The Bottom Line

1 John 5:12-13 “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.”

This Bible verse answers many questions. I was once told by someone that, this  side of eternity, nobody can really know if they have eternal life, so I pointed them to this passage. Another person stated that Jesus Christ (the Son of God) could not possibly be the only way to eternal life in heaven, so I pointed them to this passage. When they said that you cannot believe anything that is only written once in the Bible (which I don't know where they ever heard that requirement of the infallible Word of God), but I pointed them to this next Bible passage:

John 3:35-36 “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand. He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

We must know and understand that in God's merciful plan of Salvation, Jesus Christ is Plan 'A', and there is no Plan 'B'. The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Either the Son of God pays for our sin or we do and the consequences of that decision is the difference between heaven and hell. That’s why Jesus came. That’s why the Lord told us in John 14:1-4, 6 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

We cannot earn our way to heaven. Paul explains in Romans 3:20-25 “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,  being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness."

When you put it all together, it makes sense of the words of Ephesians 2:1-9 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them."

Belief in Jesus, the Son of God, as Savior and Lord; not unbelief. Total trust and saving faith in Jesus, not doubt and infidelity.  This is the bottom line and when you "cut to the chase", then, it is easy to see that “Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life"  is the ultimate choice of life and life eternal. Thanks be to God!

In Christ, Brian