“Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation (literally, judgment), but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:2424Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. (John 5:24)).
“Verily, Verily,”
Is a word of confidence, a word of divine and positive assurance—fitly chosen, divinely selected—a word only thus found in the Gospel of John—a gospel which gives us the blessed unfoldings of Christ as Son come down from the bosom of the Father. He tells of His Father’s unfathomable love, and lest our hearts refuse to credit the tale of such love and grace, He prefaces it with a word on which faith may surely rest, and the heart be established in unshaken confidence before Him.
“He That Heareth My Word.”
O turn from man, poor sinner, to Him whose “sayings are true and faithful!” Listen I beseech thee, to the Son of God! Heareth is the word, not feeleth or striveth. He claims your attention; He wants your listening ear. O that His voice may fall upon your soul, calming the unrest within! Dear reader, drink in those precious words uttered by Himself— “Come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matt. 11:2828Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28).) “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up: that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world, that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:14-1614And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: 15That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:14‑16).) Surely His voice should alone be heard, and command the deepest attention of the soul. The world, the heart, and Satan have each spoken to man and been eagerly listened to; And what has been the result? The world alluring to destruction, the heart only condemning, and Satan falsifying the character of God. O that men would hear the voice of the Son of God!
“Believeth on Him That Sent Me.”
There is no word here about experiencing anything—a feeling something within. All true experiences follow believing. Before ever one is called upon to feel anything, or realize aught, he is called, commanded, and besought to believe on Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. My reader, do you believe on God? He gave Jesus for our sins; He raised Him up for our justification; He gave Him in love for the sinner. God could not be satisfied while man stood in the place of distance—in the place of guilt. O, He so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son! He loved you. You are in the world, part of it, and hence your claim to His love is a valid one. Now, won’t you believe on Him? What more—What else could He do to win your confidence?
“Hath Everlasting Life.”
Are the two conditions complied with? Have you heard His word? Have you believed on God, the giver of Jesus? Then you have everlasting life. It is a settled fact. It is not a maybe. God’s word is settled in heaven, and this word, assuring the hearing and believing sinner of everlasting life, is therefore a word settled in heaven. Hast thou heard His blessed word? Hast thou believed on God? If so, thou hast everlasting life; not a life clogged with conditions, or one which can be sinned away. It is everlasting.
“Is Passed From Death Unto Life.”
I need not wait until the judgment day to know that all my sins have been forgiven; the day of glory will undoubtedly manifest in power the blessed results of the cross, but I can know it all now. I pass from death unto life now.
Reader! what say you to all this? Now, may the gracious Lord lead you to the blessed knowledge of Himself. It is eternal life to know Him and Jesus Christ whom He has sent.
The Heart in Heaven.
Keep your taste, your love, and hope in heaven it is not good your love and your Lord should be in two sundry countries.