Jesus Promises Eternal Life

1 John 5

God wants you to know today that you have eternal life—not based on your fluctuating faith—but based on the object of your faith, Jesus Christ.

Jesus desires to be in relationship with you. If you haven’t already, will you establish a personal and saving relationship with Him by believing He is the Son of God? Will you believe that God sent Jesus into the world to live a perfect life, to die a cruel death on a cross, to be buried in a borrowed tomb, to raise from the dead by the power of the Holy Spirit, and to ascend to heaven to intercede on your behalf, to cheer for you, and to prepare an eternal home and future for you?
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“Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. 2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. 4 For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:1–5 (ESV)

According to Warren Wiersbe, when you are born of God or when you surrendered your life to Jesus, you are born to love, to win, to assurance, and security. He writes in his Word Commentary that, “You will love the Father who gave you life and the Son who gave His life for you. You will also love His children, for you all belong to the same family. When you are born of God, you are born to win. Your first birth made you a sinner and a loser, but your second birth makes you a conqueror. The world wants to entice you and the devil wants to seduce you, but Christ will give you the victory you need if you trust Him.”

“This is he who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ; not by the water only but by the water and the blood. And the Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7 For there are three that testify: 8 the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree. 9 If we receive the testimony of men, the testimony of God is greater, for this is the testimony of God that he has borne concerning his Son. 10 Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself. Whoever does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has borne concerning his Son. 11 And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.” 1 John 5:6–12 (ESV)

This is what God want you to trust and believe. God has given you eternal life.

Dr. Tony Evans writes, “In John’s Gospel, Jesus defined eternal life this way: “that they may know you, the only true God, and the one you have sent—Jesus Christ.”

Eternal life is the knowledge of God. You receive this at the moment of salvation, but that’s only the beginning. You must grow in your knowledge and understanding, as sure as an infant must progress toward childhood. God wants us to grow in our knowledge of him—he wants us to deepen in our experience of eternal life. To do that, you must have intimacy with his Son, because this life is in his Son.”

God wants you to know, without a shadow of doubt, that in Christ you have eternal life—not based on your fluctuating faith—but based on the object of your faith, Jesus.

“I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 16 If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask, and God will give him life—to those who commit sins that do not lead to death. There is sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for that. 17 All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that does not lead to death.” 1 John 5:13–17 (ESV)

When you are born of God, you are born to assurance, and you can know that you have eternal life through His promise and His truth. You are born to talk to your Father in prayer and receive from Him what you need in this relationship.

Dr. Evans writes, “How do we know that we’re on the same wavelength with God and praying according to his will? We begin with the Word of God. Pray the Bible with all of its promises and commands. Let it be in your heart and on your tongue. God wants his Word to be done, so pray for it to be done in your life and in the lives of others. Prayer is a toll-free number; the tab is picked up at the other end.”

“We know that everyone who has been born of God does not keep on sinning, but he who was born of God protects him, and the evil one does not touch him. 19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. 20 And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:18-21 (ESV)

When you are born of God, you are born secure, and the evil one cannot harm you. You do not keep yourself saved, for the Father does that; but you keep yourself from the clutches of the wicked one, the one that seeks to destroy you. As you abide in Christ, you experience His love and care.

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.” John 10:27–30 (ESV)

Do you struggle to trust the promises of God in His Word? Have you prayed about it? Have to ask the Holy Spirit to help you in your unbelief and are you daily seeking God’s Word and relational time with Jesus? Do you have margin in your schedule to prioritize your relationship with God?

Today, know that in Jesus, you possess life and life eternal.

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