1 John 5-Part 4 (verses 11-12)
And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 1 John 5:11-12
LET IT GLOW
Saturday morning, I wanted some hot, fluffy, biscuits for breakfast. So I opened up a can of storebought jumbo ones to bake. I got out the last jar of yummy, sweet, homemade blackberry jelly to put on the biscuit when it was done. My mouth was watering as I awaited the delicious taste. Okay, I suspected something was wrong whenever the can wouldn't pop open. Then the biscuits were wierd looking, with each layer coming apart, like they had gobs of shortening. (Four days were left on the expiration dated.) But I wanted a hot biscuit with jelly so much that I was hopeful that it would bake up all right. Fifteen minutes later, my expectations were shattered. They were as flat coming out of the oven as going into the oven. Yeah, flat biscuits. No, that was not my reaction. Did I throw them away? No, of course not. Instead of eating one fluffy, hot biscuit with sweet blackberry jelly, I ate three crispy, flat bottoms of a poor imitation of a biscuit with my sweet jelly. Worse of all, I forgot to give thanks for my breakfast. What a way to start a day! Thank You Lord for flat biscuits and Your teaching me life lessons. Sometimes life seems flat, unexciting, doesn't it? I know it shouldn't, since I have heaven as my journey's end.
How are my expectations of eternal life? Am I expecting heaven?
Record refers to a testimony; through the Holy Spirit, in the Christian's blessed consciousness of eternal life and of reconciliation with God, obtained by baptism and the expiatory(atonement) death of Christ. (Thayer's Lexicon)
Thayer's Lexicon has this to say about life: life real and genuine, a life active and vigorous, devoted to God, blessed, the portion even in this world of those who put their trust in Christ, but after the resurrection to be consummated by new accessions (among them a more perfect body), and to last forever.
What is God telling me through John?
- God has given me eternal life. I can expect to spend eternity with Him. It's His gift to me.
- Since I have His Son Jesus in my heart, I have life.
LET IT GROW
Did you catch the last part of verse 12? He that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
It is plain, right there is black and white.
In John 14:6, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
It's either Jesus or nothing; eternal life with Jesus or without Jesus; whole hog or zilch.
(My conclusion about the biscuits is that the baking powder was either not put in, or they were left out of refrigeration too long and it died.)
LET IT GO
Thank God for eternal life in heaven.
Thank Jesus for enduring the cross so I could have eternal life and a way to the Father.
Live an active, vigorous life, devoted to God.
Loosen the chains of sin that bind me to this earth.
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