1 John 5:12-13 - Eternal guarantee

Scripture:

1 John 5:12-13
12 He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life.
13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
NASU


Thoughts:

Here is the most critical promise of God given to believers in all of the Bible.  He who has believed in Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, has eternal life, period.

This type of grand guarantee is found nowhere else.  Search through the statements of belief of the major religions and cults of the world, read what popular philosophy says about the after life.  From my own study, you will generally find one of two answers concerning your place in heaven: 

1. You can't really know what's going to happen when you die, but just hope for the best.


2. Your own effort -- either in this life or the next -- will determine if you experience heaven or punishment. 

Search further, and you will find that ultimately, they all boil down to the first one, for no one can ever tell if they've "done enough" to make it.  After all, who among us could not be more diligent, more virtuous, or just plain more perfect in at least one area? 

Only in Christ, the one true God, do we find such a brazen statement of guarantee.  Only the One who conquered death (a fact of history), can guarantee our victory over it, as well.


Prayer:

Lord, how often as believers we take this enormous truth for granted:  we are saved, in You!

Thank You that You make this promise.  We don't need to fear what will happen to us, we know we are eternally safe.

Amen

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.