The Nugget:
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.
My Comment:
1 John 5:13 is preceded by a most important context:
1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
We need to ask of ourselves, “Do I have the Son?” when we read 1 John 5:12.
On the morning of November 7, 1953, now 69 years ago, I asked myself the equivalent of this question while I was out delivering The Detroit Shopping News, a circular that was issued twice a week. I delivered this paper to about 300 homes.
On that cloudy Saturday morning I was thinking about the many passages I had been reading from my pocket New Testament the weeks and months before. I had never before considered whether or not I “had the Son.” Although I had been attending Sunday school at Highland Park Baptist Church since my parents carried me there as an infant, I realized that morning of November 7, 1953, that I had never personally received Jesus Christ into my life (John 1:10, 11, 12).
I paused a few moments after crossing the street in the middle of the block on Lumpkin Street under a young oak tree while folding the next paper before setting it on the porch of the next home. I realized that I needed to be saved. From the Scriptures I had been reading diligently and extensively in the immediately preceding weeks I knew I needed to commit my life to the Lord Jesus Christ and trust Him alone for salvation. So I did that, right then and there.
That evening I attended with other members of the MYF, or Methodist Youth Fellowship, the monthly Holiness Youth Crusade rally at the Detroit Institute of Arts. I was to represent my local MYF youth group in a Bible quiz. I had “won” the quiz given at my local youth group at Thoburn Methodist Church. I think the Lord must have left all the smart kids home the day of that local quiz or I would not have won that local event.
The question asked of me that night at the Holiness Youth Crusade was, “True or False. The words ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved’ are found in the Gospels.” I answered, “True.”
Acts 16:30 And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?
Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
I did not win the Bulova watch.
That day was not a total loss, for earlier that day I did come to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and received then and still have today the gift of eternal life.
Some churches, maybe yours, mistakenly teach that you cannot know for sure that you have eternal life until after you die.
The Bible itself clearly proclaims that you may know that you now have eternal life:
Joh 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. (KJV)
Joh 5:24 Amen, amen, I say unto you that he who heareth my word and believeth him that sent me hath life everlasting: and cometh not into judgment, but is passed from death to life. (DRB, 1899 Douay-Rheims Bible)
Joh 5:24 Truly I say to you, The man whose ears are open to my word and who has faith in him who sent me, has eternal life; he will not be judged, but has come from death into life. (Basic English Bible)
Joh 5:24 “Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn’t come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. (WEB, World English Bible)
Joh 5:24 I tell you for certain that everyone who hears my message and has faith in the one who sent me has eternal life and will never be condemned. They have already gone from death to life. (CEV, Contemporary English Version)
Notice carefully that all these English versions and translations state that we can now in this life know that we “have eternal life,” not “maybe might have” or “won’t know until we die and go to heaven that we will have eternal life.” The Bible clearly states it is possible for you to know right now in this life that you have eternal life.
Do you know you have eternal life?
hello jerry another good posting John 5.24 Truly,Truly, I say to you,he who hears my word,and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life,and does not come into judgement,but has passed out death into life.