Do You Have Eternal Life? (John 5:21; 24-26).

John 5:21 says, "For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes." Notice that this passage emphasizes the sovereignty of Jesus in the matter of salvation! It tells us that the "Son also gives life to whom He wishes!" In other words, we are saved because God chose us to be saved. In Ephesians 1:4, Paul said, "Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world.." Being chosen for salvation "before the foundation of the world" eliminates us from choosing God, and gives Him all the glory for our salvation! In light of this, people have asked me, "How can I know whether God has chosen me?" The answer is found in 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 judgment, but has passed out of death into life." Salvation is a matter of God imparting new life through the power of His Word. Is there any evidence of being born again? Is there any evidence of new desires, new longings, new loves? Real faith in Jesus is not just a flash in the pan! Faith in Jesus endures and brings forth fruit of a changed life. According to verses 25 & 26, Jesus is the only person powerful enough to impart eternal life to spiritually dead sinners! What is eternal life? The Scriptures speak of eternal life as a gift of God that comes only through the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). Eternal life is in contrast to the "death" that's the natural result of sin. But, it is a mistake, to look at eternal life as simply an unending progression of years. In our passage, the word for "eternal" carries the idea of quality as well as quantity. Actually, eternal life is not associated with "years" at all. Eternal life is independent of time! In other words, eternal life functions outside of and transcends time, as well as within time. Because of this, eternal life is something that the Christ follower experiences now! Christ followers do not have to wait for eternal life, because it's not something that begins when they die. Eternal life starts the moment a person places faith in what Jesus did for them on the cross. John 5:24 reminds us that the person who "believes Him who sent Me, HAS eternal life." Eternal life is our current possession! The word "has" is present tense. John 3:36 says, "He who believes in the Son has eternal life." The Word of God also connects eternal life with the Person of Jesus Christ. In John 17:3, Jesus prays, "Now this is eternal life: that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom You have sent." In this passage, Jesus equates eternal life with a knowledge of God and of the Son. There's no knowledge of God apart from the Son! This life-giving knowledge of the Father and the Son is a personal knowledge which comes only by being in a relationship with God through Jesus Christ! This is eternal life! Do you have it? Your move. Be encouraged!