DO YOU HAVE ETERNAL LIFE?

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1 John 5:11–13 KJV

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. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

1 John was written to give believers assurance, discernment, and spiritual confidence. 

John writes like a loving spiritual father to help the church know the difference between true faith and false profession, true doctrine and false teaching, genuine love and empty religion.

One of the greatest questions a person will ever answer is not:

How much money do I have?, How successful was I?, What did people think about me?

The greatest question is: “Do I have eternal life?”

John did not write this epistle to confuse believers.

He wrote it so people could KNOW.

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1 John 5:13 KJV

“These things have I written unto you … that ye may know that ye have eternal life”

The word “know” means: to perceive, to understand with certainty, a settled assurance

John is saying: “You do not have to guess about salvation.”

We are living in a day of, false assurance, shallow Christianity, emotional decisions without transformation

Many people know:

church language, but do not know Christ personally.

Billy Graham once said:

“The greatest mission field in America today is inside the church.”

💡 A counterfeit bill only has to look real enough to deceive someone.

Satan’s greatest work is not convincing everybody there is no God.

His greatest work is convincing lost people they are already saved:

I attend church

Ive walked up front and shook the preachers hand, signed the church book

Im a member, my family is christian, I’ve been baptised

But have you been born again, are you a new creature in Christ, does it bother you to sin?

John gives us three great truths about eternal life.

I. THE PROMISE OF LIFE

1 John 5:11 “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life …”

The word “record” comes from the Greek word meaning: testimony or witness or legal evidence

John says: “God has already testified about salvation.”

This is Heaven’s witness stand.

God Himself gives testimony that ETERNAL LIFE IS A GIFT

Notice the wording: “God HATH GIVEN…”

Not: might give, could give, may eventually give… God HATH GIVEN

Salvation is God’s gift.

Ephesians 2:8–9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

In the 1st century Roman world, religion was built on:

ritual

sacrifice

performance

appeasing the gods

Even many Jews struggled with legalism.

But Christianity exploded across the Roman Empire because it offered something radical … grace.

Not earned righteousness, Received righteousness.

That message changed the world.

YOU CANNOT EARN ETERNAL LIFE:

Church membership cannot save.

Baptism cannot save.

Good works cannot save.

Adrian Rogers used to say:

“Going to church no more makes you a Christian than going to a garage makes you an automobile.”

ETERNAL LIFE IS NOT JUST LENGTH OF LIFE

It is: God’s life in the soul, spiritual rebirth, relationship with Christ

The Greek phrase translated ETERNAL LIFE means: everlasting divine life

It begins the moment someone truly believes.

Its Not just living forever, Everybody lives forever somewhere.

Eternal life means: new nature, new heart, reconciliation with God

💡 A man bought a Bible and carried it everywhere. He highlighted verses, Quoted Scripture, Attended church faithfully. But one night after hearing the Gospel clearly preached, he wept and said: “I’ve admired Jesus my whole life, but I have never known Him.”

There is a difference between: knowing ABOUT Christ and possessing Christ.

II. THE PERSON OF LIFE

1 John 5:11 “and this life is in his Son.”

John narrows salvation to one Person: Jesus Christ.

Not religion.

Not morality.

Not denomination.

Life is IN the Son.

John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

JESUS IS NOT A WAY, HE IS THE WAY

Modern culture says: all roads lead to God, sincerity is enough

But Scripture says: “He that hath the Son hath life.”

THE GREEK EMPHASIS in The phrase: “hath the Son”

means: possessing personally, being joined to

This is relationship language.

Not casual belief, Not mental agreement, Saving faith unites a sinner to Christ.

JOHN’S CONTRAST “he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”

There is no middle ground.

Not: mostly saved, almost saved, halfway converted

You either: possess Christ or remain spiritually dead

John the baptist taught his disciples saying

John 3:36 “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life”

Notice: present tense

Not someday.

Now.

In ancient Rome, Christians were executed in arenas before cheering crowds.

Rome had: power, armies, swords, lions

But believers entered those arenas singing hymns about Christ.

Because Rome could kill the body, but Rome could not steal eternal life.

The early church believed:

“To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.”

That is why Christianity could not be crushed.

💡 A missionary was once asked: “What if they kill you?”

He answered: “Then I will go see the One I have been preaching about.” That is assurance.

III. THE PROOF OF LIFE

1 John 5:13 “that ye may know that ye have eternal life”

John gives assurance,but the rest of 1 John also gives evidences of genuine salvation.

Not perfection— but transformation.

EVIDENCES OF SALVATION IN 1 JOHN

A. LOVE FOR GOD

1 John 2:15 “ Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

A saved person develops new affection.

B. LOVE FOR BELIEVERS

1 John 3:14 “We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.”

C. DESIRE FOR HOLINESS

1 John 3:9 “Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin … because he is born of God.”

Not sinless perfection, but changed direction.

D. ENDURING FAITH

1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.”

False professors eventually depart permanently, True believers persevere because God works within them.

IMPORTANT BALANCE

Salvation is not:

perfection

sinless living

But salvation DOES produce change.

David Jeremiah often says: “God loves us the way He finds us, but He loves us too much to leave us that way.”

NICODEMUS CONNECTION

John 3

Nicodemus was:

religious

respected

moral

educated

Yet Jesus told him: “Ye must be born again.”

You can: know theology, attend church, sing hymns, carry a Bible and still need salvation.

💡 A preacher once asked a farmer: “If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?” That question haunted the man until he genuinely trusted Christ.

ASSURANCE VS FALSE ASSURANCE

There are two dangerous groups:

Saved people who doubt unnecessarily and Lost people who think they are saved

John addresses both.

He comforts true believers.

He exposes false confidence.

THE GREATEST QUESTION

Do you have: church membership? or eternal life?

Do you have: religion? or Christ?

Do you know: Bible facts? or the Savior?

💡 “A man who knows he has eternal life becomes dangerous to the kingdom of darkness.”

CONCLUSION

One day:

your heart will beat its last beat, your lungs will breathe their last breath, your body will lie still

But eternity will only begin.

The question is not: “Are you religious?”

The question is: “Do you know Jesus ?”

Because: “He that hath the Son hath life.”

INVITATION

Maybe today:

you have religion without regeneration

church without Christ

form without life

But Jesus still saves.

John 6:37

“him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

💡 A little girl was asked: “What is faith?” She answered: “Faith is taking God at His word.”

That is salvation. Not trusting: yourself, your goodness, your works, But trusting fully in Christ alone.

“These things have I written unto you… that ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life.”