“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life” (John 5:24).
Jesus Christ is an interesting character, to say the least. This first-century miracle worker and teacher is the reason we call that historical period “the first century.” Such was Christ’s mark on the world, that Western historians from 525 AD onward noted His earthly ministry as the pivot-point of all human history.
Everyone who takes Jesus’ works and words into consideration must respond in some way. Some respond with shock, thinking that Jesus must have been a crazy invention of some religious upstarts of ancient history. Others respond with wonder, amazed that a man may have spoken and acted so astonishingly. Jesus demands another response, however, from those who seek to enjoy the benefits He offers.
Jesus, claiming to be both true God and effective Savior, says that not all ‘hearing’ is real ‘hearing,’ and not all ‘believing’ is real ‘believing.’ But, in order to pass from death to life, one must faithfully hear Jesus’ word and trustingly believe.
If one hears and believes, then the promise is sure: that person will never “come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”
May God graciously grant us the ears to hear and the will to believe.
Holding the Line 