The Test of Eternal Life

1 John 5 has many wonderful truths in it. John continues with the idea of the test of keeping God’s commands and then he talks about the spirit, water, and blood; which I confess to not knowing exactly what he is writing about in verses 6-8 but I’m pretty sure I understand the next paragraph. Here it is: 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater; for this is the witness of God which He has testified of His Son. 10 He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son. 11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. John provides a very simple test to use to determine if one has eternal life. “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.” I don’t think he could be any clearer…and these words are consistent with the entire New Testament understanding of salvation and eternal life.

The good news is that you need not pass a test in order to receive the Son into your life. You just have to ask. There is no test in receiving Him. I also think it is important to accept the truth of verse 13. There doesn’t have to be any doubt about eternal life. John says that he wrote these things so that we can KNOW that we have eternal life, not guess, or suppose or hope. This confidence is based on the work of Jesus, not on our work. Do you have eternal life? Do you pass the “test” that John has given us?