 9:27).

Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Notice that 1 John 5:13 states most directly and clearly that we may “KNOW THAT YE HAVE ETERNAL LIFE.” “HAVE” is a present tense verb which means that we can have eternal life right now in this life.

Unfortunately, some churches, especially the Roman Catholic Church, deny that anyone can know that they have eternal life while still in this life. The Roman Catholic Church has made this denial of what the Bible clearly teaches a matter of their official doctrine, ever since the Council of Trent.

On the basis of what the Bible itself teaches, I believe the Bible officially declares the Roman Catholic Church to be a false cult, for the Roman Catholic Church directly denies what the Bible clearly and absolutely declares.

I came to know and receive the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior by simply reading the New Testament, and believing what it said.

You can come to full assurance of salvation yourself the same way I did, by reading and re-reading the plain text of the New Testament from a plain text Bible. When I began to read the New Testament, I determined to read the New Testament daily for at least twenty minutes a day. When I had more time, I read more. After two months or so of reading, from late August until Saturday, November 7, 1953, I realized I was unsaved. I had never personally prayed to God for salvation (Luke 18:13), and had never received Christ (John 1:12).

Luk 18:13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

While delivering newspapers that Saturday morning, I stopped on Lumpkin Street in Detroit, and prayed and received Christ as my Savior. I knew right then that I was saved, and today I still know for sure. Do you?

I continue to grow spiritually by studying the Bible every day.

I hope all of you will make Bible reading, and especially Bible study, a daily habit too.