IT is astonishing what a number of difficulties souls get into about that which is presented in Scripture in the most simple form. Nothing can be plainer in the Word of God than that every one that believeth on the Son of God is the present possessor of eternal life. We have it from His own blessed lips, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life” (John 6:4747Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. (John 6:47)).
The Lord’s servant, moving to and fro in his Master’s work, continually comes in contact with souls who profess to believe, and yet are uncertain whether they have eternal life or no. The following will give you some idea, both of the endless difficulties and perplexities many get into through unbelief, and also of the simple way they get to know that they have eternal life by faith. Sayings such as these constantly salute our ears. May the Lord in His grace use them to lead some to take Him at His word!
You go to one, and say, “Well, friend, do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?”
“Oh yes, certainly; I should be sorry if I didn’t.”
“I am glad to hear that. Then you know what it is to have everlasting life.”
“Well, I hope so.”
“Hope so! But the Lord Jesus said, ‘Verily, verily, he that believeth in me hath.’”
“Oh yes, I know that. But I can’t get beyond a hope.”
“But He said, ‘hath.’”
“But I don’t think anyone can be sure about it. Do you?”
“That is your thought. What does He say?”
“Oh! He says ‘hath,’ I know.”
“Well, then, you have everlasting life.”
“Ah I shouldn’t like to say that.”
“Shouldn’t like to say it! But it is what He says, not what you say. It is for you to believe it.”
“I do believe.”
“Then, dear man, you have it. He says so.
What can be plainer? Do you think He would tell you a lie?”
“Oh no; that I’m sure He wouldn’t.”
“Have you everlasting life, then?”
“I shouldn’t like to be presumptuous.”
“Presumptuous! It’s no presumption to believe the Lord. It is faith to take Him at His word. And notice how strongly He prefaces it, ‘Verily, verily,’―or, Truly, truly, — ‘I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life.’ Come now, do you believe?”
“Oh yes; indeed I do.”
“Well, believing is having. The two go together. You can’t separate them. Then, have you it?”
“I shouldn’t like to deceive myself, you know, sir.”
“But, my dear man, you are deceiving yourself, and letting Satan deceive you, by not believing Christ’s own word.”
“I think mine can’t be the right kind of belief.”
“What kind is it? Is it with the head, or with the heart?”
“Oh, it’s with the heart. I believe it with the heart. Yes, oh yes, I believe it with the heart.”
“That’s the right kind of faith then, so the difficulty is not there. Now, then, once again, Do you believe?”
“Yes, surely.”
“He that believeth on the Son, hath everlasting life. You have it?”
“I hope so.”
“Hope so, again! It doesn’t say, Hope so. Hath. H-A-T-H spells hath, not hope.”
“That’s true. I’m well aware of that. I know what it says. But you know, sir, I don’t act up to it.”
“My dear man, look how you go away from the point. There’s nothing in the verse about your actions. Actions and good works follow. You can never act up to it, until you have it. You must have the life first, and then live it.”
“But, supposing I was to say, ‘I have it,’ and didn’t act up to it tomorrow, how then? I shouldn’t like to be a, hypocrite.”
“Wait till tomorrow comes. What have you to do with tomorrow? Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. You might die today. And if you haven’t eternal life before you die, the only other alternative is, you ‘shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on you’ (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)). It will be tune enough to talk about your walk, when you are sure you have eternal life. And the Son of God says, that he that believeth on Him hath it. And therefore, if you truly believe, you have.”
“Well, you make it very plain.”
“It is plain. Christ spoke plainly, and means what He says. Is it yours?”
“I can’t seem to feel it.”
“Can’t feel it! What has it to do with your feelings? Does it say, He that feeleth hath, or he that believeth is to feel it?”
“Oh no, it doesn’t say that.”
“Then, why do you? Why do you turn in upon yourself and your feelings?”
“But then, people do feel it, don’t they?”
“That’s quite true. But you must have it first. You want to feel it, to have it; instead of have it, to feel it. He that believeth―not feeleth — hath, HATH; H-A-T-H, HATH. You cannot make anything more or less of it. H-A-T-H always did, and always will, spell hath.”
“You’ve got me in a corner now. But―”
“No, there’s no but.”
“But―”
“No, no, no; don’t bring in a but. You will spoil it if you do. I don’t read anything about ‘but.’ It is hath,’ not but.’”
“Yes, true, but there must be a great change.”
“Indeed there must. But how? There will be a great change in you, if you let your huts and feelings and thoughts go, take God at his word, and are assured you have everlasting life.”
“I think I see it a little plainer.”
“But do you believe it?”
“I believe on the Lord Jesus, the Son of God.”
“ ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.’ Now, have you it, or have you not?”
“It says so there.”
“Exactly.”
“Then I must have.”
“No; it doesn’t say, must have, but hath. Have you?”
“If I was like you, ―”
“No, no, no; never mind about me. I’m only a good-for-nothing sinner, saved by grace.”
“Well, then, I have.”
“You have?”
“Yes.”
“Sure?”
“He says so.”
“Just so. Can He deceive you?”
“No. I see it.”
“Praise the Lord!”
“Dear me, how very simple! But is that all?”
“What more do you want?”
“Nothing more. Believeth―hath! I never should have thought it. Dear me. Yes, I can see it. How foolish! I wonder I never saw it before. But I thought there was something more than that. I thought I had to do, or feel something.”
“That’s it. It is the same with thousands, and that is just why they remain in the dark; following their own thoughts, instead of taking God at His word. Let me repeat it then once again, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.’”
“It’s as plain as plain can be now. I believe, and therefore I have. How blessedly simple, BELIEVETH— HATH.”
And now, dear reader, a word in conclusion. How is it with you? Do you believe? Have you everlasting life? May God give you to answer in the affirmative. May He enable you to say, conscientiously and truly, “Yes, I have.” It is a question that it will never do to put off. Delays are dangerous. There is no believing, and having everlasting life in hell. Unbelief now will shut you up in everlasting misery then (John 21:88And the other disciples came in a little ship; (for they were not far from land, but as it were two hundred cubits,) dragging the net with fishes. (John 21:8)). “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:3636He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. (John 3:36)). God has coupled BELIEVETH and HATH together, in one indissoluble eternal sentence. May God give you to say, “Both are mine.” E. H. C.