“HE that hath the Son hath life.”
Not he that hath a good character, position, or religious training, nor he that hath joyful feelings in his heart, hath life—no, but he that hath the Son. The words are simple, and their meaning is plain, yet too few believe or understand them. Numbers of really earnest people spend years of their lives in seeking to obtain life by amending their character or by making religious efforts, and forget or act as if no such words were in God’s book as these― “He that hath the Son hath life.”
A lady in high position in society, and who had attended numbers of fashionable churches in her day, when three score and ten years of age, in reply to questions as to true religion, evidenced no more knowledge of the fact of life in Christ than one among the so-called “lapsed masses”; her whole notion of merit for dwelling with God in eternity being her own ladylike behavior as an English woman. Neither her intellect, education, nor position had ever taught or brought to her this truth― “He that hath the Son hath life.” Whether high born or low born, there is no difference—man fails, too often, to grasp even the bare meaning of the letter of the words, “He that hath the Son hath life.”
Some while ago, we were sitting by the bedside of one of England’s brave fishermen. Tom was sick―indeed, he had been struck for death. Often in his prime had he faced the storm and risked his life without a moment’s hesitation, for fear had but a little place in his heart. And now Tom was about to pass into eternity.
“Don’t fret for me,” said he, as we sat upon the box by his bedside, which supplied the place of a chair; “I’m all right; I don’t fear to die.”
“No, Tom,” we answered; “but it is not a stormy sea you have to face tomorrow, you are not just going out in the life-boat to some wreck; you are going to face God.”
“Why are you so nervous about me?” Tom broke in; “I’m not frightened; I’m all right, I know. Don’t trouble about me, for I don’t like to see you take on so, for you’ve always been kind to me.”
Now Tom had lived a life of utter indifference to God. He had spent his hard-earned money in drink, and as we were talking with him about his future, his little children were running about his room bare-footed, while upon the very walls of the cottage where he was dying was written poverty―poverty of Tom’s own making. He had not lived the life of a high-born lady, but that of a never-fear English fisherman, and he saw no more sin against God in his course of life than did the lady referred to see in hers. Neither the one nor the other apprehended the fact that in Christ, and in Christ alone, man has everlasting life; and that without Christ, man is dead in sin.
Poor Tom! True, he had no fear of death before his eyes, but whether he ever understood, through the teaching of God the Holy Spirit, that “He that hath the Son hath life,” before he passed into eternity, is more than we should dare to say.
Now, mark the words― “He that hath,” not, shall have; not, hopes to have, but hath. What does this signify― “He that hath”?
In every-day life we should make no difficulty in explaining what hath means, for hath means hath. He who has a sovereign in his hand, has it there; and he who has a home, has one. To have is to possess. And he who has the Son has Jesus for himself.
Here we shall not wait to explain, for by so doing we might draw off the reader’s mind from the real issue―we prefer to ask a question. Have you Christ for yourself? Do not spend your time in inquiring whether you have a good, a religious name, or good works, or happy feeling; but diligently search and see whether you have Christ. Is He your own Saviour?
“He that hath the Son hath life.”
Get very close to your heart, beloved reader Do not inquire or seek to test yourself as to whether you have life, but listen to the scripture which declares, He that has the Sor has life. To ask yourself, “Have I life?” will be but a stumbling block in your way. Have you the Son? if yes, then you have life, everlasting life, life in the Son who is the Life.
Too many, whom we cannot doubt are children of God, fail to progress in the Christian path, because they stop to see whether life is theirs, instead of rejoicing in the Son whom they have, by grace. If you believe on His Name, He is yours. If you trust Him, He is yours. Occupy your heart with Him who is yours, not with so much as a question whether life is yours. To have Jesus is to have all. Life is yours, because you have the Son.
“And he that hath not the Son hath not life.”
Thus sharply is the dividing line drawn. On one side or the other of the line all stand. Mark well, it is not written, he that hath not good works, or hath not bright experience, hath not life—no, but he that hath not the Son. Of what value will be position here, if you have not the Son? Of what worth will it be not to fear in the hour of death, if you have not the Son, for he that hath not the Son hath not life.
Must we inquire what it is not to have? Does not the man who is penniless not understand what it is not to have? Does not he who is without a home know what it is to be homeless?
May God, by His Spirit, open our eyes to see that life depends upon our having the Son; and that not to have the Son is to be in the state of death.