Taking God At His Word

TO READ: 1 John 5:1-12

This is what God has testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.

1 John 5:11-12

If eternal life is the life of the eternal one, it follows that we have eternal life now if we have him. Have you asked Christ into your heart?

First John 5:13 says, “I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life.” We can know that we have, not hope that we may receive. Lots of people think they have to wait till they get to heaven to see if they can stay there. But you can know that you have eternal life now! Thank him for that.

Our daughter used to ask Christ into her life every single night as she said her prayers. I tried to tell her she didn’t need to go on asking. He had promised to come in the first time, and she could trust him to do what he said. One day I sent her to answer the doorbell. It was her friend. “Ask her in, Judy,” I said, and she did. Ten minutes later I asked my daughter, “Why don’t you ask your friend in to play with you?”

“She’s in already, silly!” replied my little girl. I reminded her that Jesus was the same. She got the point.

“If you . . . open the door, I will come in,” Jesus said in Revelation 3:20. What is more, Christ has told us that he comes in to stay. He shuts the door behind him, and no one can open it. Jesus Christ does not change his mind about eternal things.