Eternity.
I don’t know that my mind can fully comprehend it.
No ending.
No final day.
No clock counting down the hours we have left.
Eternal life is so much bigger than anything we’ve experienced that sometimes I think we can say the words without really stopping to consider what they mean.
But Scripture doesn’t leave us wondering where eternal life is found.
John tells us plainly:
“God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”
Then he makes it even simpler.
“Whoever has the Son has life.”
And just a few words later, John tells believers why he’s writing:
“That you may know that you have eternal life.”
Not wonder.
Not cross your fingers and hope.
Know.
Today’s Saving Grace of God
1 John 5:11–13 (ESV)
“And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
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.”
Setting the Scene
John wrote this letter to believers, and throughout it he returns again and again to questions that matter deeply to the Christian life: Who is Jesus? What does genuine faith look like? How can believers recognize God’s work in their lives?
Near the end of the letter, John speaks about God’s testimony concerning His Son.
And then he brings us to the heart of it:
God has given us eternal life.
Notice where John says that life is found.
Not in our accomplishments.
Not in our religious résumé.
Not in how confidently we happen to feel about our faith today.
“This life is in his Son.”
Then John draws a line that Scripture doesn’t allow us to blur:
“Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.”
Jesus isn’t simply someone who shows us where eternal life can be found.
Life is in Him.
And then verse 13 gives assurance to those who believe in His name.
John wants them to know they have eternal life.
Reflection
Eternity.
Eternal life.
It’s almost unfathomable to me.
But one day, this earthly life will end for every one of us. And personally, when I think about eternity, I want exactly what Jesus described:
My Father’s house.
Jesus told His disciples in John 14 that His Father’s house has many rooms and that He was going to prepare a place for them.
Then He promised:
“I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”
I love that.
Because when I think about eternal life, I’m not dreaming about clouds, golden streets, or whatever image my imagination might create.
I want Him.
I want to be where Jesus is.
I want my Father’s house.
I want the eternity God has promised His children.
And 1 John tells me where that life is found.
In the Son.
There’s something else here that I desperately don’t want to miss.
John says those who believe can know they have eternal life.
That’s important to someone like me.
Because if eternal life depended on how confident I felt on any particular day, we’d have a problem.
Feelings change.
Some days my faith feels strong.
Other days I can become far too aware of my failures, replay old mistakes, or wonder whether I’m doing enough.
But John doesn’t tell me to examine how secure I feel and use that as the measure of eternal life.
He points me to Jesus.
Do I have the Son?
That’s the question.
Because:
“Whoever has the Son has life.”
My assurance isn’t found in convincing myself that I’ve finally become a good enough Christian.
It’s found in Christ.
And suddenly eternity doesn’t feel like something I need to fearfully wonder about.
God has given eternal life.
That life is in His Son.
I believe in Jesus.
And Scripture says I can know.
There is incredible freedom in that little word.
Short Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of eternal life and for making it possible for me to know where my eternity rests. Thank You that my assurance isn’t based on how strong my faith feels on any particular day or how well I think I’ve performed. My life is in You.
And Jesus, thank You for the promise that You are preparing a place for Your people in Your Father’s house. My mind can’t begin to comprehend eternity, but I know where I want to spend it: with You. When doubts creep in, turn my eyes away from myself and back to Your Word. Help me rest in what You have promised and live this life with the joy of knowing that because I have the Son, I have life. In Your precious name, I pray. Amen.
Reflection Question
When you think about eternal life, are you looking to your own performance for assurance—or to Jesus, in whom God says eternal life is found?
Closing Encouragement
You don’t have to spend your life wondering whether eternity with God is something you’ll discover only after you die.
John wanted believers to know.
God has given eternal life.
That life is in His Son.
And:
“Whoever has the Son has life.”
So when doubt starts asking whether you’ve done enough, point it somewhere else.
Point it to Jesus.
Because eternal life isn’t found in how well you can hold onto Him.
It’s found in Him.
Helpful Daily Resources
- Read the full chapter on Bible.com ~ 1 John 5
- Enjoy Bible.com ~ Verse of the Day
- Try Bible.com ~ Bible Recap: Read the Bible in a Year Plan