March 5, 2014
I John 5:9, 11-14
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
It’s not that I lied in the last blog! It is just that the issue of John’s Nose! is so big that there will be two more blogs after this one – not just one! Yes, I had fun with that opening statement! Let’s look at the next of John’s Knows in I John 5:9 and 11 through 14:
…this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son….that God has
given us eternal life, 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. These things I have
written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know
that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name
of the Son of God.
This is a powerful statement that John makes, and he is absolutely sure about it! God gave witness through His testimony about His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. What witness and testimony did He give?
• He gave us the Old Testament with over 400 prophecies concerning the coming Messiah – prophecies which Jesus fulfilled perfectly! (Todd Strandberg, www.raptureready.com). Other scholars say between 300 and 700 prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus’ first advent.
For every prophecy of His first coming mentioned in the Old Testament, there
are eight predicting His Second Coming. Christ’s return is also mentioned
once in every five verses in the New Testament. (Walter J. Veith, PhD,
www.amazingdiscoveries.org).
• There is the record of Matthew 3:17 and 17:5 – at the beginning and again at the close of Jesus’ earthly ministry: “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
• The resurrection was the Lord’s total victory over sin, Satan, death and hell. And after being beaten and tortured to such an extent that He didn’t even look human anymore (see Isaiah 52:14), He came out of the tomb new, whole, perfect and vibrantly & spiritually alive!
• Jesus showed Himself to “…over five hundred brethern….” after His resurrection. (I Corinthians 15:6).
• God gave us the record of the New Testament, every word of which points to Jesus Christ. This applies to the Old Testament as well.
• And there are the testimonies of millions of saved and changed lives over the centuries!
Yes, God has surely given us witness about His Son! “…God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” The Son possesses and bestows eternal life upon all who come to Him in faith believing! “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” It is that simple!
How often I have met people who “hope” they have eternal life and will go to heaven when they die. Christianity is not a “hope so” religion! It is a “know so” faith! “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life… ”!
Here is what Jesus said in John 5:24:
Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who
sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed
[already] from death into life.
The “already” is what the Greek text implies.
So if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, giving over to Him our sin, our very selves, He washes us clean by His own blood, He sends His Holy Spirit into us to permanently dwell within, and He guarantees us eternal life right now, and heaven when we pass from this earth! These truths affect our Christian life immensely! We can then concentrate on living for Him, serving Him, and not worrying about “Am I good enough?” No wonder John wants us to “…continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.”
Go live out this truth – this know, and see what it does for your life!