How does 1 John 5:11 connect with John 3:16 about eternal life? A Fresh Look at 1 John 5:11 “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.” • God has already “given” the gift—perfect, completed action. • Eternal life is not a concept or achievement; it is a present possession. • The life is “in His Son,” locating it exclusively in Jesus Christ. Echoes from John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” • Same giver—God. • Same gift—eternal life. • Same channel—the Son. • Same condition—belief/faith in Jesus. Eternal Life: Gift, Not Goal 1 John 5:11 declares the gift; John 3:16 explains why and how it is offered. Together they show: 1. Motivation: God’s love (John 3:16). 2. Action: God “gave” His Son (John 3:16) and “has given” life (1 John 5:11). 3. Reception: “Everyone who believes” (John 3:16) now possesses life (1 John 5:11). The Exclusive Source: “in His Son” • John 14:6—Jesus is “the way, and the truth, and the life.” • Acts 4:12—“There is no other name under heaven…by which we must be saved.” • John 1:4—“In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.” Consequently, to receive the gift one must receive the Son; outside Him there is no eternal life. Belief and Possession • John 3:36—“Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life.” (present tense) • 1 John 5:12—“Whoever has the Son has life.” Belief unites the believer to Christ, and possession of Christ equals possession of eternal life. Living the Reality Today 1. Assurance—1 John 5:13 affirms believers “may know” they have eternal life. 2. Gratitude—Romans 6:23 calls it “the gift of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 3. Humility—Ephesians 2:8-9 reminds us it is “not from yourselves; it is the gift of God.” 4. Witness—having received the testimony, we pass it on (1 John 5:10). Reinforcing Verses • John 17:3—Eternal life is knowing the Father and the Son. • Titus 3:5-7—We are “heirs according to the hope of eternal life” through mercy, not merit. • Jude 21—“Keep yourselves in the love of God as you await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you eternal life.” Putting It Together John 3:16 shows the heart of God initiating salvation; 1 John 5:11 records the settled fact that the gift is now ours in Christ. Believe the Son, receive the life, and live in the confidence that what God promised He has already provided. |
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