1st John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.
This passage of scripture, written by the apostle John under the inspiration of The Holy Spirit, breaks down the two great facts of life into their most fundamental and simple form, so that even a child can understand, for it tells us of the consequence of having The Son of God, which means having eternal life, and then it plainly states that those who do not have Christ, do not have life in themselves. These two facts must be addressed by every living person, for it has to do with our eternal destiny, whether we will be admitted into the abodes of bliss, prepared by God for those who have The Son, or whether we will end up on the other side of the fence, with the devil and all those who have not The Son.
Many people struggle to find answers to life's perplexing questions by rummaging through a maze of philosophical theories and suppositions that are solely based on unfounded concepts, and ideas of men. But the Bible states clearly that life is only worth living when we have Christ dwelling on the inside. This all-important fact makes all the difference in our purpose for living and also our eternal destiny, and it was the issue which Christ raised with the rich young ruler who came to Him inquiring of what must be done to inherit eternal life. First of all, eternal life is not so much an inheritance as it is a gift, offered to every member of the human family on God's own terms, and these conditions were clearly delineated by Jesus in His answer to the young man's query. Let's read:
Matthew 19:16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life? 17 And he said unto him"...... "but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments. 18 He saith unto him, Which? Jesus said, Thou shalt do no murder, Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, 19 Honour thy father and thy mother: and, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 20 The young man saith unto him, All these things have I kept from my youth up: what lack I yet?
The last question that the young man asked is a very important one, for it speaks to a void and emptiness of soul that very many people experience, yet know not of the solution. What was lacking in his life was The Son, for he had made the material goods and riches of this world his idol instead of God, and therefore, whenever the service of God and the service of mammon clashed, the choices he made always came down on the side of mammon, to which he would bow down and serve. This pattern of decision making found its climax when Christ proposed the removal of his idol, and when he learned of the terms of having eternal life, he went away sorrowful, for he was very wealthy. Let's read:
Matthew 19:21 Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
There are many people, including millions of Christians living today who have tried in vain to forge a compromise between the material idols of this world and the service of God, but the two can never reign on the same throne, for one must take preeminence over the other. This is one of the reasons why many people do not accept the Sabbath of the fourth commandment, for in almost all instances it involves some type of sacrifice that many are not willing to make, even though God has promised to be a shield to those who trust in Him. When Christ says emphatically that we cannot serve God and mammon, we should take the time to understand what He is saying.
For instance, a Christian may claim to have The Son, yet when met with circumstances that will apparently cause loss, on account of following godly principles, then the choice is made to go with policy rather than principle. But when we have The Son reigning on the throne of our hearts, His laws, precepts and principles will take precedence over any monetary or material gain this world has to offer.
During the recent financial meltdown many people went into foreclosure, and were threatened with the loss of their homes which was their pride and joy. Then one day it was announced publicly on the airwaves that the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation Of America (NACA) was coming to town, in an effort to save thousands of borrowers, the heartache of losing the home of their dreams. But the lines were long and some Sabbath-keeping Christians had to wait for several days in the lineup in order to have their cases addressed. The lengthy wait time crossed over into the Sabbath hours, and then the decision needed to be made, whether they should stay after waiting so long, or whether they should abort the effort.
It is at desperate times like these when it is manifested whether Christ reigns supreme in our hearts, for the deliberate choice to suffer loss for the sake of Christ, is one of the indicators which show if we have The Son or not. The conscious decision to choose Christ over all else is what makes all the difference, both for this life and for the life to come, for it then sets up the correct order of priorities in our lives, which when diligently adhered to, result in successful living, both in this world and the next. Let's read:
Matthew 19:27 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed thee; what shall we have therefore? 28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
In our own personal lives the decision to have The Son comes to us from time to time, and our choices will also have a direct impact on the here and now and the great hereafter. As we ponder those choices, let us remember that this mortal life is as a fleeting shadow, and pales in comparison to the weight of immortal glory that shall be revealed when The Son, who gives us life will come to claim His own. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which calls on us to weigh carefully, and to choose wisely, as we contemplate the far reaching results of having The Son as Lord and Savior of our lives. Let's read:
Matthew 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. 26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works.
May God add His blessing to the study and practice of His word. "Good night" and God bless!