1st John 5:11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
1st John 5:12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
1st John 5:13 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.
First off, John tells us "this is the testimony" Or this is the expression about what God has done. This is the record of what we have been given by God in Christ.
God has given us eternal life and this life is in His Son. So, the two things said here. First of all, It's not saying that we somehow earned or deserved this eternal life. Nor is stating that it's been given to us through any other person or means then God. Secondly, it's been given to us. It's come to us from God.
The word given means, grant, deliver, to give something of one's own accord. Let have, to supply, furnish, present, hand out .
So, our God has given to us ( those who believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God ) eternal life. Which means, we have been united with God through Christ, and we now have communion with Him, we know Him, we can communicate with Him, and He with us. We are together in fellowship with God.
We were not in this position before we believed. We were separated from Him. We did not know Him, we were without Him, but now in Christ, that has all changed. God has given us eternal life.
And, this life is in His Son. John expounds on this a little bit. The person who has the Son ( that is, have come to faith in Christ, have received Christ, are saved etc, ) He who has the son has life. Since the life is in His Son, then it stands to reason that if you have the Son, then you have life.
On the contrary, the person who does not have the Son of God does not have life. This is also plain and simple. It's not confusing, it's clear, and simply stating that for those who have never received Christ, they have not believed, they have not turned to Christ to save them, these do not have life. They are still dead in their sins and trespasses.
One can easily see why it's so important to have Christ. Because with Him, you have eternal life, and without Him, you do not. He is indeed the way to God, and it's God who gives us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.
Pastor Bob Grenier
Calvary Chapel Visalia
