Eternal Life

I John 5:9-15

We like to believe that we can rely on the sworn testimonies given by witnesses in court.  However, there are some people who would lie under oath if they knew they could get away with it, and they felt it served their purposes.  It all depends upon the integrity of the witness. How about the witness of God? In our Scripture passage today from the first letter of the Apostle John, he gives us the witness, the testimony, of God regarding His Son.  Will we believe and accept it?

The Apostle John tells us very clearly in verse 11 what the testimony of God is - that He has given us eternal life, and that this life is in His Son.  Though many have taught that our life today is all there is, there is in fact a life beyond this one. There is either eternal life with God or eternal separation from Him in hell.  This is God’s testimony. He also states in this testimony that eternal life with Him is only through His Son, Jesus Christ. As we read, it does not say through His Son and any good works or goodness on our part.  Nor does it say through His Son and any other religious or spiritual leader. Eternal life is only available through God’s Son, Jesus Christ.

Many people go through their life hoping and wishing they knew whether they had eternal life, whether they would “make it” into heaven.  The next two verses in our passage, verses 12-13, give believers assurance to know, really know for certain, that they have eternal life.  Verse 12 states quite clearly that if someone has the Son, has accepted God’s Son, Jesus Christ as Savior, they have eternal life. On the flip side, if one does not have the Son, Jesus Christ, they do not have eternal life.  There is no other way.

Satan often likes to torment new believers into doubting whether or not they have truly become a child of God.  He also goes after believers after they’ve committed some sin, and messed up, making them doubt their salvation.  John states here in verse 13 that we can know for sure. If we have the Son, we have eternal life. He has given us a “new birth” birth certificate here.

The remaining two verses in our passage can give us assurance that, now as believers, God will hear our prayers.  Our confidence in prayer is not in how earnestly or passionately we pray, not in how eloquent our words are, or in the length of our prayer.  Our confidence is in who we are praying to, and our relationship with Him.  Our confidence needs to be in God’s power, love, and wisdom.

Prayer is not demanding our will.  It is aligning our prayers to His will (vs 14-15).  “According to His will” - pray in accordance with what God would want, not what we would desire or insist that He do for us.  It depends on obedience to God’s Word and avoidance of deliberate sin. When a believer yields to Jesus they will discover the right prayer requests to pray, and the best possible answers.  God will hear us.

Have you ever been given directions to a specific location, but find yourself lost?  You are wandering around and wandering around but are not getting there. We have been given directions to eternal life through Jesus Christ. Many people are lost, and don’t know it or believe it. They think they are on the correct road, but are way off. People can also be lost as part of a large group. More people doesn’t make the way correct. We cannot trust feelings or hunches (Proverbs 14:12). We need help from Someone else.

God has provided that way in our Scripture passage today.  Do you trust His testimony and witness? It is the witness of Almighty God. It is reliable. Trust His Word today and receive eternal life in His Son, Jesus Christ.